Swaziland, one of the smallest countries in Africa, or the Kingdom of Esvatini, with its new name, is one of the countries with the most interesting culture in the world. Let’s take a closer look at the traditions of the African country Swaziland, whose name we often hear, especially because of the ritual of choosing a spouse for the king of the country, and see some of the interesting information about this country.
Although we have lived here for a long time, we do not know our world and most of its cultures. A small African country, Swaziland, has one of the cultures that are foreign to many of us. This country, which changed its name to Esvatini Kingdom in 2018, One of the smallest countries in Africa. It is quite interesting that we come across it frequently due to its unique culture.
Of course, when Swaziland is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the king’s extraordinary mate selection ritual. The country, which gained its independence in 1968, was under the great influence of the British, who could not get enough of exploiting the world. However, despite the colonial period and civil wars that lasted for many years, it managed to preserve its unique culture. Bride Let’s take a closer look at Swaziland traditions and let’s see some of the interesting facts about this country.
Interesting facts about Swaziland (Esvatini):
In Africa’s smallest country, the roads are terrible, and the management is rather interesting:
The borders of Swaziland cover an area of 17,364 square kilometers according to official figures. So it is slightly smaller than the US state of Massachusetts and therefore It remains the smallest country in Africa. Two of the last four transport ministers died in car crashes due to the danger of road conditions. Esvatini is the only country in the world ruled by an absolute monarchy. Absolutely no democracy. The lack of democracy does not seem to upset the people of the country, because, as in many absolute monarchies, the king is believed to have divine power in Esvatini.
Thousands of virgins compete to become king’s consorts:
An event called the Reed Dance is held every year in the country. This event, also known as the Fertility Festival, More than 25 thousand young girls, She dances wearing special costumes. Their only aim is to become the king’s wife, at least for that year. Of course, one of the most important conditions for selection is that the girls are virgins.
Esvatini places great emphasis on natural life:
Hlane Royal National Park in the country has the largest vulture population in Africa. The country’s ecosystem is unique in many ways. That’s why forest rangers even people they suspect are poaching. They can shoot without question. Let’s say the person who was shot is dead, the ranger is never punished because he has such broad authority.
Albinos are killed for luck:
The tradition seen in many primitive African countries continues in Swaziland. People with albinism, which causes a person to be completely white with a lack of pigment in the skin, are living in this country. hunted and killed by special rituals. Body parts of deceased albinos are kept for luck or used for magic. It is known that epilepsy patients face similar reactions.
It is not known how many wives and children the kings had:
Considering that they get a new wife every year and they have an absolute child from those spouses, we can actually estimate this number between the age of the king’s accession to the throne and the age of death, but for the people of Swaziland, this information is insignificant. King of Esvatini II, the second longest reigning king in the world. of Sobhuza More than 70 wives, more than 600 children, 100 of whom are boys is said to be.
Unmarried girls go around naked:
No, not while sunbathing, but in daily life, unmarried young girls can walk naked. Just like men. The reason for this is post-marriage. is that the breasts of the woman who gave birth to a child are considered valuable because she is breastfeeding. In other words, the breasts of a woman who has not married, given birth or breastfed are no different from the breasts of a man.
The king’s wife is the mother of the people:
Well, which wife, of course, is his first wife. The king’s first wife is considered her ritual consort and is referred to as the Queen Mother. Because he has such a sacred duty. The first wife is not allowed to have children. The Queen Anne also has the power to decide on the election of the king’s new wives. II. After Sobhuza died, the Queen Mother declared 75 days of mourning and for some reason banned sex in the country. Even those who were found to have had sex during the mourning period were sentenced to lashes.
Swaziland is the country with the most HIV-infected people in the world:
About 1.2 million people live in Swaziland, the smallest country in Africa. 210 thousand of these people 27.73% either have HIV virus or have AIDS. When we compare the number of patients by population, Swaziland is the country with the highest number of people with HIV and AIDS in the world. For this reason, it was forbidden to have sex among young people for a while. It is estimated that around 7,000 people die annually from AIDS in the country.
There is a different perspective for babies and widows:
A baby born in the Esvatini Kingdom is not considered an individual until they are 3 months old. No name is given and is considered a ‘thing’. Again, no father or any other man can touch that baby until he is 3 months old. Women in the country shave their heads when their husbands die, that is, when they are widowed. So they want everyone to know how sad they are, how they mourn.
The name Swaziland was changed due to confusion with other countries:
Before the country became independent, it was called Ngwane, the name of the founding king. When they gained their independence in 1968 Country of Swazis They got the name Swaziland, which means. King III, who came to the throne in 2018. Mswati, the name of the country It was renamed the Kingdom of Esvatini. This was because the English name for Switzerland, Switzerland, was confused with the name Swaziland. Esvatini, home of the Swazis means. So almost in the same sense as the old name.
The king literally lives like a king:
One in ten people in Swaziland are poor, but not like us, they are to the point of dying. It is even said that there are people dying of starvation. The king of the nation, on the other hand, must be tired of the new wife selection festivals every year, and in 2002 he spent 50 million dollars for a luxury jet. Of course, the international community reacted strongly and ‘condemned’ the king.
Despite being the smallest country in Africa, it has always made a name for itself with its extraordinary traditions. One of the interesting facts about Swaziland, with its new name Esvatini Kingdom and we talked about the details in the culture of the country. You can share your thoughts about Swaziland in the comments.