Sedimonthole (December in Setswana)

Sedimonthole (December in Setswana)

[ENG] The Setswana name for December is Sedimonthole, but sometimes people use “Morule”. The twelfth month of the Gregorian calendar (December/Sedimonthole) is in fact the fourth month of the traditional Tswana lunar calendar, whose year starts with the onset on the agricultural season in August/September (Lwetse).

However, this is not as clear-cut as my introduction above makes it seem. Traditional Southern African calendars were based on the moon cycle, as well as annual seasonal rotations. This tended to create complications as a 12-month lunar cycle is bound to fall out of alignment with key season markers, such as mid-winter, mid-summer, beginning of rainy seasons, animal and bird migrations and reproductive cycles, etc. This therefore means the beginning of the planting season will not occur at exactly the same time each solar cycle, as each moon cycle is only 30 days, leaving an accumulation of days which do not fall within the designated months.
After several years, the onset of summer would now appear to be deep in Seetebosigo [June] unless something is done to realign the months. According to some pundits, this is what resulted in the addition of a 13th month (Morule) every five or so years, to correct the alignment of the months with the seasons. The discussion about this intercalary month will be elaborated in the Morule [Undecimber] – the 13th Month post.

The rightful Setswana name for December is Sedimonthole but sometimes the name Morule is ascribed to it. “Morule” in fact is the name of the intercalary month that is used to correct the misalignment of the lunar cycle to the seasonal markers, which becomes obvious after every five or so years.

With the adoption of the Western calendars, Sedimonthole has found itself sitting at the very end of the year, and has enjoyed the numerous perks that come with this. Christmastime is the most obvious of these, and brings about a slightly more pronounced type of spring fever than is typical of Lwetse. It must be said that to most, Christmastime is not so much the religious celebration for the birth of the Christ as it was intended, but rather the celebration of the completion of the year and excitement over the possibilities of good fortunes in the following one. Other year-end activities that occur in Sedimonthole are around academic achievements by the school-going children who will be looking forward to advancing to the next level of their studies, come January.

Being in the middle of summer and the rainy season means that similar to Ngwanatsele, this month is a time of abundance. But it is not just the wild plants that are in full fruition, as even some of the domesticated crops such as some melons are also providing food. Apparently this resulted in situations where it was common for harvesters of these fruits to carry them on their heads in large loads. Upon arriving at their destination, harvesters would be quite exhausted and would appeal to the “sedimo” to help them get it off (“nthole”). Hence the word Sedimonthole. “Sedimo” here can either be interpreted to be an appeal to the ancestral spirits, generically, or as many writers opine, some sort of portmanteau for “motho wa Modimo” [literally, ‘person of God’]. Whatever the case, there is an air of appeal for assistance in the word.

Featured image source: Legae Digwaamaje, Department of Arts and Culture, Botswana, 2013, from https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/dikopelo-folk-music-of-bakgatla-ba-kgafela-in-kgatleng-district-01290

 

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