The bridal practice of ukuthwala (bridal abduction), has formed part of many South African native cultural groups, and has still remained as a cultural marriage practice in several places within the Eastern Cape. As the Eastern Cape is predominately a Xhosa populated part of the country, I will be exploring this practice through the Xhosa culture.
Although the practice of bridal abduction is a worldwide issue, it is however believed that the practice of ukuthwala in South Africa originated with the Xhosa people. (Mwambene & Sloth-nielsen, 2011) Initially the practice came about in cases when the either the girl’s family or both families, would be against a marriage or would not come into agreement with labola, and then the couple would stage this abduction, in order to force their  families to allow the marriage to take place.

Although not inherently a form of an abusive abduction, it has mutated into a form of marriage which results in abuse, violence and in many unfortunate cases resulted in rape. Traditionally the practice may be conducted in one of two ways, there are cases where the girl’s family has consented to the marriage and the abduction of their daughter. In this case, the two families have met without consulting the girl in question and have even concluded with the labola negotiations in most of these cases. Then the two families for whatever the reasons may be agree to a specific date on which this abduction would take place. (Modisaotsile, 2013)

While the other painful case, which has become illegal, is where the man’s family are in agreement and have not met with either the young girl nor her family and simply decide to ambush her at their earliest convenience, to then inform the girl’s family once they have kidnapped her of what they have done.

 No matter what the circumstance is, when the girl is unaware of this sort of marriage, it may be traumatic for her, as she is taken against her will and then forced to become a wife to someone she may not even know, and at times a man who is 15 to 40 years her senior

The Caged bird Poem

For this poem I had decided to start it off as a reflective moment, hence the question 'how am I to fly on broken wings? ' This was meant to imply moment of 'what now?'
The idea behind being broken, it is meant to express how she may feel that her worth has somehow depreciated, due to how society views broken things as having no value or as being of a lesser value. The repetition of those words was also meant as a way of emphasising that she may no longer feel as those she can function to het fullest or original capacity, hence being unable to fly.
The next aspect revealed is the fact that the act of breaking her was deliberate. This is sometimes the case when it comes to forced marriages or marriages which as a product of ukutwala, they may try by either emotional or physical means to cause the girl/woman to feel as though her worth has already depreciated, so that she won't try to leave. This is done through rape, physically beating the women, emotionally threatening her of the fact that if she left she will be viewed as an outcast.

After hearing these stories, I had decided to write the poem from the perspective og a young girl, who feel broken both in terms of worth and wothin her soul, therefore no longer being able to view both her life and life as before. She is hence caged by the husband, her own brokenness and by the community. Hence the poem speaks not just of a cage, but her broken wing. 

Caged Bird

The concept of the 'Caged bird' narrative, is a concept of a cage being like an actual prison, as it is restrictive in nature, restricting the physical, mental, social etc. These are the general feelings associated with a cage or a prison, as seen in the picture below.

Man in prison

 There video below is meant to display birds in flight, the reason why I chose it is that I want show the contrast between the depressing picture of prison and that of a bird flying. Usually birds symbolize flight, freedom, movement, exploring and by nature able to reach new heights.

The broken wings, would then represent the prison, since a bird with a broken wing would be restricted from knowing the freedom it ks accustomed to.


Man in prison URL:https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-typical-day-in-jail.htm
Birds in flight URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1wp1RnC7kk