Iintsomi ngamabali amafutshane abalisa ngezinto ezazisenzeka mandulo. La mabali abalisa ngeziganeko ezithile ezazisenzeka. Kungoko kwezinye izizwe zesiNguni kusithiwa ziinganekwane. Izinto ezazisenzeka ziziqebheyi zemilingo nemimangaliso ekunzima ukuzikholelwa ubukho bazo xa kuthelekiswa nezinto ezenzeka kula maxesha. Nakubeni zingumnqa nje ezo zinto akukwazeki ukuqinisekisa ukuba zazikho yini na.
Zonke izigigaba ezenzeka entsomini zibalelwa ekubeni zingumfuziselo wentlalo nempilo enqatyisiweyo yoluntu. Xa singanaba singathi ubugqi bulapha, ubuchule bulapha, ubulumko bulapha, ubuciko bulapha, iingxaki ziyenzeka kubekho nezisombululo, impumelelo noloyiso lukhona. Konke oku, nokunye ekungenakufikelelwa kuko, kubonakalisa ubunzulu bobomi bomntu obuboniswa ziintsomi, nakubeni zona zingade zibuthi thakaca elubala obo bunzulu.
Nazo iintsomi zibalelwa ekubeni ziluncwadi lwemveli olwalukho kwamhla mnene, lungekabikho ubhalo lweencwadi.
Iintsomi zineempawu ezithile ezahlukanisa iintsomi kumanye amabali esiXhosa. Intsomi ibaliswa ngumbalisi ebalisela abaphulaphuli abangababaliselwa. Ixesha lokubaliswa kwentsomi kusebusuku. Intsomi ayibaliswa emini ngoba umbalisi othe wabalisa intsomi emini uyakuphuma iimpondo. Eyona nzuzo iphambili yokuba iintsomi zenziwe ebusuku ibikukuba umsebenzi wosuku uyakube ugqityiwe, kutyiwe kwade kwahlanjwa nezitya. Lixesha lokuphumla kuwo onke amalungu osapho. Maxa wambi ababaliselwa bade babiwe bubuthongo besabaliselwa, kuba ezinye iintsomi ziyambambazela xa zibaliswa.
Nakubeni iintsomi zinokubaliswa nangubani na, oyena mntu obevame ukubalisa iintsomi ngumakhulu. Intsomi inesiqalo nesiphelo. Xa iqalwa intsomi kuthiwa, “Kwathi ke kaloku ngantsomi,” okanye, “Kwahlala kwahlala kwayintsomi (kwangantsomi).” Ababaliselwa bazakuthi, “Chosi.” Oko kuthi chosi kusisiqinisekiso sokuba bakulungele ukumamela ukubaliselwa. Ukuba kwenzekile, phantsi kweemeko ezinqabileyo, ukuba umbalisi enze intsomi emini, ababaliselwa baza kuthi, “Chosi, ungaphumi mpondo.” Emva kochosi umbalisi uyaqalisa ukubalisa intsomi yakhe. Xa egqibile ukubalisa umbalisi uzakuthi, “Phela, phela ngantsomi.”
Ngeli xesha abalisayo umbalisi uyakufumanisa ukuba ababaliselwa abamameli nje, koko bamane bekhuza bade babuze nemibuzo. Ngeliny’ ixesha xa kukho ingoma evunywayo nabo bayancendisa ekuvumeni ingoma. Nombalisi akaneli kubalisa kuphela, koko ubanezangotshe azenzayo. Ngaphandle kokucula ude atshintshe nelizwi xa elinganisa loo mntu, mhlawumbi elinganisa umntu onelizwi elindongondongo okanye elitswinayo. Ezo ntetho ude azivange nangezafobe, izibaxo okanye ubabazo, izifanekisozwi, izifaniso, njalo njalo.
Iintsomi ziziintlobo ngeentlobo. Ngaloo maxesha izilwanyana zazithetha. Kukho ezingabantu benxulumana nabanye abantu njengalaa mntu wayeshiywe nomzi ngumqeshi wakhe aze amyalele ukuba angaze awuvule umnyango wesixhenxe kweso sitolosha sakhe. Wasuka wavula ngelithi uyabisa ngelakhe, kanti ikati le ibimane imlandela imjongile. Uthe akuvula yathi izakumxelela umLung’ omkhulu ukuba uyivulile indlu yakhe. Kukho ezabantu nezilwanyana njengomakhulu nodyakalashe, izilwanyana nezilwanyana njengengwenya nenkawu, izilwanyana neentaka njengodyakalashe nehobe, abantu abangamazim okanye izigebenga njengeSilwanyana kaGumbe.
Kukho iintsomi ezingezenzo zobugwala nobugorha, ezingobulumko nobuyatha, njalo njalo. Ezinye zezi zidalwa zakhiwe ezingqondweni zibe zingazange zabe zikho ngokobume bazo. Umzekelo, iSinyolokonjane, uSityhimtyolo.
Ukwakhiwa kweentsomi kumi ngokuba kuqala kubekho ubuhlobo phakathi kwabadlali abaphambili bentsomi leyo. Kobo buhlobo bakhiwayo bakhelwa phezu kwamaqhinga apho omnye engena kubo kuba efuna ukuzuza into kulo enza ubuhlobo naye. Kubakho impazamo eyenziwa ngomnye wabadlali abaphambili. Loo mpazamo idla ngokumbeka esichengeni okanye emngciphekweni. Xa esemngciphekweni kuvela umdlali olandelayo ozakusebenzisa obaa bu-ethe-ethe bomdlali wokuqala. Kusenzokuba lo wesibini unobungozi okanye kukho into afuna ukuyenzelwa ngulo wokuqala. Ukuba unobungozi uzakumthembisa ngokumbulala. Umzekelo, xa ngaba lizim alizukumbulala nje, koko lisakude limpheke limtye. Ukuba uncwase into uzakuqala ngokumthimba ze amthembise ngokumkhulula xa eyenzile loo nto ifunwa nguloo mdlali.
Kubakho iinzame zokuphuncula ebubini okanye kubekho iziphazamisi kuloo nto imbi ibizakwenzeka. Umzekelo, kwintsomi yezigebenga zikaSlwanyana kaGumbe sathi isigebenga siyokubiza ezinye kuba sifike kukho abantwana abangamantombazana endlwini yaso, kanti lithuba lokuba babaleke bagoduke. Zazama ukubaleqa kodwa zange zibafumane. Kwaphuma abantu belali bazifunza ngezinja ezo zigebenga. Kwaba kukusinda kwabo oko. Umzekelo wesiphazamisi, uSityhimtyolo wasela amanzi omlambo wawagqiba. Abazali bahamba baya eMbo beyokufuna abaMbo abazakubulala uSityhimtyolo. Abantwana babashiya endlwini eyayineminyango esixhenxe, bashiya bewatshixile amacango osixhenxe. USityhimtyolo wayefika ngobusuku abuze ukuba baphi abazali babo, abantwana bachaze ukuba baye eMbo ukuya kubiza abaMbo abazakubulala yena Sityhimtyolo ugqib’ amanz’ omlambo. Wayeba nomsindo uSityhimtyolo, agrenye ucango, olunye ngobusuku. Kwale xa ezakuqalisa ukugrenya ucango lwesixhenxe, bafika abaMbo bamhlaba ngemikhonto, sagqabhuka isisu, aphuma amanzi, yaphinda yazala imilambo.
Iintsomi ziba nesiphumo. Ububi nenkqatho zidla ngokuphela ngokohlwayeka kwabenzi bazo. Kanti ezingobumnandi ziphela ngemigcobo nemibhiyozo.
Mkhulu umsebenzi weentsomi kwaXhosa. Ziqinisa ubudlelwane. Njengokuba ubukhulu becala iintsomi zisenziwa ngumakhulu, loo nto ibangela ukuba abazukulwana bamxabise umakhulu. Kanti ke akupheleli kubazukulwana beli khaya kuphela, kuyenzeka ukuba kuze nabazukulwana babamelwane ukuza kumamela iintsomi zikamakhulu. Zincedisa ekuqeqesheni iintsapho ngokubonisa izimilo ezingamkelekanga nezohlwayo ezihambelana nazo. Zikwabonisa neengozi athi umntwana agaxeleke kuzo xa engathobeli iziyalo zabazali. Iintsomi ziyafundisa ngokuthi zilole ingqondo yabantwana ukuba xa bevelelwa yimeko ethile bamele benze njani ukuze baphumelele. Zikwafundisa nobukhalipha nobukrelekrele kunye neengcebiso zokuqubisana neemeko ezithile zobomi. Iintsomi ziphumza ingqondo ngokuthi zibaliswe emva komsebenzi wosuku. Zenza abantu okanye abantwana bangacingi ngobunzima bomsebenzi obusenziwa ngexesha lasemini. Iintsomi ziyonwabisa.
Okubaluleke ngakumbi ngeentsomi ligalelo ezilenzayo kwiphulo namalinge okuphuhlisa ingqondo neengqiqo zabantwana, apho izifundo zingeniswa ezingqondweni ngemidlalo efunyanwa ezintsomini nangolonwabo oluziswa ziintsomi.