N/um Tchai: Ceremonial Dance of the Bushmen - PREVIEW

Purchase: http://www.der.org/films/num-tchai.html Tchai is the word used by Ju/'hoansi to describe getting together to dance and sing; n/um can be translated as medicine, or supernatural potency. In the 1950's, when this film was shot, Ju/'hoansi gathered for "medicine dances" often, usually at night, and sometimes such dances lasted until dawn. In this film, women sit on the ground, clapping and singing and occasionally dancing a round or two, while men circle around them, singing and stamping rhythms with their feet. The strength of the songs is their n/um, or medicine, thought to be a gift from the great god. N/um is also in the fire, and even more so in the "owners of medicine," or healers.

a film by John Marshall
from the !Kung series
distributed by Documentary Educational Resources

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Africa
• Namibia
• Bushmen
• bushman
• !kung
• Ju/'hoansi
• ritual
• ceremony
• anthropology
• documentary
• film
• 1950s

[SmogFish]

We watched the full vid in my anthropology class, very interesting.

[rantazz23]

@BloodNorseGods hmm but what are your people doing different? besides being stiff boards walkin around lookin for wealth..i guess to...hoard

you never will understand the sprituality that comes with dancing for africans and other peoples, it means something deep and complex...and your shallow mind will never comprehend it, and all you can do is mock, but just know that inside we all know you're empty.

[BloodNorseGods]

@Terabanzi yes become the most intelligent dancers, so that you can dance your life away, hmm sounds like a new song to dance to, you should get a jump on that before someone grabs the idea

[Terabanzi]

great lesson for our sons that are facing to the post-modern urban depression.. becouse of lacking of life's sense.. thanks Zutwasi

[zCornaZ]

Ah, thanks. This was very helpful ; )