Mzala Tom
Ancient Ndebele people used celestial knowledge to chart seasons, regulate agricultural cycles and ritual calendars. Celestial bodies determined healing rituals, divination, social and political decisions.
The sun, ilanga, the stars, inkanyezi and the moon, inyanga, are the most significant celestial beings that affected several aspects of the Ndebele community. One day is known as ilanga or usuku and a month is known as inyanga.
One moon cycle makes up a month and thirteen moon cycles make up a year, umnyaka. Daily time is measured in relation to the movement of the sun and the stars. Different measures of time are divided as follows :
n Ekuphumeni kwelanga — sunrise
n Ilanga selikhwelile- mid — morning
n Emini enkulu, seliphezu kwezindlu- noon
n Emini — afternoon
n Imini yantambama — early afternoon
n Seliphendula imithunzi — mid-afternoon
n Selimathunzi, selibantu bahle, selisiya ngomtsha wendoda — late afternoon.
n Ntambama — before sunset
n Ekutshoneni kwelanga — sunset
n Sekunqunda amehlo/kusihlwa/kuhwalala — dusk
n Ekutshoneni kwencelankobe — evening
n Ebusuku — night
n Phakathi kwamabili — midnight
n Emadabukakusa, emathathakusa, kusithi ndi, kusithi nwe, empondozankomo — crack of dawn
n Ekubuyeni kwabathakathi — before daybreak
n Ekuphumeni kwendonsakusa — at the break of the morning star, daybreak
n Ekuphumeni kwelanga — sunrise
(Extracts from my upcoming book: History and Heritage: The Ndebele Kingdom of Zimbabwe)