HISTORY OF GA-MODJADJI

The roots of ICE are planted firmly in Ga-Modjadji, a rural community of over 150 villages that is ruled by the Rain Queen Modjadji. There are many legends about the origins of Queen Modjadji. In one version, there was an old chief in the 16th century Karanga kingdom of Monomotapa (southeastern Zimbabwe). He was told by his ancestors that he must impregnate his daughter, Dzugundini, in order to bestow the princess with rainmaking powers and thus expand the wealth of his kingdom. This princess was called Modjadji or 'ruler of the day'. Another account relates that the young princess Dzugundini was banished from her tribe after she was impregnated by her brother. She fled her father's scorn and took some of his loyal followers and her rainmaking powers to the present day Venda region of the Northern Province. In the early 19th century, Modjadji's tribe, known as the Balobedu, migrated further south to the fertile Molototsi Valley, where they founded present day Ga-Modjadji. This tribe was ruled by a Mugudo, a male leader who was a descendant of the original Queen. Threatened by family rivalries and concerned for the tribe's future, he decided to impregnate his daughter, the new Queen Modjadji, and restore the tribe's matrilineal tradition.

According to custom, the Queen must eschew public functions. She communicates to her people via her male councillors and ndunas, village headmen. Each November she presides over the annual rainmaking ceremony at her royal compound in Khetlhakone village. She never marries, but she bears children by her close relatives. She is attended to her by her 'wives', each sent from the many villages in Ga-Modjadji. When she is nearing death, she selects her eldest daughter to be her successor and then she ingests poison. For centuries many tribes have respected the Queen's powers. Even Shaka Zulu sent his top emissaries, including his traditional healer Dumisa, to request the Queen's blessings. With the influence of Christian missionaries, many of these traditional customs have been discontinued. In June 2001 the ruling Queen Modjadji V  and her eldest daughter passed away. Currently the Queen's councillors are selecting a new Queen to be announced in 2002.

Ga-Modjadji is also rich in natural history. For centuries the Balobedu have revered the thick forests surrounding the Queen's home in Setlhakone, which were used for traditional ceremonies and which are home to the ancient Modjadji cycads. Recognising the value of the forest, Queen bequeathed it to the National Government, which in turn declared the area a protected reserve. (photo 7) Established in 1979, the Modjadji Nature Reserve aims to conserve the Modjadji cycad, Encephelartos transvenosus. (photo 8) Known in the local dialect as mofaka, this tree is the symbol of ICE. Cycads are conebearing evergreen plants native to warm regions. Modjadji cycads date back to the Mezazoic or Stone Age, about 60 million years ago, when dinosaurs inhabited the earth. Cycads are actually living fossils, which also sated many dinosaurs' appetites. This species is one of 29 species in South Africa. This reserve contains the greatest concentration of a single species of cycad in the world. Furthermore this species is known to reach 13 meters, the highest growth in the world! Due to its protected status, permits must be obtained to prove legal ownership. There are hiking trails, a museum, and various wildlife to be seen, including blue wildebeest, impala, and waterbuck.

The ruins of the original royal compound have been excavated by UNISA archaeologist, Sidney Miller. These ruins in Lebweng village include stone foundations, pottery, and middens. Furthermore these ruins bear resemblance to the famous ruins discovered at Thulamela near Phafuri in the Kruger National Park and the Great Zimbabwe ruins in southeastern Zimbabwe, lending further credibility to the many legends about the origins of Ga-Modjadji.
1. Bracelet  2.Potsherd  3. Grinding Stone 4. Grinding Stone 5. Grinding Stone
6. Grinding Stone 7. Grinding Stone 8. Potsherds 9. Iron 10. Grinding Stone
11. Grinding Stone  12. Grinding Stone 13. Single bead 14. Grinding Stone

Recommended reading on Ga-Modjadji

Davison, Patricia. "Lobedu Pottery," Annals of the South African Museum, Vol. 75: Part 8 (June 1978).
"Lobedu Material Culture," Annals of the South African Museum, Vol. 94: Part 3 (July 1984).
Goldman, Arthur. "Land of the Rain Queen," Saturday Star, February 15, 1997.
Haggard, Rider. She, Longmans, Green, and Co. (1887).
Jones, Ann. Looking for Lovedu, Alfred Knopf (2001).
Krige, E. Jensen and J.D. The Realm of a Rain-Queen, Oxford University Press (1943).
O'Donoghue, Clare. "Meeting the Modjadji," Marie Claire, August 1998.