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novel, Lekhekhesha, was published in 2018 by Eliya
Monyela. The first Lobedu poetry book, Zwireto zwa KheLobedu, was published and launched in 2020 by Lobedu poet Makgwekgwe Waa-Mampeule. As of October 2021, a translation of the Christian Bible is being undertaken by VALODAGOMA NPC (the BaLobedu think tank) and PANSALB (the Pan South African Languages Board).
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uncles of the
Nengwekhulus. All BaLobedu are descended from these three groups: BaKwevho, Nengwekhulu, and Ramabulana. The rest of the people are descendants of East Sotho or BaLaudi refugees and indigenous South Venda groups like BaNgona. As a result, the most common animal totems among BaLobedu are the wild pig (Goloe/Kolobe) and the elephant (Dou/Tlou).
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Western world would call ladies-in-waiting), to appease her so that she would bring rain to their regions. The name Lobedu is thought to derive from this practice, referring to the daughters or sisters who were lost to their families. The Rain Queen extends her influence through her wives, because they link her politically to other families or villages.
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The Rain Queen was historically known as an extremely powerful magician who was able to bring rain to her friends and drought to her enemies. Visitors to the area always brought her gifts and tribute, including cattle and their daughters as wives (though their role is more akin to what those in the
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in SiLozwi (in present-day
Matabeleland, Zimbabwe), and it is therefore accepted that there is an intertwining of their history with the rest of the Lozwi. Lozwi have a history of rainmaking, as does the current Lozwi king, Mike Moyo, who is also gifted with rainmaking. Linguists have listed Lobedu
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BaLobedu ba Ga-Mmamaila, which was founded by Prince
Mmamaila, the elder brother of Modjadji I, who objected to being ruled by women, was one of the eldest sons of the last male rulers of BaLobedu, King Mokodo Mohale of the Royal House of Mohale of Bakwebo, as BaLobedu was then known. This tribe is
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migrants consisted of the
Mokwebo, who are the ancestors of all wild pig clans (ba ana golove/ba bina kolobe) like Mamabolo Ramafalo and Modjadji, the Nengwekhulu, who are the ancestors of all elephant clans (Ditlou); and the Ramabulana, ancestors of the other elephant clans (Ditlou), who are also
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dialects and the Lobedu language is so high that speakers of these Venda dialects can effectively communicate with Lobedu speakers without difficulty. A Tshiguvhu (a Venda dialect) speaker can understand a Lobedu speaker easily, and vice versa. Lobedu could easily have been classified as a Venda
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The wild pig clans (Dikolobe) are the
Modjadji, Mohale, Ramalepe ,Modika, Mahasha, Mabulana, Mokwebo, Mampeule, Molokwane, Malepe, Sebela, Thobela, and Ramafalo, all of whom are descendants of the ancient Mokwebo (wild pig) royal house. All Chiefs in Bolobedu are of the wild pig clans, with the
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Most Lobedu speakers only learn to speak Pedi at school; as such, Pedi is only a second or third language and is foreign to them like
English and Afrikaans. Lobedu is a written language and its dictionary, Thalusamandzwi Ya Khilovedu, was published in 2018 by Kgothatso Seshayi. The first Lobedu
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exception of the chiefs of
Taulome, Malatji, and Rakgoale (Mogoboya), who are Dinoko (porcupines). The elephant clan is Rabothata, Selowa (Khelowa/Tshilowa/Shilowa), Shai, Matlou (Ma₫ou), Mabulana, and Maenetja; these are the descendants of the ancient royal house of Nengwekhulu.
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Balobedu do traditional dances called khekhapa for women and dinaka for men.Sekgapa and Dinaka are traditional dances of Bapedi-speaking people covering such areas as GaSekhukhune, GaDikgale, GaMaake, GaSekororo, and
Bolobedu.
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The Lobedu have female rulers known as "Rain Queens". The queen is believed to have the power to make rain. The
Balobedu Kingdom consists of a number of small groups tied together by their queen. On 12 June 2005, Queen
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BaLobedu ba Ga-Sekgopo (Balobedu Ba Ha Sekhopo), which are located at Ga-Sekgopo Village. They separated from the main group of Balobedu in the late 1700s, when the first female ruler of Balobedu was crowned.
513:. They have the praise lines Sai/Shai and Dewa, and call themselves the people of Thobela, which is the same as the Lozwi/Kalanga. The rainmaking powers of Queen Modjadji are also synonymous with the
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Balobedu have their own way of praising and talking to their God through Dithugula. They sit next to a traditionally designed circle in their homes and start calling the names of their ancestors.
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are found in the present-day Western Province of Zambia. They settled alongside the Zambezi River Banks and established it as Musi-oa-tunya (storms that thunder), present day
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as a language of the Lozwi, which consequently connects them to their history. Their rainmaking history is tied to that of the Banyai in northern Matabeleland and
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BaLobedu ba Ga-Modjadji, which is the main group of BaLobedu and is led by the Royal House of Modjadji, which is the main royal house for the other groups,
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dialect or an independent language. For example, Northern Sotho has higher mutual intelligibility with Southern Sotho and Tswana than it does with Lobedu.
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dialect. Their area is called Bolobedu. The name "balobedu" means "the mineral miners," lobela or go loba, - to mine. Their ancestors were part of
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Krige, E. Jensen, and J. D. Krige The Realm of a Rain-Queen: A Study of the Pattern of Lovedu Society London: Oxford University Press, 1943.
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died, leaving no clear successor acceptable to all members of the Queen's Council. The late queen's brother has served as regent since then.
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The area of Balobedu consists of around 150 villages, and every village has a male or female ruler who represents Modjadji, the Rain Queen.
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to their present location in South Africa. The central Queendom village is Khethakoni, in the district of Balobedu. These
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located around Ga-Mamaila and Sekhosese townships, in an area known as Boroka, which means north in Khelovedu.
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Balobedu have a male initiation ceremony called Moroto. The female initiation ceremony is called Dikhopa.
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It is estimated that there are around 1 million BaLobedu in South Africa. Their population is found in
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729:, born Teanet Peta XiTsonga, is a disco musician born and raised in Thapane Village, Bolobedu.
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349:(20 000 or 6.4% based on the 2011 census), and smaller villages in Limpopo. Some are found in
741:, South African politician and leader of the Communist Party, is an ally of the ruling party.
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Clay vessels in a Lobedu village, 1975, by which time they were only used for ritual purposes
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Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the
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early civilization. They have their own kingdom, the Balobedu Kingdom, within the
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in southern Matabeleland, and there are two areas called Njelele in
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are equally valid) and is sometimes considered a dialect of the
789:. South African Journal of African Languages. p. 179-189.
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and University of Pretoria FC defender; born in Ga-Abel village
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The Rain Queen was referenced in literature as the basis for
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The Balobedu originally migrated south from present day
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860:. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
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120:Learn how and when to remove this message
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787:"Is Khelobedu a language or a dialect?"
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662:Queen Masalanabo Modjadji VII (2024–)
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