REED DANCING FESTIVAL IN SWARZILAND

70,000 virgins take part half naked in ‘Reed Dance’ festival in Swaziland

We rarely hear about kings who would get off airplanes with bare chest.  Rumours are spreading about the weird culture in Swaziland. At the moment the king of Swaziland is in Sri Lanka.
Nudity is a common thing in Swaziland which is a South African country and the way the Asian and the European countries interpret nudity is very different from them. But, when they travel abroad, they never hesitate to suit up.
Swaziland is one of the poorest Agricultural countries in the world and it is said that the daily income of 60% of people is just one dollar. It is also reported that 1 person out of 4 dies AIDS in Swaziland and the life span is only about 31 years.
Swaziland is still ruled by a king. There are Ministers under him who is appointed once in every five years. The lineage of Kingship does not change in Swaziland and they still carry the habit of the harem.
It is reported that the present Miswani king has 13 wives (queens). Umlanda festival which is called ‘Reed Dance’ festival is a special occasion held in Swaziland. It had been a tradition from the 1940 to 1950 decades. It is said that Reed festival has been continuing after Umwansho festival which was held with a number of virgins. The aim of this festival had been to show the energy and the performance of the women in Swaziland to its Queen.
It is reported that girls who have attained of age and women who have not yet had children are taking part at this festival. It is reported that around 70,000 women have taken part at this festival. There had been children of ages of 10 as well. The women who take part in this festival are supposed to be bare breasted and they have had jewelries worn on them. Women who carry an instrument shaped like a knife convey the strong message that they are still virgins.
This festival takes place for 8 days surrounding the King and the Queen. Many dancing items are held in this festival and the daughters who are born to the Queens are presenting a special dancing item dressed in a special costume. It is reported that the women were totally naked when the festival first started but at the present the king had ordered them to be only bare breasted.
This festival is an event which increases the annual tourist income. Many tourists visit Swaziland during the Reed Dancing festival and it was reported that more than 25,000 tourists have gone to Swaziland to see the festival. However, since half naked photographs can spoil the attitudes of other people towards Swaziland, photographing the festival had been banned. But many people have taken photographs personally and they can be viewed through the internet.
It is also said that the intention of this festival is to select a non-official queen to the king and at the same time the new queen selected by the king is officially announced to the public.
It is said that this festival is held every in the months of August/September and this year’s festival too has been organized to be held shortly. Swaziland’s King who is in a tour in Sri Lanka will be leaving the country tomorrow morning.
See some of the photographs of Reed festival which is held as a ritual from BELOW: