Rain Queen
Encyclopedia
The Modjadji or Rain Queen is the hereditary queen
of Balobedu
, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa
. The succession to the position of Rain Queen is matrilineal
, meaning that the Queen's eldest daughter is the heir, and that males are not entitled to inherit the throne at all. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the cloud
s and rainfall.
Currently there is no ruling Rain Queen as the previous Rain Queen died on 12 June 2005.
There are several different stories relating to the creation and history of the Rain Queens of Balobedu. One story states that an old chief in 16th century Monomotapa (South eastern Zimbabwe
), was told by his ancestors that by impregnating his daughter, Dzugundini, she would gain rain-making skills. Another story involves a scandal in the same chief's house, where the chief's son impregnated Dzugundini. Dzugundini was held responsible and was forced to flee the village. Dzugundini ended up in Molototsi Valley, which is in the present day Balobedu Kingdom. The village she established with her loyal followers was ruled by a Mugudo, a male leader, but the peace and harmony of the village was disrupted by rivalries between different families, and therefore to pacify the land, the Mugudo impregnated his own daughter to restore the tribe's matrilineal tradition
. She gave birth to the first Rain Queen known as Modjadji which means; 'ruler of the day.'
The second Rain Queen, Masalanabo Modjadji
is said to have been the inspiration for H. Rider Haggard's
novel, She: A History of Adventure
.
s.
Every November she presides over the annual Rainmaking
ceremony at her royal
compound in Khetlhakone Village.
She is not supposed to marry but has many "wives", as they are referred to in the Balobedu language. These are not spouses in the usual sense of the word; as a queen regnant
she has the equivalent of royal court
servants, or ladies-in-waiting
), sent from many villages all over the Balobedu Kingdom. These wives were selected by The Queen's Royal Council
and in general are from the households of the subject chiefs. This ritual
of ‘bride giving’ is strictly a form of diplomacy
to ensure loyalty to the Queen.
The Rain Queen's mystical rain making powers
are believed to be reflected in the lush garden which surrounds her royal compound. Surrounded by parched land, her garden contains the world's largest cycad
trees which are in abundance under a spectacular rain belt
. One species of cycad, the Modjadji cycad, is named after the Rain Queen.
The Rain Queen is a prominent figure in South Africa, many communities respecting her position and, historically, attempting to avoid conflict in deference thereto. Even Shaka Zulu of Zululand
sent his top emissaries
to ask her for her blessings. The fifth Rain Queen, Mokope Modjadji
maintained cordial relations with Nelson Mandela
.
The Rain Queen has become a figure of interest, she and the royal institution becoming a significant tourist attraction contributing to the South African economy. The Rain Queen was offered an annual government civil list
. The stipend was also expected to help defray the costs of preserving
the cycad trees found in the Rain Queen's gardens.
– 12 June 2005) was the 6th in a line of the Balobedu people's rain queens. Makobo was crowned on 16 April 2003 at the age of 25 after the death of her predecessor and grandmother, Queen Mokope Modjadji
. This made her the youngest queen in the history of the Balobedu.
Makobo was admitted into the Limpopo Medi-Clinic
for an undisclosed illness on 10 June 2005 and died two days later at the age of 27. Official cause of death was listed as chronic meningitis
. She is survived by a son, Prince Lekukena (b. 1998), and a daughter, Princess Masalanabo (b. February 2005).
are chosen by the Royal Council so that all of her children will be of dynastic status, from which future rain queens may descend. However the Rain Queens are not expected to remain in exclusive relations with these partners. In the past, the Rain Queen was only allowed to have children by her close relatives
.
Perhaps uniquely, the Balobedu crown descends according to female primogeniture
: The Queen's eldest daughter is always her successor, therefore the title of Rain Queen is normally passed from mother to daughter. It is said that the Queen ingests poison when she is near death so that her daughter will assume the crown more quickly. Lately, however, many traditions have been abandoned, influenced by Christian
missionaries. Because Makobo's daughter, Princess Masalanabo, was fathered by a commoner
, traditionalists are not likely to accept her as the rightful successor
to the throne. Therefore there are worries that the 400-year old Rain Queen dynasty
may be coming to an end. No new Rain Queen has been enthroned
since Makobo died.
Makobo's brother Prince Mpapatla has been designated Regent
for Masalanabo. However Mpapatla has a daughter by his cousin, a woman from the royal Modjadji line, and a group of members of the Royal Council has indicated a preference for Mpapatla's daughter to succeed as Rain Queen. Mpapatla, however, has insisted that his late sister's child Princess Masalanabo will be enthroned as the next Queen when she turns 18.
A male branch of the extended royal clan has also petitioned the South African President to restore the male line of the Balobedu royal house which reigned before 1800. This entreaty is considered unlikely to be granted, inasmuch as the Rain Queen heritage is recognised as a national cultural legacy and interest in it has stimulated significant tourist trade.
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
of Balobedu
Balobedu
Balobedu is an African tribe of the Northern Sotho group. They have their own kingdom, the Balobedu Kingdom, within the Limpopo Province of South Africa with a female ruler, the Rain Queen Modjadji. Their language is known as Selobedu, which is a "non-Pedi" dialect of Northern Sotho...
, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The succession to the position of Rain Queen is matrilineal
Matrilineal succession
Matrilineal succession is a form of hereditary succession or other inheritance through which the subject's female relatives are traced back in a matrilineal line.-Systems:...
, meaning that the Queen's eldest daughter is the heir, and that males are not entitled to inherit the throne at all. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
s and rainfall.
Currently there is no ruling Rain Queen as the previous Rain Queen died on 12 June 2005.
History of the Rain Queens
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
), was told by his ancestors that by impregnating his daughter, Dzugundini, she would gain rain-making skills. Another story involves a scandal in the same chief's house, where the chief's son impregnated Dzugundini. Dzugundini was held responsible and was forced to flee the village. Dzugundini ended up in Molototsi Valley, which is in the present day Balobedu Kingdom. The village she established with her loyal followers was ruled by a Mugudo, a male leader, but the peace and harmony of the village was disrupted by rivalries between different families, and therefore to pacify the land, the Mugudo impregnated his own daughter to restore the tribe's matrilineal tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
. She gave birth to the first Rain Queen known as Modjadji which means; 'ruler of the day.'
The second Rain Queen, Masalanabo Modjadji
Masalanabo Modjadji
Masalanabo Modjadji II was the second Rain Queen of the South African Balobedu tribe. Masalanabo reigned from 1854 to 1894. She was preceded by Rain Queen Maselekwane Modjadji I and succeeded by Rain Queen Khetoane Modjadji III....
is said to have been the inspiration for H. Rider Haggard's
H. Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
novel, She: A History of Adventure
She (novel)
She, subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by Henry Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books...
.
Customs
According to custom, the Rain Queen must shun public functions, and can only communicate with her people through her male councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s.
Every November she presides over the annual Rainmaking
Rainmaking
Rainmaking refers to the act of attempting to artificially induce or increase precipitation, usually to stave off drought.In the US, rainmaking was attempted by traveling showmen. It was practiced in the old west but may have reached a peak during the dust bowl drought of the American West and...
ceremony at her royal
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
compound in Khetlhakone Village.
She is not supposed to marry but has many "wives", as they are referred to in the Balobedu language. These are not spouses in the usual sense of the word; as a queen regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
she has the equivalent of royal court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
servants, or ladies-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
), sent from many villages all over the Balobedu Kingdom. These wives were selected by The Queen's Royal Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
and in general are from the households of the subject chiefs. This ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
of ‘bride giving’ is strictly a form of diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
to ensure loyalty to the Queen.
The Rain Queen's mystical rain making powers
Rain maker
Rain Maker can refer to:*For process see Rainmaking*For 1997 Film see The Rainmaker...
are believed to be reflected in the lush garden which surrounds her royal compound. Surrounded by parched land, her garden contains the world's largest cycad
Cycad
Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
trees which are in abundance under a spectacular rain belt
Tropical rain belt
The rainfall, and hence the tropical climate is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year, roughly following the solar equator; it is largely a manifestation of the ITCZ...
. One species of cycad, the Modjadji cycad, is named after the Rain Queen.
The Rain Queen is a prominent figure in South Africa, many communities respecting her position and, historically, attempting to avoid conflict in deference thereto. Even Shaka Zulu of Zululand
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
sent his top emissaries
Emissary
Emissary may refer to:* Ambassador* Apostle* Diplomat* The Subspace Emissary, the single-player Adventure Mode in the video game Super Smash Bros...
to ask her for her blessings. The fifth Rain Queen, Mokope Modjadji
Mokope Modjadji
Mokope Modjadji V was the fifth Rain Queen of the Balobedu tribe in the Limpopo Province of South Africa from 1981 until her death in 2001.-Life:Mokope Modjadji was very traditional in her role as Rain Queen...
maintained cordial relations with Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
The Rain Queen has become a figure of interest, she and the royal institution becoming a significant tourist attraction contributing to the South African economy. The Rain Queen was offered an annual government civil list
Civil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
. The stipend was also expected to help defray the costs of preserving
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
the cycad trees found in the Rain Queen's gardens.
Makobo Modjadji
Rain Queen Makobo Constance Modjadji VI (19781978 in South Africa
-January:* Former African National Congress member, Steve Mtshali who turned state witness in various trials is shot and wounded-February:* An unexploded bomb "capable of destroying a 22 storey building" is found in a Johannesburg office block and defused...
– 12 June 2005) was the 6th in a line of the Balobedu people's rain queens. Makobo was crowned on 16 April 2003 at the age of 25 after the death of her predecessor and grandmother, Queen Mokope Modjadji
Mokope Modjadji
Mokope Modjadji V was the fifth Rain Queen of the Balobedu tribe in the Limpopo Province of South Africa from 1981 until her death in 2001.-Life:Mokope Modjadji was very traditional in her role as Rain Queen...
. This made her the youngest queen in the history of the Balobedu.
Makobo was admitted into the Limpopo Medi-Clinic
Medi-Clinic
Mediclinic International, founded in 1983, is an international private hospital group with operations in South Africa, Namibia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, and listed on the JSE, the South African securities exchange, since 1986...
for an undisclosed illness on 10 June 2005 and died two days later at the age of 27. Official cause of death was listed as chronic meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
. She is survived by a son, Prince Lekukena (b. 1998), and a daughter, Princess Masalanabo (b. February 2005).
Succession
The Rain Queen's official matesSexual partner
Sexual partners are people who engage in sexual activity together. The sexual partners can be of any gender or sexual orientation. The sexual partners may be in a committed relationship, either on an exclusive basis or not, or engage in the sexual activity on a casual basis...
are chosen by the Royal Council so that all of her children will be of dynastic status, from which future rain queens may descend. However the Rain Queens are not expected to remain in exclusive relations with these partners. In the past, the Rain Queen was only allowed to have children by her close relatives
Endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such basis as being unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. A Greek Orthodox Christian endogamist, for example, would require that a marriage be only with another...
.
Perhaps uniquely, the Balobedu crown descends according to female primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
: The Queen's eldest daughter is always her successor, therefore the title of Rain Queen is normally passed from mother to daughter. It is said that the Queen ingests poison when she is near death so that her daughter will assume the crown more quickly. Lately, however, many traditions have been abandoned, influenced by Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionaries. Because Makobo's daughter, Princess Masalanabo, was fathered by a commoner
Commoner
In British law, a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. Therefore, any member of the Royal Family who is not a peer, such as Prince Harry of Wales or Anne, Princess Royal, is a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a courtesy title,...
, traditionalists are not likely to accept her as the rightful successor
Successor
A successor can refer to* Someone who, or something which succeeds or comes after * Successor , an American Thoroughbred racehorseIn history:* The Diadochi, or Successors to Alexander the GreatIn mathematics:...
to the throne. Therefore there are worries that the 400-year old Rain Queen dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
may be coming to an end. No new Rain Queen has been enthroned
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
since Makobo died.
Makobo's brother Prince Mpapatla has been designated Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for Masalanabo. However Mpapatla has a daughter by his cousin, a woman from the royal Modjadji line, and a group of members of the Royal Council has indicated a preference for Mpapatla's daughter to succeed as Rain Queen. Mpapatla, however, has insisted that his late sister's child Princess Masalanabo will be enthroned as the next Queen when she turns 18.
A male branch of the extended royal clan has also petitioned the South African President to restore the male line of the Balobedu royal house which reigned before 1800. This entreaty is considered unlikely to be granted, inasmuch as the Rain Queen heritage is recognised as a national cultural legacy and interest in it has stimulated significant tourist trade.
Previous Rain Queens
- Rain Queen I Maselekwane Modjadji (1800-18541854 in South Africa-Events:* 23 February - The Orange Free State Republic is established with the signing of the Bloemfontein Convention* 15 October - U.G. Lauts appointed consul of the Orange Free State in the Netherlands* The Cape Colony elects its first parliament...
) - Rain Queen II Masalanabo ModjadjiMasalanabo ModjadjiMasalanabo Modjadji II was the second Rain Queen of the South African Balobedu tribe. Masalanabo reigned from 1854 to 1894. She was preceded by Rain Queen Maselekwane Modjadji I and succeeded by Rain Queen Khetoane Modjadji III....
(1854-18941894 in South Africa-Events:* 25 June - Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic, meets Sir Henry Loch, the British High Commissioner, in Pretoria to discuss the grievances of the Uitlanders* 22 August - The Natal Indian Congress is founded by Mahatma Gandhi...
) - Rain Queen III Khetoane ModjadjiKhetoane ModjadjiKhesetoane Modjadji III became the third Rain Queen from the South African Balobedu tribe of the South African Limpopo Province. Khesetoane reigned from 1895 to 1959. She was preceded by Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji and succeeded by Rain Queen Makoma Modjadji.In 1894 her predecessor, Masalanabo...
(18951895 in South Africa-Events:* St. Lucia Game Reserve, 30 km north of the town St. Lucia is proclaimed.* The Hluhluwe Game Reserve is proclaimed* The Umfolozi Game Reserve is proclaimed* 13 April - The first electrical street lights in Cape Town are switched on...
-19591959 in South Africa-December:* 5 April - Pan-Africanist Congress led by Robert Sobukwe secede from the African National Congress* 9 July - The record for the London-Cape Town flight is set by Wing Commander MJ Beetham flying a Royal Air Force Vickers Valiant, completing the journey in 11 hours 27 minutes* 12 December...
) - Rain Queen IV Makoma ModjadjiMakoma ModjadjiRain Queen Makoma Modjadji IV was the fourth Rain Queen of the Balobedu tribe of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, succeeding her mother, Khetoane Modjadji in 1959 and reigning until her death. She married Andreas Maake, with whom she had several children. She was succeeded by her eldest...
(1959-19801980 in South Africa-January:* 14 January - Local community at Soekmekaar resist forced removal and damage police station* 25 January - Three Umkhonto we Sizwe operatives Stephen Mafoko, Humphrey Makhubo and Wilfred Madela held the staff and customers in a Silverton bank in Pretoria hostage...
) - Rain Queen V Mokope ModjadjiMokope ModjadjiMokope Modjadji V was the fifth Rain Queen of the Balobedu tribe in the Limpopo Province of South Africa from 1981 until her death in 2001.-Life:Mokope Modjadji was very traditional in her role as Rain Queen...
(19811981 in South Africa-January:* 30 January - The South African Defence Force launch Operation Beanbag and raid a suspected Umkhonto we Sizwe safe area in the suburb of Matola, Maputo, Mozambique, killing 12 - 24 people -February:...
-20012001 in South Africa-March:* 4 March – Ian Syster wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:13:30 in Durban.* 18 March – The Department of Health declines the offer of a large donation of HIV test kits made by Guardian Scientific Africa Incorporated-April:...
) - Rain Queen VI Makobo ModjadjiMakobo ModjadjiMakobo Modjadji VI was the 6th in a line of the Balobedu tribe's Rain Queens. It is said that Makobo Modjadji had the ability to control the clouds and rivers. Makobo was crowned on 16 April 2003 at the age of 25 after the death of her predecessor and grandmother, Queen Mokope Modjadji...
(20032003 in South Africa-January:* 8 January – Unit 2 Power Generator explodes at Duvha Power Station will coming back on line after service.* 17 January, Jacob Zuma, Deputy President of South Africa hold ceasefire talks with Pierre Nkurunziza, the leader of a faction of the National Council for the Defense of...
-20052005 in South Africa-January:* 13 January – Mark Thatcher pleads guilty to unwittingly bankrolling an alleged coup d'état plot in Equatorial Guinea.* 31 January – Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa, has a narrow escape when he is nearly hit by a car shortly after the African Union heads-of-state summit in...
)
See also
- BalobeduBalobeduBalobedu is an African tribe of the Northern Sotho group. They have their own kingdom, the Balobedu Kingdom, within the Limpopo Province of South Africa with a female ruler, the Rain Queen Modjadji. Their language is known as Selobedu, which is a "non-Pedi" dialect of Northern Sotho...
- MatrilinealityMatrilinealityMatrilineality is a system in which descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. Matrilineality is also a societal system in which one belongs to one's matriline or mother's lineage, which can involve the inheritance of property and/or titles.A matriline is a line of descent from a...
- Matrilineal successionMatrilineal successionMatrilineal succession is a form of hereditary succession or other inheritance through which the subject's female relatives are traced back in a matrilineal line.-Systems:...
- RainmakingRainmakingRainmaking refers to the act of attempting to artificially induce or increase precipitation, usually to stave off drought.In the US, rainmaking was attempted by traveling showmen. It was practiced in the old west but may have reached a peak during the dust bowl drought of the American West and...
- She (novel)She (novel)She, subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by Henry Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books...
- The Mysterious Flame of Queen LoanaThe Mysterious Flame of Queen LoanaThe Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is a novel by Italian writer Umberto Eco. It was first published in Italian in 2004, and an English language translation by Geoffrey Brock was published in spring 2005...
External links
- Rain Queen customs and history, from a South African website for the Ikageng Community Empowerment of TzaneenTzaneenTzaneen is a small town situated in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is in a fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a 20,000 km² region...
- Rain Queen customs, from a commercial website promoting "very small-scale, locally produced, low-impact Ecotours"
- "The Balobedu of Modjadji".
- The Sacred Forest of the Rain Queen
- The Lovedu Rain Queen
- The Lobedu: A North Sotho Tribe