Swazi Reed Festival

So I have already spoken a bit about Swaziland... incredibly beautiful. But it also has a HIV rate of 30-40%, which is pretty scary. I've just finished a one-week intensive course on "Understanding AIDS in Africa", so AIDS has been on my mind a lot this week...

Anywyay, the reed dance. Basically the reed dance (Umhlanga in Swazi)is about the King choosing a new wife - or so the Lonely Planet and others say, but I think it is more of a coming-of age ritual for the young girls. I'm sure most of them are aware that given just to sheer volume, they have a slim chance of being chosen by the king to be his new wife. I think it is more about showing you are Swazi, becoming a member of Swazi society. Either way, it is amazing to watch!

We got there at about 10am (hitched a ride with this German guy from our hostel - 8 of us in one car, and we drove past 2 police check points and they didn't stop us!) There was so much security at the event, which is good for the girls, i heard there are often rapes at the event - a thought that just makes me sick. But each group of girls has at least 2 older guys with big sticks to protect them. Basically young girls from every part of the country converge on the palace - the king pays for all their transport and accomodation and food so they can come, which is fortunate coz Swaziland is a very poor country.

Here is one of the protectors



So the girls come in groups down from the palace - protectors in tow and stand in these field singing for literally hours - it was just amazing. They have the most amazing voices and were so well behaved, some of the girls were like 2 or 3 (clearly not new wife material) but all dressed up and so good, no temper tantrums or anything! I think in our culture we molly-coddle children too much and turn them into spoilt brats!

This little girl was so cute and so well behaved! the wooden spoon is in place of the machete most girls carry.


These girls we kinda made friends with, myself and two other girls were walking down the road and this girl came up with her mobile phone around her neck - she wanted a photo of us! it was an very cool role reversal!



Lots of the girls really wanted to be in photos too, which is good coz i much prefer to take photos of people who want to be in them.


here are the reeds the girls carry


here is some of the scenery and traditional dress



and check this out - this is the royal family! the King is looking slightly to the left. And the queen mother is in the chair, the other ladies and the kings wives (who don't seem to be called queens...) I stood literally 20-25m away from the Swazi royal family, can you believe it! I was quite excited, i didn't expect to get that close!