Bakhatla at one point venerated the monkey (kgatla in Setswana). However, they got “attracted” to the eagle (lenong) and adopted it as their emblem. That is, they decided that an eagle not a monkey was worthy of their praise — or rather, it was more inspiring to want to soar like an eagle!

i)

Mokhatla moana-nong!
Moana nkholi-kholi’a holimo!
Oa ma-Molise’a Setabele.

ii)

Mokhatla moana-nong!
E holimo-limo Nkholi!
Ke molisa oa Setabele,
Leholimo la Mankoane, Mokhatla.

iii)

Mokhatla!
Kotsoan’a poli tsa ha ‘Mashale,
Nonyana e fofang holimo.
Nkholikholi, Lekholokholo.

iv)

Mokhatla oa Mankoane,
Moana-nong!
Moana-nkholi-e-holimo, Lekholokholo.
Ke lelimo la ‘Marakotsoane,
Motho oa ha Phara-ba-ha-Mokoteli ka Mosoang.

v)

Mokhatla Kotsoane!
Nonyana e holimo Nkholi,
Lekholokholo.
Motho oa ma-Molise oa Setabele,
Khau tsebeng eabo Moeketsi le Moeketsane.

vi)

Mokhatla, moana-nong!
Motho oa Mankoane,
Motho oa ma-Molise’a Setabele,
Ke motho oa ma-Nalane’a Khabo,
Moana nonyana e holimo, nkholi-kholi,
Ha tuka khabo, ha tuka lelakabe,
Ha tuka khabo e khubelu,
Khomo li be li ipetsa, li le mpetsana,
Hoja mabele a le litsoere,
A! Lekhahlela-molula!
A mautla, a solla lekholokholo!
La utla, la solla lekholokholo!
Tlake, se sole lekholokholo!
Nkholikholi ea holimo,
Sekubutu, sengala-tsela,
Oena, motho oa ma-Kobue,
Tlake, se solle, re epela motho,
Motho oa marumo ha a epeloe hae,
O tšoana le moshoela Matebeleng,
Ke motho oa mapheeke a Kobue,
Ke Mokhatla, moana-nong!

Makhoakhoa were famed for their skill in producing a huge crop of pumpkins from their land. For this reason, they venerate the white pumpkin (lephutse). However, being descendents of Bakoena, some contest that they venerate the crocodile (koena).

Note: In reading the praise songs below, the word lijo (food) is capitalised. This is because Lijo is actually a name of one of the ancestors of Makhoakhoa. He was the son of Moselane and the father of Tumane.

i)

Lekhoakhoa la Selimo, nthole!
U nthole mokopu le maraka, ke imetsoe!
Oabo Lijo, oabo Moselane.
Habo Lijo ho hlabana lithotsela,
Li hlabana le ba shoeleng marumong.
Thotsela se hlooho-kholo, Tumane!
Re bolela tse ka motšeo ho ntlo
Oa ma-Pohosela.

ii)

Lekhoakhoa labo Selimo, Nthole!
Motho oabo Lijo, pohosela!
Khoakhoa le maphutse le maraka-raka,
Nthole maphutse ke imetsoe,
Ha habo Lijo ho hlabana lithotsela.

iii)

Lekhoakhoa la ha Matela,
La Selimo, nthole!
Nthole maphutse le maraka ke imetsoe!
Motho oabo Lijo oabo Moselane.
Maqheku a betana patlellong,
A tseka nko ea namane.

vi)

Lekhoakhoa la ha Mahlatsi,
Batho ba ha Mahlatsi ba kaalo ka linaleli,
Ba kaalo ka joang ba tšaane, molelengoane,
Ke batho ba ha Mamphamo a Mahasa,
Batho ba Sepharumele sa Mongalo,
Ke batho ba ha Mamotlhotlo o a batloa,
Motlhotlo bosiu o ba mokhubelu,
Motšeare o ba mosootho,
Batho ba ha Mahlatsi ha se ba ho ea le batho ntoeng,
Ha ba ea le batho mahlare a a lala,
Ho cha lithota, bo-Atanye le bo-Kolonyama,
Liea-ha-Mahlatsi li ea ka bohlale,
Ha o ea ha Mahlatsi o ee ka bohlale,
Bona sekoti tseleng o tla oela!

Makholokoe are descendents of Bakhatla. They venerate the domestic fowl (khoho). Before, it was believed that they venerated the porcupine (tubatsi) but this is a matter of history!

i)

Lekholokoe!
Lehlaba-khoho-ka-lemao-ka-lehafing,
Le e isa ha Mokholoane Khorong,
Le e’o e beha ka pele ho eena, ho Morena.

ii)

Lekholokoe! Lekotsoana! Lephatšoana!
Lehlaba-khoho-ka-lemao-ka-morao,
Le e ise Khorong ho Mokholoane,
Le re: “bona Morena,
Ke hlabile!”

iii)

Lekholokoe!
Oa tšoana Kholokoane
La ‘Mamakhabane,
La ikholoha la ipeha Khorong,
La re: “jang-jang kapele,
Mantsi ke eo a e-tla”;
Ke batho ba ha Sefali sa Kotoane.

iv)

Lekholokoe, Lekotsoana!
Lehlaba-khoho-ka-lemao!
Le e ise ho Mokholoane, Khorong.
Mokholoane oa Matsime,
Le re: “bona Morena, ke hlabile!”
Tao! Polane, bana ba lehasa la Polane,
Tape! Matsemela, thole sa khomo se mafi a monate.
Batho ba seapara-kob’a-motho,
Eke ba ea khomo e ka mo hlaela!
Batho ba ma-Mosi-oa-thunya,
Mosi o ka re thu mohlakeng!

v)

Lekholokoe!
Lehlaba-khoho-ka-lemao,
Le e ise ho Mokholoane khorong,
Mokholoane a e je, a e halala,
‘Na ha ke na taba, ke phethile!

vi)

Lekholokoe! Lehlaba-kotsoana!
Lehlaba-khoho-ka-lemao-ka-sebonong,
Le e hlabe, le e ise khorong ha Mokholoane,
Mokholoane a je, a e halala,
A re “khutla hape, o eo eketsa,
Motho oa Wetsi!”

vii)

Lekholokoe, Lekotsoana!
Lehlaba-khoho-ka-lemao,
Le e ise ho Mokholoane khorong,
Le re: bona, morena, ke hlabile!
Ke hlabile manoni a maholo,
Motho oa Rapeso,
Motho oa ho-ea-pele-khotsong.
Ho sa busa Letlatsa le Lephatšoana,
Motho oa Wetsi,
Motho oa Marooa le Molotsana,
Motho oa Rapeso!

Batšoene are descendants of Bakuena. They venerate the monkey. This is largely based on the circumstances of how Motšoene conceived. As they story goes, Motšoene’s mother, who was a barren, was helped to conceive by using herbal medicine and being in physical contact with the body or skin of a monkey.

i)

Motšoeneng oa ha Khiba,
Leleme le letšo,
Le letšo joalo ke ho koma litlhare!
Ngoan’a ‘Makhiba kokosa sethunya,
Motho oa ‘Mashooa!

ii)

Motšoeneng oa ha Khiba,
Leleme le letšo,
Le letšo joalo ke ho koma litlhare!
Ahlama, mantsoe a Mantsimane,
Ahlama ka hanong, re bone,
Re bone moo u jellang litho tsa batho!
Motho oa ‘Mashooa!

iii)

Motšoeneng!
Leme le letšo ke ho koma litlhare.
Molula-qhooa oa ma-Tsimane
Motho oa Khamali.

iv)

Motsoeneng oa ma-Tlapa-le-halime!
Le halima ke ho sheba thabeng.
Tšoene e rita thabeng,
Tlapa le letšo ke sheba lithaba;
Leme le letšo ke ho koma litlhare.

v)

Motšoeneng oa ha Khiba le Khamali!
Leleme le letšo ke eng?
Leme le letšo ke ho koma litlhare.

Batloung, the elephant people originally belonged to the Barolong clan. After separating from the Barolong who venerated the hammer (noto), they adopted the elephant (tlou) as their emblem.

i)

Motloung oa ha Sekhoane!
Oa tloho ke u pepe,
Ke u sihletse!
Ke u tlame ka thari ea konyana,
E-be ke matha ka uena.
—
(E-be se-hamba ka –kwena
Siya khona kandlovu ya ka Zulu,
Ya ka Zulu yaka Zuluwin.)

ii)

Motloung!
Oa ha ma-Napo-a-khare,
Motho oa ma-Motšoane’a Sekhoane,
Mohaoloane’abo Sejake le Motlomelo.

iii)

Motloung!
Motho oa ha Malonka (Malunga),
Oa tlou tse fulang hae,
Tse se nang le molisana.

iv)

Motloung oa ha Masimota-poho-le-Mokoena,
O naila-lesoeu le koa Mohahale.
Ha lea seha, le khebetlile feela,
Le etsisitse metsi a pula a ela,
A ela a fara-fara melatsoana.

v)

Motloung oa ha ma-Sejake!
Ba khomo e thokoana.
Ha e tsoala motšeare ea hlola;
Eo mohatla o jeoang ke sebono!

vi)

Motloung oa ma-Ntoi’a Sekopano!
Oa ma-nnete-ea-ho-tsoaloa,
Oa ha Ramokotla, thamaha!

vii)

Motloung oa ha Sekhoane!
Motho oabo Phori, oabo Moeletsi,
Motho ekare a ithoma, a rota,
Sebono sa futha,
Ke ‘na motho oa ho nya ha monate!

viii)

Motloung oa Makoala a Phakela,
Leruonyana, tlou li e siretse,
Li e siretse ka seriti metsing,
Leruonyana, tlou li e hloile,
Ha li battle ho e bona,
Ha li e bona feela, li a okaoka,
Ke motho oa Fabana, oa Koaebana!

Maphuthing akin to Baphuthi don’t necessarily venerate phuthi, an antelope known as a duiker. The revere stones for their efficiency as ‘easy weapons’ in a battle field.

i)

Lephuthing la ma-Seooe-sa-Matšasa!
Motho oa Ma-Khalametsane-oa-Mosoue!
Motho oa Khetsi-selutla-majoe!
E re metsi e se ke e a lutla.
Motho oa Mako-lengole.
Lepeli, Lenyamatsane!

ii)

Lephuthing la ma-Seooe-sa-Matšasa!
Khalemetsane ea Mosoue,
Khetsi, sephuthela majoe!
Obu-obu ha e a tseba ho lema,
E setse e itlhabile ka mohoma, seoehla!
Pelesa ea bana ba Monyane.

iii)

Lephuthing, Lekholokoe-Lekotsoana!
Motho oa ma-Mohlaba-ka-lemao-ka-morao!
A e hlabe, a e ise Khorong ha Mokholoane!
A re Mokholoane o ja a halala,
Motho oa ma-Tšoana-a-Mohlaoli,
Motho oa ‘Mankokosane-a pula!

iv)

Lephuthing la ha Sehooe!
La ma-Khunoan’a Ralehlaare!
Phakisa kapele u e’o joetsa Sehooe le ‘Manosi,
Bat le ba lule ka boomo ba utloile!
Le joetse Khama moo le re:
Ke ‘na enoa Lephuthi la ‘Manosi!
Oru-oru ha e a tseba ho lèma,
E itlhabile lioehla, pelesa
Ea bana ba Monyane,
Ea bana ba matona, maata-theteng,
Ralehlaare, thoko’a Ramontšeng.

v)

Lephuthing la Sehooe sa Matšasa!
Motho oa ma-Khalametsane’a Mosoeu!
Oa Khetsi e lutla majoe,
Metsi a sale a ipopile!
Oru-oru ha e atseba ho lèma,
Ea re e lèma, naka li thulame,
E sale e itlhabile ka lioehla, pelesa
Ea bana ba Monyane!

Baphuthi, people of the duiker, surprisingly associate themselves more to a spider (sekho) than a duiker, an antelope (phuthi). Baphuthi assert that their ancestors descended down from heaven on a spider’s web, “baholo-holo ba bona ba theohile leholimong ka tepo ea sekho”. For this reason, they venerate the spider.

i)

Lebolane!
Motho oa Tlou.
Motho ea sa tsoaloang ke mosali,
Motho ea theohileng ka khole ea tepo,
A theoha Leholimong,
Motho oa ha Sekhoali,
Oa ha Makhema!

Bakubung stem from Bataung who resided close to or along Senqu river. They decided to call themselves Bakubung because of their love to hunt hippos (likubu).

i)

Mokubung oa ma-Motlhamatsana!
Mohloka-koli, motseba-tsa-ba-bang!
Kubu-kubu, ntša marota re bone,
Kubu e kaa ntlo’a Moseme!

ii)

Mokubung oa ma-Mahoete Komane!
Ba re koma e jeoa kae?
E jeoa ha Rampai-a-Mathebeli.

iii)

Mokubung!
Kubu li hlapa li theosa maliboho,
Li theosa li hlapa lia phutsa;
Kubu ho hlapa tse lepotlana.

iv)

Mokubung oa Mahoete Komane!
Kubu Kubulla marota re bone,
Ntheka metsing,
E sa bonoeng feela,
E-reng ha u tla e bona
U tsebe u lehlohonolo!

v)

Mokubung oa ha Mahoete Komane,
Motho oa boliba bo botala ha ho okameloe,
Ekare ha o bo okamela,
O ka oela ka mahloana le litsejana,
Kubu hohomosa marota re bone,
Kubu ha o e ane mo phatleng,
Ha o e ana mo phatleng, o ka shoa,
Kubu e lula metsing,
Kubu ha e bonoe!