Umsamo (Ancestral house)

Umsamo house

Umsamo is known as the holiest place at home. It is a sacred place where ancestors reside. It is where communication between the living and those of the spiritual realm take place.

The most common and important tools are: Snuff and incense/impepo; which are used for basic ritual performance. This basic ritual consists of talking to ancestors, burning impepho and sprinkling snuff on the ground.

Other objects would depend on the nature and purpose of the specific ritual. The objects that may be included in those specific rituals might be offerings of traditional beer and water, which would demand usage of calabashes (ukhamba, imbiza), gourds  reed mats (ucansi) traditional dish (uqwembe).

Other objects may include symbols of authority such as specific items of clothing, rods (induku) and whisk (ishoba).

Cow horn hung at the roof 

When ceremonies are done cow or sheep horns depending on the ceremony done. They are hung or placed on the roof as display that an animal was slaughtered and there was a feast.

This in the inside where objects like calabashes , pots, impepho and grass mats are placed. They are used by family members when there are ceremonies and only them are allowed to get inside.

It is important for one to take off they shoes when they enter this room ,if one was has been intimate or in their periods they are not allowed inside.