Growing Up Sexually

KHOEKHOE, HOTTENTOTS, NAMA HOTTENTOT / NAMAN, NAMAKWA, NAMAQUA, KHOIKHOIN (2,2,3-,3-3,3; 8,5; D5,3; E) (SOUTHERN NAMIBIA; SOUTH AFRICA) (®SAN) 

Index → Africa→ Namibia→ Nama

Featured : Owambo, Bergdama, Nama, !Ko, !Kung, Herero

H. v. François noted that “[d]er Verkehr der Geschlechter ist vom Eintritt der Rife an völlig ungehindert […]” (cited by Ploß / Renz, 1912:p544). No secret is made of early childhood masturbation, which takes place with “considerable” frequency (Ford, 1945 [1964:p20]; Ford and Beach, 1951)[1]. Mantegazza[2] stated that it was so frequent, one might call it a “natural vice”. There is mention of childhood elongation of the labia majora (Schapera, 1930:p243)[3]. Hottentot mothers would tell their daughters, before their first menstruation, to “Go and make yourself a mfuli [artificially extended labia] […]” (De Rachewiltz, 1963[1964:p152]). Schultze (1907:p298, 309)[4] noted the precocity of the Hottentots. “Bei der sinnlichen Frühreife des Volkes haben Knaben oft schon Geschlechtsverkehr, ehe sie den Kinderspielen entwachsen sind” (Karsch-Haack, 1911:p132). The tribadie of Hottentot girls was discussed by Karsch-Haack (1901 [1983:p241-2])[5] quoting Gustav Fritsch on the matter. The Nama were said to “encourage sexual relationships between adults and children” (Eskapa, 1987:p154), but this remains unconfirmed.

Indicative of the “love-play”, or “sex-play” hinted at by Nama dances as encountered among the Korana people by Kirby[6] was the suggestion that “[…] no boy was even taught how to play until he had been through the doro or puberty ceremony. The significance of this limitation”, the author argues, “is obvious”.

[Additional refs.: Hoff, A. (1995) Puberty rite of a Khoekhoe girl], South Afr J Ethnol 18,1:29-41]

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology

Last revised: Sept 2004