The Kingdom In The Sky

 

Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village

Until this week there was a good chance that the country Lesotho may never have crossed your mind. As the present of the United States so kindly pointed out, its a country that 'nobody has heard of'. It has a small population, about the size of greater manchester, and its not particularly prevalent on the world stage. But it is a very proud nation with a fasinating history. So let me tell you a bit more of what I’ve learnt about it so far

Lesotho is known (by those who do actually know it) as the Kingdon in the sky. This is because its made almost entirely of mountains. It’s a relatively young country, only 200 years old. It was founded by a man called Moshoeshoe (pronounces Moswaysway) who seems to have been a pretty impressive man. Somehow he managed to not only unit 16 rival tribes, who had been at war with each other for longer than anyone could even remember. He was also able to defend off multiple attacks from the Boer despite the fact that he was significantly outnumbered and out armed. The secret to his success was geographical. He formed a relatively large settlement on a flat mountain top which was large enough to keep live stock on, grow crops and have a fresh water supply from the 3 natural springs that popped up on the top of the mountain. From there he had the advantage of high, and with only 2 possible routes up the mountain, he was able to defend his lands effectively and the Boer were unable to starve his people out of their secure spot. Unfortunately, the relentless attacks from the Boer did cause problems and eventually King Moshoeshoe had to ask for help from the English who after stopping the attacks, handed over half of the territory of Lesotho to the Boer, giving them the more fertile, lower lands, now known as the free states of South Africa.

 

I visited this historic mountain which is just a few miles from the capital Maseru. At the base of the mountain is a replica village, set up to resemble life back in time of Moshoeshoe’s reign. The houses are circular huts with thatched roofs made of brick and covered in cow dung, which not only acts as a natural and extremely effective insect repellent but also a fantastic insulator keeping the huts warm in winter and cool in summer. Oh and in case you were wondering they are odourless. Life for the villagers would have been very strictly divided in terms of gender. The men fight, keep livestock and do carpentry. The women cook, bring up children and tend to the crops. The women would also all live together from the age of 10 to 21, away from the men, and could only be married off once they turn 21. As well as the mock village there was a museum at the base of the mountain, which was really interesting, but a little depressing when I realised that it had hardly any artifacts in it. Instead, they had pictures of items on the with little description next to them explaining that the real items were held in various museums around the world, mostly the British history museum, presumable locked away in the volts unable to be viewed or enjoyed by the people who’s history they actually represent.

Cafe What, Maseru

Lesotho today is obviously quite different from back then. People no longer wait until they are 21 to be married, they live in square houses with tin roofs now and many people are online with smart phones and drive cars. Life is still very different here from the west though. There are no high rises in Lesotho, no flats or multistorey buildings. The people of Lesotho like to keep livestock, grow their own food and many of the houses, even in the capital, will have cows or sheep living in the gardens meaning everything is very spready out as having land is very important to people. In the villages many people live a very self-sufficient life. Money is rare in many villages, goods are exchanged or bartered, communities look after their own and they make or grown most things they need. Sadly, in Lesotho today, violence is high, especially gender-based violence. Many of the women I have met have scars across their faces, and I was told that a few weeks before our arrival to the hospital an elder from the village, well known and respected in the church, was seen brutally beating his wife in the middle of town because of something she said. Like in many poor areas, gang crime is high. Gangs from illegal diamond mines (one of Lesotho’s main exports after wool and water) can be a big problem. They identify themselves through music and it is common for people to be shot for playing the wrong kind of music. As one local told me, life is cheap in Lesotho. When I arrived, I was told all of these scar stories, but my experience of the people of Lesotho so far has been the complete opposite of this. Everyone I have has been so warm, kind and welcoming and has gone out of their way to help me. Everyone, without fail, really wants to ensure that my time here is positive, and so far it has been. I guess everywhere has its issues, but the beauty of this place and its people seem to be brighter than their dark side.