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Barolong-boo-Ratshidi Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Originally iron (tshipi); later the kudu (tholo)
History & origin
One of the four principal Barolong sections that formed after the death of the Barolong king Tau (c.1670), the others being Ratlou, Seleka and Rapulana. The Ratshidi descend from Tshidi (a son in the senior Barolong line) and are centred on Mahikeng (Mafikeng), North West Province, with kin across the border in Botswana. The Barolong are famed metalworkers; tradition holds that the ancestor Morolong mined and worked iron, so the ancient totem was iron (tshipi), later supplemented/replaced by the kudu (tholo). Kgosi Montshiwa of the Ratshidi was a prominent 19th-century leader during the wars and the colonial encroachment around Mafikeng.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Tshidi, Montshiwa, Tawana, Molema, Montsioa.
We publish the full diboko (clan praises) only once we can verify them against documented tradition — for this clan they are still being confirmed. If you can share an authoritative version, corrections are warmly welcomed.