The Love of Basotho Blankets
written by Tom Kritzinger
Somewhere in the heart of the Senqu river basin, smack in the centre of South Africa lays the best-kept secret gem of Africa – Lesotho the Mountain Kingdom.
It is here in the Maluti Mountains where you find the colourful Basotho people, the blanket wearers of Africa.
The Basotho people have a love for this tradition of wearing their blankets with pride and dignity unequalled anywhere in the world. They have a pre-occupation with blankets throughout their entire life cycle. The baby is received in a blanket. During the journey into adulthood, blankets are used in the initiation process where the facts of life are taught. Blanket gifts are proof that the initiates have successfully completed the mountain school and now have the blanket to accompany them in their adult life journey.
In the next phase of the lifecycle when marriage is on the cards, blankets are pivotal by providing gifts to the bride and groom as they begin their union and to their newly found family. During the traditional wedding ceremony, the bride is wrapped in blankets and then she is handed over to the groom who in turn unwraps the bride from her blanket wrapping.
When the bride falls pregnant, she will keep her tummy wrapped in a blanket. The Basotho people say ‘Kobo ke Bophelo” the blanket is life thus a blanket is symbolic of the new life that is formed within her. In the final chapter of life, when a Mosotho passes on a blanket will wrap around a coffin which is a symbol of warmth in the afterlife.
Origins of the Basotho Blanket Tradition
King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of the Basotho nation was given a blanket by a French missionary in the mid-1800s. At that time, King Moshoeshoe was wearing animal skin, he immediately took off the animal skin which he was wearing and draped the blanket “poncho” style over his shoulders. This gesture is the most significant event as this was “the birth” of the Basotho blanket-wearing tradition.
It was also during this time when Basotho land “Lesotho” was ravaged by the rinderpest which killed off large numbers of animals, this resulted in the shortage of animal skins to wear. The foreign traders saw the opportunity and started selling blankets as a substitute for animal skins. The oldest of the Basotho heritage blankets dates back to 1897 when the Victoria England Tiger Skin was manufactured in England and exported to Lesotho. The Basotho people have always had great respect for their king and as such followed his example of wearing blankets as a form of clothing.
The current situation regarding the blanket-wearing tradition
The Basotho heritage blanket tradition is currently in the prime of its lifecycle with a steady and consistent demand. The Basotho Heritage blankets have become a fashion business in its own right with consumers demanding new colour combinations in the Seanamarena, Victoria England, Kharetsa and Motlatsi Khosana.
The fashion element of the business further dictates newness as far as design and colours are concerned. Basotho blankets are worn during special events such as national days, Basotho festivals, weddings and funerals.
The man wears the blanket over his right shoulder to free up his right arm and is fastened by a blanket pin which is hidden. The woman wears the blanket over her bosom and is tied by a blanket pin in the centre of her chest in order to free up both her hands so she can continue with her daily chores.
The blanket is always worn with the pinstripes vertical, Basotho people say “You grow up”. Some exceptions do apply where the blanket is worn with the stripes facing horizontally by women when they attend a funeral as a symbol of the morning.
When a Mosotho wears a blanket, he/she is filled with immense pride, he/she walks slowly, and the facial expression is one filled with joy and admiration as if the blanket transforms its wearer into a majestic level – That is the magic love of the Basotho blanket.
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