African Tribal Sticks

AFRICAN TRIBAL STICKS

The Stick story an idea is born

I grew up with a fond interest in the African tribal culture’s and a passion for traditional weapons. I have collected and carried sticks and Knob Kierrie’s over the years and my collection has different styles from the ama Xhosa, ama Zulu, Masai and the Herero people.

The Stick Story

In December 2011, while on a family holiday, I put together an idea I had given a lot of thought to over a long period of time. I set in motion a plan to find traditional Xhosa stick intonga crafter’s in my area, an area I am proud to live in, the Border region of the Eastern Cape. I wanted to create a project where I could encourage the stick making craft and financially support unemployed men and their families by making the means available to them to sell sticks at a reasonable price and give like-minded customers the opportunity to own a well made, strong, Wild Olive stick intonga yomnquma that is becoming increasingly difficult to find.

It was time consuming to find stick crafters, as it is a fading tradition, however, perseverance paid off and I found men who still know the old stick intonga making craft passed down to them.

These stick crafter’s earn an income by harvesting, collecting, preparing and crafting Xhosa style African Olive sticks but still using the original method of producing them.

All my discussions with the stick crafters are done in their village homes, with their families present in the most respectful and humble manner.

I hope that customers who truly want a strong, reliable weapon, made by men in the old ways, will use and start collecting wild olive sticks as I have.

This journey has been a great joy and I have enjoyed time spent with the stick crafters. I carry my sticks with pride, knowing what care and the traditional method in which they have been manufactured and that they are also strong, simple and sturdy weapons, and I hope you will feel the same.

My aim and passion is that the custom of traditional stick intonga crafting is kept alive

Enjoy ‘the stick story’

Gary Harvey

More of the story

An old story

history of use

the craft

As recorded by Les Godfrey (born 1934) 1950 in East London. Experiences with the stick fighting culture

The traditional Wild Olive Xhosa stick intonga yamnquma was used in everyday life. They were primarily used as a carry weapon.

I created this document with the first stick crafter I found, Ndoyisile Kondlathi and Alfred Jekeqa, my right hand man.

An Old Story

In 1950 i was living with my family in an area known as Highgate on the edge of Cambridge a suburb in East London.

I was sixteen years of age at the time and my friends and i often walked to the Nahoon River to a place which was known as Horseshoe Valley. This area was a place of natural beauty,it was in this area that we noticed a group of Xhosa men and boys cutting Wild Olive Xhosa sticks. They gladly showed us traditional sticks which had previously been cut, cured and decorated in the unique Xhosa way, it was then that i realized that the cutting and carrying of sticks was an old Xhosa custom.

Many residents of East London would go out on Sundays into the country to witness stick fights amongst the Xhosa people who lived according to their old traditions. Big crowds of people and “supporters” would go and cheer for their fighter in the same manner as supporters go and watch a rugby or soccer match.

Approximately two years later, my parents moved home to the Orient Beach and i chose to stay on at Cambridge school, approximately five miles from my home. It was then necessary for me to go to school by the local South African Railways train from the East London Station to Cambridge.

With my earlier my exposure to Xhosa sticks I noticed on Cambridge Station a facility that allowed Xhosa’s to keep their sticks in a round metal container built near the covered benches where the Xhosa’s waited for the train.

The station master at Cambridge informed us that the Xhosa men were not allowed to take their sticks into the railway coaches because in the past there had been stick fights between the clans causing injuries and damage to the coaches. Station masters of railway stations serving areas where Xhosa’s lived were provided with strongly constructed metal stick holders for passengers carrying sticks, he said that the system worked very well as the men carrying sticks would leave them in the in the container, board the train go to work and on their return in the evening only take their own stick from the station stick container,then walk home.

Since those early days i have also carried my favourite Wild Olive stick and have taken it with me into three African countries and if my stick was mixed with a lot of other Xhosa sticks, i would easily recognize itbecause of its unique colour, balance, weight and type of Xhosa decorations.

History of Use

The Xhosa men used intonga yomnquma to defend themselves and their family, for the sport of stick fighting indeko or to practise umbutho , herding livestock, to hunt siyokuzingela by throwing with accuracy at small game for the pot, such as; hares umvundla , guinea fowl impangele , francolin inkwali and small antelope inyamakazi and to kill snakes inyoka around the homestead or uthango

The intonga yomnquma were also used as walking sticks intonga yokusimelela to support the elderly and injured.

Different lengths and styles were crafted for different uses, but it must be made clear that it is difficult to find and harvest a straight wild olive stick so each stick intonga is an unique “one of a kind”

The Craft

With our knowledge, we recorded the crafting process in a step-by-step format so the stick crafters joining our project had our guidelines to follow and agree to. It was created to ensure we were only purchasing the true Xhosa traditional sticks intonga yomnquma

The stick crafters speak limited English, this version was translated into Xhosa so they could understand and grasp the importance of the process.

Making the traditional sticks is a craft and the guidelines to follow are important to ensure authenticity and honoring tradition.

Only use Wild Olive Umnquma tree’s

Leave the stick to cure and dry out slowly- at least four weeks in a cool shady place or buried in the cattle kraal ubuhlanti do not burn the bark amaxolo off too quickly or the stick will crack

Burn off the bark with a fire that is not too hot or the wood will crack

Do not cut off the small knots amaqhuqhuta as this gives the stick character

The carving ukuqoqa of the grip sipatu or the decoration umxhlo is what will appeal to the customer, cut it finely with the small hacksaw blade only,I will provide these for you, the grip decoration must be of the highest quality, change your design to each stick intonga

You must carve your initials on the bottom of the stick this will be your “crafters proof”

Oil the sticks with the furniture oil I have provided,no sheep fat as this creates an unpleasant rancid smell

Please craft the different intonga styles:

Walking sticks umsimelelo- leave some longer for taller people

Fighting sticks intonga yokulwa

Throwing sticks iintonga yokughibisela or intonga yokuzingela

Knob Kierrie sticks or a club isigweloa

Remember:

Go slowly; take the right amount of time.

Harvest your sticks and build up a stockpile, so you have a production line,craft each stick with care, clean the stick and I will purchase it.

MEET THE STICK MAKERS

Ndoyisile Kondlathi

Of the clan isiduko Nyawuza, lives in NU9 Manyano shack settlement Mdantsane near East london and he was born in 1942

JACKSON TSHEM

Of the clan isiduko Zikhali, lives in the Thu Thu Village near King Williams Town and he was born in 1947.

JACOB BOOI

Of the clan isiduko Mzangwa, lives in the Tsholomnqa Village on the R72 60 km's from East London and he was born in 1957

Ndoyisile Kondlathi

Ndoyisile was the first stick crafter i found and was willing to join our stick crafting project, he quickly realized that his crafting skills and curing method had to improve, this is when we decided to create the crafting process in a step by step format, this document has been the cornerstone of our discussions when other stick makers join our project.

Ndoyisiles crafting skills are the best in our group of crafters, his eye for detail when carving the decoration umxhlo or sipatu for the grip is outstanding.

Ndoyisile searches for the straight sticks growing in the thickets and on the river edges, he chooses tree limbs that are growing straight, searching for the sunlight. His method of harvesting does not permanently damage the tree and recovers over time. He mainly harvests in African Wild Olive pockets that grow in the Fort jackson, Berlin and Pottsdam valleys. He has to work hard to find the straight sticks as naturally wild olive does not produce straight limbs

The majority of the sticks Ndoyisile crafts are walking umsimelelo and fighting sticks intonga yokulwa

Ndoyisile has proved to be the most reliable, consistent crafter and his sticks intonga are highly sort after in the community.

Jackson Tshem

He and his wife Nopelo are the only couple that assist each other in the harvesting, curing, burning off the bark amaxolo and straightening, then Jackson proceeds with the crafting of the club head skhanda.

Jackson and Nopelo search for the young wild olive tree’s amongst the rocky, stoney and sibunga decomposed granite soils, as this produces the strongest and biggest root mass in order to create his only style of sticks, the knobkerrie or club isigwelo. They have harvested in most of the african wild olive pockets in their area, but have chosen to concentrate in the Kwanyende, Ekwarini, Ezinyoka and Etyutyuvileji areas as experience has taught them that this is where they find the best quality sticks.

Jackson creates a very strong club isigwelo and hunting throwing sticks intonga yokughibisela or intonga yokuzingela by allowing the sticks to cure for an extended time in the cool corner of his shack and lightly oiling them often.

Jackson does not craft his own stick decoration umxhlo or sipatu by his own admittance, he prefers not to undertake this careful and laborious task. Alfred Jekeqa and I pass this work onto Ndoyisile Kondlathi and Jaco Van Der Merwe as they are specialist crafters and create very fine stick decorations umxhlo or sipatu

We have started replanting wild olive seedlings in the area’s where Jackson and Nopelo harvest, we all as the crafters project agree that their harvesting method is harmful to our stick intonga sustainability.

Jacob Booi

Jacob was found by Stuart a friend of mine selling his sticks intonga on the side of R72 main road,he purchased two sticks for me and when Stuart handed over the pair i knew immediately we had a true Xhosa stick crafter,it was quickly after this first encounter that Jacob was inducted and joined our stick crafting project.

Jacobs crafting skills are good,his sticks are harvested from a relatively

dry area so the wood is closed grained and tough.Jacob lives in a region where it is densely covered in African Wild Olive trees umnquma,he harvests his sticks intonga along the rivers edge and valleys near the Keiskamma river and surrounding wild olive thickets he prefers to harvest in the Ntshwanya,Xesi and Pedi aeas. .

Jacob crafts the walking umsimelelo and fighting sticks intonga yokulwa by preference,but also seldom crafts the shorter throwing or hunting sticks called iintonga yokughibisela or intonga yokuzingela.Jacob’s sticks are in demand, people regularly stop on the R72 along side the Tsholomnqa village asking for his whereabouts to purchase his sticks intonga.

get in touch to order sticks

We hope you have enjoyed reading through the website, please support us.

Birth Place of Our Sticks

The Wild Olive, Olea Europaea SA no. 617 Umnquma

Trees of Southern Africa

Keith Coates Palgrave

ISBN:1-86872-389-5

Occurring in a variety of habitats, usually near water, on stream banks, in riverine fringes but also in open woodland, often on termite mounds among rocks and in mountain ravines.

The Wild Olive is a small shrub or small to medium sized tree’s, 3- 14 meters in height,occasionally reaching 18 meters

The wood is close grained, strong and very hard. The sapwood is whitish to pale brown but the heartwood is very handsome, dark reddish brown or golden brown with a beautiful dark figuring.

It works well, takes a fine finish and is most suitable for quality furniture and cabinetwork. It is also very durable, making good fencing posts and our traditional Xhosa sticks- intonga yomnquma

An infusion of fresh bark is taken to relieve colic. The plants are drought and frost resistant but are slow growing.

READ

Caring for Your Stick

Please ensure that you care for your wild olive stick intonga yomnquma don’t leave it in the sun for long periods of time, as it will crack. Store it in a cool, shady spot in your home when you are not using it.

Oil it often, rub the oil into the wood but don’t soak it and wipe the residue off as it will become sticky. The furniture or wood oil, over time, will produce a beautiful golden colour and a pleasant smell.

Most of all, our hope is that you will use it, carry it, make it your own and the stick will develop a “feel” that you won’t want to be without.

READ

Where Does the Money Go

It then also pays to purchase olive seedlings to re-plant in the areas where the sticks are harvested, petrol to and from each stick crafters home, the few basic tools and wood oils that are needed to create these sticks intonga yomnquma and finally, to sponsor traditional stick fighting tournaments indeko in under privileged townships where I and the team encourage the traditional Xhosa culture of stick fighting contests.

These sticks are sold on-line and by word of mouth.

READ

birth place of our sticks

Occurring in a verity of habitats, usually near water, on stream banks...

Caring for your stick

Tips and advise to make sure your stick lasts.

Where does the money go

Money raised is most importantly a source of income for the stick crafters and their families.

Umhambi akadinwa zinduku

(Carrying his stick does not tire the traveler)

Traditional Xhosa proverb meaning that it is unwise to travel without a stick for protection.

In the past it was customary for Xhosa men to carry a stick (intonga) made of umnquma wood (wild olive) when leaving the homestead.

Apart from its symbolic value, an intonga was carried as a weapon for protection and used for hunting and stick fighting sports.

Traditionally an intonga would be buried in the floor of the byre (livestock kraal) for a period of time in order to prevent the wood from drying too quickly and becoming brittle or splitting. It is decorated with a carved diamond-mesh pattern (umxholo) which is rubbed with soot (umle) to darken the pattern.

There is a subtle association with iminquma sticks and the fact is that wild olive is one of the most important ritual and ceremonial plants for Xhosa people.

It is taboo for women to step over an umnquma stick. The proverb “ukunquma” means, “to apply the wild olive stick” and means to kill a bird or a snake with one blow referring to the hard wood of this sacred tree.

Folklore holds that an intonqa rubbed with the fat of uxam (leguaan, Nile monitor) will “deliver a fatal blow”

The wild olive is also used in the construction of Ubuhlanti (the livestock kraal) where sturdy poles are used for the upright frame and branches of intsinde (small bone apple) and ilitye (jacket-plum) for packing between the poles because they are durable.

Typically an erect wooden pole( ixhanti), usually from the umthathi (sneeze wood) or umnquma (wild olive) trees, is a permanent structure in the centre of the enclosure that serves as an anchor for the sacrificial animal.

The tethering pole is a symbolic point of contact with the ancestors to which the horns of the sacrificial beast are attached in reverence to the ancestors.

The meat of a ritually sacrificed animal is called intsonyama and is always placed on a bed of umnquma (wild olive) branches.

The branches are also used as a plate or platter (isithebe) on which the sacrificed cooked meat is served. The particular use of umnquma is because it is believed to attract the attention of the ancestors.

The placing of an umnquma stick on the floor in the doorway is often used as protection against lightning strikes.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Tony Dold and Michelle Cocks, the authors of Voices from the Forest, Celebrating Nature and Culture in Xhosaland for these extracts from their book.

ISBN 978-1-4314-0299-1