Names and naming: How birds have been named by the Ndebele people

Pathisa Nyathi

WE have looked at how trees and plants were named by the Ndebele people. Among the several adopted naming ways were properties of given plants or trees, their observed behaviour or medicinal qualities. Some of the ways were difficult to appreciate at face value as these were sometimes drawn from overt traits known only to those endowed with spiritual powers. Today we turn to the birds in order to see how they received their names.

Among indicators of impending rains is the call of a bird which pierces the sky and shatters the peace. Birds, it would seem, got their names through calls, usually sweet melodies that induced in them sympathetic dances that they produced. I remember not so long ago when my sister, after hearing the call of some bird, effortlessly announced that rains would fall in a few days’ time. The particular bird that gave her the cue was inkanku in IsiNdebele. Its call produces some onomatopoeic sound which, in terms of its sound, resembles the call of the bird. Bird calls are distinctive and imbued with meaning. The sound of inkanku is a sound of hope to farmers who would be keenly awaiting the rains during the summer months.

Umswiliswili makes some very discreet call that alerts animals to the presence of hunters. Birds, upon hearing the call, take to flight in order to escape from hunters lurking in the vicinity. Umswiliswili is a danger warning bird which is regarded as a saviour of animals. One of the Babirwa chiefs, Kgoatalala, was given the name uMswiliswili wenkosi. He was so named on account of the role he had been assigned by the king. The Babirwa were located to the south of the Ndebele State and King Mzilikazi knew that threats to his kingdom would come from the south. In 1847 Afrikaners under the command of Andries Hendriek Potgieter (uNdaleka) ventured into the Ndebele territory.

Chief Kgoatalala was given the role as a security alert who, upon getting information that there was some advancing enemy would, as expected, send word to the Ndebele chief under whose jurisdiction he operated to forward the message to the king. Security of the state was held, in the same manner the forewarned animals avoided predations of hunters.

Another bird that derives its name from its call is usibagobe. In the context of socialisation, ukugoba refers to the process of enculturation during which the young are introduced to the ways of their parents and ancestors. It is a process of intergenerational transmission of knowledge, skills, values, traditions and ideals of a community. Obadiah Mlilo, one-time education inspector, popularised the call of the bird and its name when he wrote a poem USibagobe in which he lamented the ways of the young who defied all efforts by adults to socialise them.

There is a bird named insedlu. Its call is accompanied by some attention seeking dances characterised by leaping from tree branch to another tree branch. It flaps its wings in a manner that draws attention of a human passerby. Its intention is what in economic terms may be viewed as a win-win situation.  But this is not always the case. The bird loves grubs in bees’ nests (amachaphazi). Desire for food leads it to call and, in the process, attract a person who it leads to the bees’ nest. The bird knows that man is interested in honey as a source of food. However, man does not harvest growing grubs. He accordingly leaves these behind after harvesting honey. Insedlu comes to get its share of what man does not regard as food. This is the win-win situation that the bird and man work towards accomplishing.

The same bird, it is believed by the Ndebele people, will make the same call and perform some dancing ritual when it is attracting man to some lurking python. It is however, not clear what it stands to benefit when man, after identifying the python kills it. All we can surmise it that the bird is acting out of self-interest. The distinctive call, flapping of wings as the bird flies in a particular direction, identifies the position of the intended target.

There are also birds known as amahlokohloko which are named after their characteristic calls. The name is onomatopoeic. A royal settlement was named after these birds. Amahlokohloko was where King Mzilikazi lived after arrival in present day Zimbabwe.  Reverend Dr Robert Moffat found the ailing king at the village of Amahlokohloko just north of Bulawayo. Upon relocating to a new site, the name was retained. King Lobengula and Mtshane Khumalo were conscripted into this particular regiment. 

There are birds that get their names from walking gaits. A bird called udwayi walks in a particular way that is rhythmic and characterised by some bobbing up and down movements. It is a walking gait that prompted Ndebele people to craft a song that is inspired by the dancing movement of udwayi: Gida dwayi sikubone, gida dwayi. Dance dwayi, so we may see and admire you! Dwayi is a word that describes swift captivating movement that udwayi executes.

There are migratory birds that make their appearance during the onset of the rain season. The swift flying birds are known as izinkonjane. They are black in colour and will frolic ahead of the rain-bearing clouds. Their wings are V-shaped and have given the same name to a type of ear notch (uphawu) in cattle. The distinctive notch is used to identify cattle belonging to one person. That particular notch is so named on account of its resemblance to the shape of wings of swallows that grace the environment during the time when areas south of the equator receive rain in summer. Inkonjane has led to the adoption of reference to it in certain family praises (izibongo). Swallows fly across rivers and seas: ulwandle olungawelwa yizinyoni, luwelwa yizinkonjane.

Colour is another factor that has been made use of to name some birds. Ijuba, the totemic animal for the Nyathi people, is light grey in colour. The use or reference to the colour has shifted from the specific to the general. It now describes other objects with a similar colour. Some piece of cloth may be described as ijuba in reference to its light grey colour. Another bird which was named after a multiple of traits is one known as ifefe. It has a characteristic blue colour with some green tinge. This is the blue roller whose feathers were worn only by King Mzilikazi. A king stood out among the crowd in more ways than one. Dress set him apart, as did his cuisine. He was a cut above the rest: Unkone ovele ngobuso emdibini.

At the same time the bird makes some enchanting call which is accompanied by some enthralling and captivating dance routine which led to the crafting of a song: giya fefe, giya fefe! Birds are borne in flight, make sweet enchanting calls, are resplendent in charming colours, walk with captivating gaits that singly or in combination result in given names for birds.