Abantu banezinkolelo eziningi ezingafani ngezinyoka ezahlukahlukene. Kukhona abantu abazisebenzisela ukwelapha okungaba ukusebenzisa izingxenye zayo noma ukuyigcina ngoba benenkolelo yokuthi ibanika amandla noma iyidlozi kubona. ENingizimu Afrika umthetho awuvumi ukuthi abantu bafuye izinhlobo ezithile zezinyoka njengomonyo nezinye. Sizobheka izinhlobo ezithile nezinkolelo zabantu ngazo njengomonyo, inhlwathi nobhulube.
Contents
1 Umonyo
2 Inhlwathi
3 Ubhulube
4 English Summary: Beliefs associated with snakes
Umonyo
Umonyo uhlobo lwenyoka elitholakala emadamini noma emachibini. Kujwayeleke ukuthi zihlale ngazimbili. Lezinyoka ziphila ngokuthi zidle imfuyo nabantu eduze kwalapho zihlala khona. Kunenkolelo yokuthi uma sekunechwane lenyoka lilwa naleyo endala yesilisa ukuze kubonakale ukuthi ngeyiphi ekufanele ishiye indawo leyo ezihlala kuyona ngoba ngeke ubulili obubodwa buhlalelane. Uma sekufanele ishintshe indawo leyo ehluliwe izulu liyashintsha endaweni kube namafu nomoya omkhulu okungenzeka ukuthi kuhlephuke nezihlahla.
Kunenkolelo yokuthi ifu lelo yilo elithatha inyoka liyihambise komunye umfula lapho izohlala khona. Abantu abakhele izindawo ezaziwa njengalezo ezinaloluhlobo lwenyoka bayacebisana ngokuthi uma befulele ngothayela kufanele bawupende ngoba ngesikhathi sokushintsha indawo salenyoka kungenzeka uma ibheka lapho ingahlala khona ibona ukucwebezela kukathayela icabange ukuthi umfula bese yehlela khona. Kuthiwa uma kwenzekile lokho yonke leyondawo iyashabalala kufe nabantu.
Inhlwathi
Inhlwathi itholakala emahlathini nasezigangeni. Nayo iphila ngokudla imfuyo noma abantu uma besehlathini njengabesifazane uma beyotheza. Kuthiwa lenyoka ayigcini ngokuthi ikushaye njengezinye izinyoka, inhlwathi iyasigwinya isilwane noma lokho esuke ikuthole ngalesosikhathi. Ngaphambi kokuthi igwinye lokho kufanele iqale iphule amathambo ngokuthi izisongele kulokho ekutholile bese iyagwinya. Kunenkolelo yokuthi uma lenyoka isazisongela kuwena uma ungumuntu kufanele uzame ukuthi uphonse okuthile okungaba okugqokile phezulu khona uzoyiphazamisa kulokhu esuke ikwenza ibheke lokho okuphonsayo bese uyabaleka. Kunenkolelo yokuthi lenyoka iyakwazi ukujaha umuntu osuke ebaleka noma isilwane.
Ubhulube
Inyoka engenawo ubuthi obulalayo. Kuthiwa kuyinyoka ethanda ukudlala umuntu angacabanga ukuthi inyoka ezomshaya abaleka. Nayo iyinyoka emjahayo umuntu imwisele phansi bese iyabaleka imshiye lapho. Uma lowomuntu ebona ukuthi inyoka ayisekho ezama ukubaleka futhi iyamlandela njalonjalo idlala ngaye.
English Summary: Beliefs associated with snakes
Many people have different beliefs about snakes. Some keep snakes as pets, some believe that snakes can give them power in healing other people, some use parts of the snakes to make healing medicines and some believe that snakes form part of their ancestors in such a way that when a certain snake is seen around the homestead it’s not harmed because they believe ancestor is visiting them and coincidentally the snakes hangs around and disappears after a while. In different communities these beliefs are also different and there are stories that are shared among the people of how to react when one sees a particular snake. Many of these stories young people hear from their parents or grandparents and they still follow those rules. We are going to look at some of the snakes that form part of these beliefs.
There is a certain type of a python that lives in dams, rivers etc. It is believed that they are always in pairs, a female and a male. These snakes hunt their food around the river and they attack livestock and sometimes people. It is believed that when a female gives birth to a male snake the two males have to fight to determine who is the rightful owner of the place they are living in. When there are heavy storms some people believe that one of the two fighting snakes is looking for an alternative place to stay and during these storms people die, houses are damaged etc.
If most of the damaged housed have corrugated iron roofs people believe that it was because the snake thought it was a dam and only later realised that it was a house. It is for this reason that most people paint their corrugated iron roofing to avoid these incidences. Another tale is that when you are attacked by a python, because it does not kill you instantly but ties itself around you, it is said that you have to throw something towards the sky to distract the snake; it is recommended that it should be brightly coloured if it’s part of your clothes. The snake will then focus on that and loosen its grip on you so you will get a chance to escape. Some people also believe that there are harmless snakes that will play with you especially when they notice that you are scared of them.
Written By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane