Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony at the Queen's Royal Village, Swaziland

Tens of thousands of unmarried and childless Swazi girls and women travel from their villages and gather at the Queen Mothers royal village in Ludzidzini each year to participate in the eight-day Umhlanga or Reed Dance ceremony.

Marching on the way to the Umhlanga Ceremony

After arriving at the Queen Mothers royal residence the women disperse the following night to surrounding areas and cut tall reeds.  The night after they cut the reeds they bundle them together and bring them back to the Queen Mother to be used in repairing holes in the reed windscreen surrounding the royal village.  After a day of rest and washing the women prepare their traditional costumes consisting of a bead necklace, rattling anklets made from cocoons, a sash, and skirt.  Many of them carry the bush knife they used to cut the reeds as a symbol of their virginity.

King Mswati III and his men making their entrance

Today's Reed Dance ceremony originates from the Umcwasho custom where young girls were placed in age regiments to ensure their virginity.  Once they reached the age of marriage they would perform labor for the Queen Mother followed by dancing and a feast. The official purpose of the annual ceremony is to preserve the women's chastity, provide tribute labor for the Queen Mother, and produce solidarity among the women through working together.

Two of the Royal Princesses leading a group in dance

However many people, including some of the women participating in this years ceremony believe that King Mswati III uses the Reed Dance ceremony to select his next wife.  This belief is likely a result of Mswati using the event to announce a couple of his 14 wives to the public in the past few years.

The women sing and dance as they parade in front of the royal family as well as a crowd of Swazi spectators, tourists and foreign dignitaries.  After the parade, groups from select villages take to the center of the field and put on a special performance for the crowd.  The King's many daughters also participate in the Umhalanga ceremony and are distinguished by the crown of red feathers in their hair. 

Marching past the King and Royal Family

Twice during the event the King, his bodyguards, and many of the men from the Royal Family rushed down from the stands and danced as they toured through the scores of women lined up and grouped by their village.  After the dancing festivities were over the King ordered a number of cows to be slaughtered to provide meat for the women and to thank them for traveling from their villages to participate in the ceremony.

 
>> Check out more photos of the Umhlanga Reed Dance