Daughters of The Soil Dance Barefoot To Honour The Queen Mother #culture #africanheritage #africa

The sacred Reed Dance of the Zulu and Swazi people in Southern Africa. Behold Izintombi - the unmarried maidens, daughters of the soil. Pure, proud, and clothed in the colours of their ancestors. The red they wear is not just cloth. It is the colour of youth, joy and life. The Amabead - the colourful beads on their chest and neck - are the prayers of their mothers, each colour speaking: White for purity, Red for love, Yellow for wealth. On their waist is Isigekle, and in their hands is Ishoba - the cow-tail whisk. A symbol of maidenhood. As they dance, they wave it to show respect, joy, and to chase away evil spirits. Barefoot they dance on the sacred grass, ankle rattles beating with the drum, to connect their feet with the earth and their spirit with the ancestors. Every year in August/September, thousands of them go to the mountains to cut long reeds and carry them to the palace of the Queen Mother to rebuild her fence. It is a duty of honour, a festival that teaches purity, respect, and pride in being an African woman. This is not entertainment. This is culture kept alive #Umhlanga #ReedDance #ZuluCulture #AfricanTradition #Izintombi