© 2018 Dr Margaret Sheppard

Letlhamelo Child - a child who follows those who have died.

The infant mortality rate is sadly high compared with The West. When a baby dies it is obviously a very sad event. The associated customs and taboos will be described later in the section on Death and Funerals but here the customs and beliefs relating to the next child born after the one who dies are outlined

Such a child is called a Letlhomela this means an offshoot or graft. It is often very much feared that such a child will also follow the one before to the world of the Spirits. The baby is treated very carefully and under the direction of a traditional doctor, its Malome (maternal uncle) may dress it in little skunk skins which will include a little skin purse. Every time a visitor touches such a child they will put a little gift in its purse, such as a small coin, snuff, tea etc., as these children are believed to be very poor. The child will wear these skins under its ordinary baby clothes and they will not be removed until the traditional doctor orders  (maybe when the child is 3 or 4  or the clothes grow too old and fall apart.

If the child manages to survive the period of seclusion, it will be given a name that means something poor or useless, for example Serurubele (butterfly), Mokgalagadi (the tribe from the West, after the Setswana saying "as poor as a Mokgalagadi"), or Phokojane - little jackal (i.e. a creature that wanders from place to place). According to Setswana tradition, a bad name is thought to be a curse, so the idea here is that the family want to show they have already been cursed enough (i.e. by losing the previous children) so this is like a prayer to their Badimo to protect this child and allow it to live.

In 1980 I observed another way in which a Letlhomela child may be treated. One child who came to visit the family I was staying with always twisted the hair on the top of her skull into two "horns". Then when all her hair was cut off (this is common with children) all except these "horns" was shaved off. Apparently this child was such a child. The three before her had died.

When she was a baby and her umbilical cord dropped off about 2 weeks after birth, all her baby hair was cut off according to custom, however these two "horns" were left, they were never to be cut until maybe the child is fully grown. The little girl I saw was about 7 years old.

The mother of this Letlhamelo baby had sadly lost 3 babies before this one. This baby was named “Remains” but sadly did not survive.

The parents of this little boy had lost several babies before he was born. He was named Serurubele (Butterfly). N.B. his skins and skin purse.

Serurubele is now older and playing with his friends. He wears his skin purse over his jersey. His skin clothes are underneath.