Author: SADiLaR Sesotho Researcher – Mmasibidi Setaka
English blog available at the bottom
Merabe e fapaneng e tsejwa ka tsela eo e aparang ka yona. Moaparo ke karolo e kgolo e hlalosang metso le setso sa motho, mme hangata, merabeng ka ho fapana, bomme, barwetsana, bontate le bahlankana bana le diaparo tse fapaneng tse bontshang boemo ba bona bophelong. Ntle le tshenyo ya nako, ke lakatsa hore kgweding ena ya botjhaba re bue ka dikobo tsa Basotho le tsela eo di aparwang ka yona.
Mehleng ya kgale Basotho ba ne apara makoko, ya ba mokgwa oo o a fetoha mohlang Morena Moshoeshoe I a neng a fuwa mpho ya kobo ke Monghadi Howel ka selemo sa 1860. Morena o ile a thabela kobo ena hoo a ileng a lebala ka lekoko leo a neng a le tena ka nako eo, yaba o se a apara kobo bakeng sa lona. Ho tloha moo, ya ba Basotho ba se ba apara dikobo e le karolo ya setso sa bona.
Ka selemo sa 1897, Mofumahadi Victoria a etela Lesotho, mme ke leetong leo moo a ileng a fa Morena Lerotholi Letsie mpho ya kobo.
Dimpho tsena tsa dikobo di ile tsa susumetsa Basotho hore ba amahanye setso sa bona le dikobo tsena tse ikgethileng. Hangata dikobo tsa Basotho tse fapaneng, tse kang Seana Marena, Sefate, le Poone, di na le letshwao la poone le emelang kemolo le leruo. Dikobo tse ding tsa Sesotho ke Moholobela, Lehlosi, Victorian/Malakabane, Motlatsi, Letlama, Lingoetsi, Kharetsa, Sefate, Morena. Kobo e tsejwang haholo ke Seana Marena, mme ho qapilwe le pina e tummeng e reng “Ntate nthekele Seana Marena” ka kobo ena.
Dikobo tsa Sesotho di sebediswa mabekeng a fapaneng, mohlala, e le dimpho tsa lenyalo, ha bashanyana ba tswa mophatong, kapa di aperwe e le karolo ya ho keteka botjhaba hara tse ding tsa ditshebediso tsa tsona.
Di entswe ka ulu hore di tle di kgone ho sireletsa motho kgahlanong le moya, serame kapa yona pula, mme mela e mesweu e tlameha ho sheba fatshe ha di aperwe.
Dikobo tsena ditswetse Basotho molemo ho latela ka moo serame sa Lesotho se kenellang masapong ka teng ha ho bata. Leha ho le jwalo, Basotho ba ne ba rata dikobo tsa bona hoo ba neng ba di apara le ha ho tjhesa, e leng ketso e ntseng e etshala le mehleng ena.
Ha re ntshetseng moqoqo pele re rutaneng.
Re bontshe hore o ikgantsha ka ho ba Mosotho.
Re bontshe moo o apereng kobo ya hao mme o re jwetse lebitso la yona.
The Basotho Clans
Different tribes are identified by their dress codes. Dress code is a major part that defines an individual’s origin and culture and often, in different races, mothers, young women, fathers and young men have different dress codes which indicate their status in life. Without wasting time, I would like to talk about the Basotho blankets and how they are worn.
In ancient days, the Basotho used to wear animal skins, and that culture vanished when King Moshoeshoe I was handed a blanket by Mr Howel in the year 1860. The King was so delighted by the blanket that he forgot about the animal skin he was accustomed to wear in those day, and he started wearing the blanket instead of the animal skin. Since then, the Basotho started wearing the blankets as part of their culture.
In 1897, Queen Victoria visited Lesotho and it is during this expedition that she gave King Lerotholi a blanket as a gift.
These gifts moved the Basotho to associate their culture with these special blankets. In general the Basotho blankets differ, such as Seana Marena, Sefate and Poone, which has a maize sign which represents reproduction and wealth. Some of Basotho the blankets are Moholobela, Lehlosi, Victorian/Malakabane Motlatsi, Letlama, Lingoetsi, Kharetsa, Sefate and Morena etc. The most common blanket is Seana Marena and they have composed a famous song about this blanket “Ntate nthekele Seanamarena” which means “Father buy me Seanamarena”.
Basotho blankets are used for different reasons, as wedding gifts, when the boys return from the initiation school or are worn as part of celebrating heritage among other ways of using them.
They are made from wool so that they can protect one against winds, cold weather or even rain, and the white stripes should face down when they are worn.
These blankets have benefited the Basotho because it is extremely cold in Lesotho. However, the Basotho loved their blanket so much that they even wear them when it is hot, as it happens in this day and age.