Establishing Connections with the Ancestors through Umxhentso Dance

Abstract

Through the ages, ritual dances have been part of human culture. Although artistic, the umxhentso dance is a ritual dance performed by  the Xhosa amagqirha (traditional healers) to establish connections with supernatural beings. During the dance performance, the  amagqirha enter a state of trance and connect with the spiritual realm. During this state of trance, they seek guidance and vision from their ancestors. The amagqirha, in all the Xhosa communities, perform these dance rituals at initiation and healing ceremonies. The  objectives of this study were to examine the religious and social purposes of umxhentso dance in amagqirha rituals and determine how it  assists amagqirha in establishing connections with their ancestors during ceremonies. This study adopted the naturalistic research  approach in studying the umxhentso dance during the amagqirha ceremonies. The researchers examined, evaluated and assessed the research participants’ actions and behaviours in a natural setting within a societal and cultural framework.