Some food customs and beliefs — in South Africa

The goat which will be divided up and each portion distributed according to tradition serves two purposes: it has been ritually sacrificed to appease the ancestral spirits who guard the destiny of the living, and it will be consumed at a feast to celebrate the arrival of the baby. Among most of our African people, there exist strong beliefs, fears and respect for the spirits of the ancestors. If the ritual goat sacrifice were omitted, the anger of the ancestors would become apparent by their “burning” the child and its subsequent failure to grow and thrive. We would describe the condition of the child as a case of kwashiorkor, but our Nguni people would attribute the poor condition and skin breakdown to the anger and punishment of displeased ancestral spirits. To restore the equilibrium would call for elaborate rituals, animal sacrifices and the expensive services of the traditional practitioners, the diagnostician — sangoma, and the therapist — inyanga. These beliefs are handed down through the ages and pass from generation to generation. These beliefs transcend education or social status. They have become deeply ingrained and are resistant to change. They are embedded in a semi‐magico‐religious belief and taboo system.