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This study examines rituals performed at Badimong near Rosendal and Motouleng near Clarens in the Eastern Free State, highlighting classification, Sesotho linguistic typification, and variations in ritual space, time, actors, structure, and significance. Interviews were conducted in Sesotho and translated into English to support survey categorization, while qualitative-explorative methods inform interpretations of local conceptualization. Findings stress the need to treat ritual practices seriously within ancestral and Basotho religious belief systems, and recommend broader, respectful literary engagement.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-study-of-rituals-performed-at-two-sacred-sites-in-the-eastern-free-state-dissertation-masters-of-arts/297422/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-study-of-rituals-performed-at-two-sacred-sites-in-the-eastern-free-state-dissertation-masters-of-arts/297422.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Felix Montgomery","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-07","2026-09-18",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Which sacred sites and locations are studied in the dissertation?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The study focuses on two caves: Badimong near Rosendal and Motouleng near Clarens in the Eastern Free State.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"How does the dissertation classify and analyze the rituals?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"It highlights the classification of rituals, including variations in space, time, actors, audience, structure, and materials, using local language as a mode of typification.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"Why is Sesotho language interpretation considered important in the study?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Interviews were conducted in Sesotho and later translated into English, while still serving the survey’s aim to classify major kinds of rituals and the Sesotho names given to them.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},297422,1789744385,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},549768064778,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","A STUDY OF RITUALS PERFORMED AT TWO SACRED SITES IN THE  \nEASTERN FREE STATE  \nBY  \nMENSELE M. S.  \nDissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree  \nMASTERS OF ARTS  \nIn  \nAFRICA STUDIES  \nFACULTY OF HUMANITIES  \n(CENTRE FOR AFRICA STUDIES-CAS)  \nAt the  \nUNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE  \nBLOEMFONTEIN  \nSUPERVISOR  \nCO-SUPERVISOR  \n: Dr. E N MALETE  \n: Prof. P J NEL  \nNOVEMBER 2011  \n(ii)  \nDECLARATION  \nI, M. S. Mensele, hereby declare that the dissertation ‘A study of rituals performed at the two sacred sites in the Eastern Free State’ is my own work and that all sources that I have used or quoted have, to the best of my knowledge, been acknowledged by means of complete reference.  \nSignature Date  \n(Student number: 1995698204)  \n(iii)  \nDEDICATION  \nThis dissertation is dedicated to my late mother, ’Malenkoe Elizabeth Mashinini who passed away during my first visit to the sacred sites in February, 2008. Also, to my one and only child/son, Thabo Mensele for his support, care and understanding even when I could not be therefor him when he needed me the most.  \n(iv)  \nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  \nI wish to express my sincere gratitude to the following people:  \nMy Supervisor, Dr. E N Malete for dedicating his ever busy, tight and time constraint schedule to mentor and guide me in this study.  \nMy Co-supervisor, Prof. P J Nel for his outstanding mentorship and guidance during the entire course of this Study. Also for helping me overcome my longstanding allergies of visiting the sacred sites in fear of becoming ancestors’ prisoner.  \nDr. SWF Moloi for his support and company to the sacred sites.  \nMs. Tlaleng Malakoane, for looking after my son during my field visits to the sacred sites or report back workshops and meetings in Bloemfontein Campus.  \nMs. Mahapa Semela for her advice towards conduct and respect deemed suitable for sacred sites. Mr. Molefi Thobileng for his assistance whenever there was a need.  \nMs. M S Nthako for her encouragement, it was much appreciated.  \nI also wish to thank all those who have made this study possible; not excluding all the informantsat the two sacred sites of this study. I pray that God and the spirit of their ancestors bless them in everything they do.  \nMost importantly, I wish to thank God, Almighty for looking upon me through the difficult times of dividing my attention towards my academic responsibilities, motherly duties as well as my study. Glory be to His name.  \n(v)  \nABSTRACT  \nOral tradition and diverse literary sources in Sesotho indicate that African peoples have for centuries been performing rituals for different purposes at the sacred sites, such as caves within their communities as well as their families. Ritual performance has served the Basotho well as a means of celebrating their religious beliefs and communication with God through ancestors (Machobane and Manyeli, 2001: 4) . This study, therefore, takes its cue from this common African ritual tradition and aims to examine different rituals performed at the two sacred sites in the Eastern Free State, namely, Badimong near Rosendal and Motouleng near Clarens. These two caves were selected because of their prominence within the Basotho cultural tradition and history. The study mainly highlights the classification of rituals and the use of local language asa mode of typification of different ritual performances. The Sesotho names given to rituals and their meaning have been communicated in Sesotho and in English. Variations in the structure of rituals have been examined and highlighted including how and where as well as when the given rituals are performed. The significance of each ritual performance is also dealt with in the study. Interpretation of the Sesotho language used in ritual performance is important as interviews were conducted in Sesotho and later translated into English while still serving the purpose of the survey in classifying the major kinds and Sesotho names given to ritual performances at the t","cbCaiptWXzoUvw5l","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiptWXzoUvw5l","pdf",1698130,129,"English","# Declaration\n## Dedication\n## Acknowledgements\n## Abstract","[{\"question\":\"Which sacred sites and locations are studied in the dissertation?\",\"answer\":\"The study focuses on two caves: Badimong near Rosendal and Motouleng near Clarens in the Eastern Free State.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the dissertation classify and analyze the rituals?\",\"answer\":\"It highlights the classification of rituals, including variations in space, time, actors, audience, structure, and materials, using local language as a mode of typification.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is Sesotho language interpretation considered important in the study?\",\"answer\":\"Interviews were conducted in Sesotho and later translated into English, while still serving the survey’s aim to classify major kinds of rituals and the Sesotho names given to them.\"}]","A study of rituals performed at two sacred sites in the eastern free state - Dissertation Masters of Arts | PDF",325]