INTONJANE | UMHLONYANE| A GIRL'S RITE OF PASSAGE| PUBERTY

Intonjane is a Xhosa rite of passage into womanhood. The ritual takes place after a girl has had her first period. This ritual is symbolic of a girl's sexual maturity and ability to conceive. It is very similar to the Zulu rite of passage for girls into womanhood. Umhlonyane is also a ritual done to introduce a girl to the different stage and to tell her she must be careful and be watchful of her behaviour. Both ritual are meant to teach girls how to behave now that they have reached puberty. It is ordinarily done for young girls between 14 - 16 years. However, the ritual may burden those that grew up into womanhood without ever doing it. Others have come back to their homes to have it done in their adulthood, married, or even those that have become traditional healers/amagqirha.