Inja isilwane sasekhaya esibaluleke kakhulu, ngoba igada ukuphepha ekhaya kanye nemfuyo ekugcina isifana nensila yasekhaya. Kunezinkolelo eziningi abantu abazibhekayo ezimayelana nenja noma nento eyenziwa inja ngesikhathi esithile ekhaya. Kuthiwa uma kunento ekhona ekhaya egcekeni ebusuku, kuzwakala ngenja ikhonkotha ingayeki ukuxwayisa abomuzi ngekubonayo baze baphume babheke.
Uma kunemimoya emibi noma isipoki izwakala inja isishaya umkhulungwane igcwale igceke lonke, bese bephuma abasekhaya bachele ngentelezi noma bashunqise inyamazane.
Uma kuzoba nesifo ekhaya inja ike ibonakale imba umgodi egcekeni, ishawe kodwa iqhubeke imbe kwenye indawo. Kwabaziyo ngalenkolelo abanye bayahamba baye kohlola isifo sinqandeke. Noma kungadlula lokho isengaphinda uma kuzoba khona omunye umuntu ozoshona emndenini.
Kuthiwa akufuneki ukuthi inja ishaye umkhulungwane uma sekungena isidumbu ekhaya ngoba ngemuva kokuthi kuthuniwe kwaqedwa lokho kuchaza ukuthi kuzolandela omunye umuntu emndenini.
Kuthiwa akufuneki uma ilahlekile inja kunganakwa ekhaya, abomndeni kufanele bayifuna ize itholakale bese igqitshwa egcekeni noma endaweni efihlekile lapho abenzi bokubi bengeke bayithole kalula khona. Kunenkolelo yokuthi njengoba isifana nensila yekhaya bayakwazi abathakathi ukuthi babhubhise ngayo umndeni.
Inja uma izalele endlini lokho kusho isichitho esikhulu kulowomndeni. Ngokwesintu inja ayizaleli kwakhona endlini, ngaphandle uma ibika lokho.
Ngesinye isikhathi kuthiwa isuke ibika ukuthi kunomuthi owagqitshwa kuleyondlu mhlawumbe isakhiwa. Uma bekulandela lokhu bayakwazi ukusizakala ngokuthi balande inyanga ezobasiza ukukhipha lowomuthi.
Uma kulahleke umdlwane ekhaya ongakaboni, nalokho kuyakwazi ukubhubhisa wonke umndeni.
English Summary
These are beliefs that are associated with a dog. Beside the fact that dogs guard and protect families they are also taken as part of a family in a sense that certain dog behaviours people see them as warnings to their daily lives. Below is a list of those beliefs:
When a dog howls in the middle of the night it is believed that there are bad spirits around the yard, family members will use traditional medicine to sprinkle inside and outside of the house and burn some if a need arises.
A dog can also sense if someone is going to die, it can be found digging holes around the yard. It is said that this act can be reversed by consulting with a traditional healer.
If there is death in family and when the coffin enters the yard, if the dog howl that means another member of the family will die.
If it happens that a dog disappears or is found dead, family members should take it and bury it in a place where bad people will not be to have access on it. Because it is said they can use bad umuthi that can have negative effects to the family.
In Zulu culture a dog must not give birth inside the house, this is bad luck for the family. Another meaning will be that the dog symbolises a bad umuthi that was buried under the house when it was built. This can be undone by consulting a traditional healer.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane