Shared Symbols, Different Symbolism? Blending Gender Categories in Northern Sotho Initiation Rock Art, Makgabeng, South Africa

This article explores the cultural significance of initiation rites among the Northern Sotho in South Africa, with a particular focus on the blending of symbolic gender motifs in rock art. Scholars on Northern Sotho rock art have associated initiation with specific genders. A close analysis of Northern Sotho rock art, together with a nuanced reading of ethnographic material on initiation rites, shows that a motif may be a mnemonic device in initiation but communicate a symbolism unique to either group. In my research, I observed that rock art sites have imagery that can be argued to be symbolic for both males and females, often juxtaposed or superimposed on the same panels. I refer to this as a form of blending of gender categories, possible during rites of transition. Thus I suggest that the symbolism for gender could resonate or change depending on who was using the site. Based on this, I suggest that such rock art sites should be categorized as initiation sites without specific gendered coding. This article contends that while gender boundaries exist in Northern Sotho culture, initiation rites often create a fluidity that challenges and probably blends these categories, as reflected in the rock art.