A mokorotlo is a type of

straw hat A straw hat is a wide-brimmed hat woven out of straw or straw-like synthetic materials. Straw hats are a type of sun hat designed to shade the head and face from direct sunlight, but are also used in fashion as a decorative element or a ...

widely used for traditional

Sotho Sotho may refer to: *Sotho people (or ''Basotho''), an African ethnic group principally resident in South Africa, Lesotho and southern Botswana *Sotho language (''Sesotho'' or ''Southern Sotho''), a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa, an offi ...

clothing, and is the national symbol of

Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...

and the national symbol of the Basotho and Lesotho peoples. An image of the Mokorotlo appears on the Lesotho flag, and on Lesotho vehicle licence plates. The design is believed to have been inspired by the conical mountain

Mount Qiloane Qiloane is a community council located in the Maseru District of Lesotho. Its population in 2006 was 24,093. Mount Qiloane The profile of Mount Qiloane, the legendary conical mountain close to Thaba Bosiu Thaba Bosiu is a Constituencies of Leso ...

. It is known as “molianyeoe”, which means "he who executes judgement in court" in

Sesotho Sotho (), also known as ''Sesotho'' (), Southern Sotho, or ''Sesotho sa Borwa'' is a Southern Bantu languages, Southern Bantu language spoken in Lesotho as its national language and South Africa where it is an official language. Like all Ba ...

. It is manufactured from an indigenous grass known as “mosea” or “leholi”.

History

The origins of the mokorotlo are unclear. A similarly shaped hat, called a toedang, was commonly worn by the

Cape Malays Cape Malays (, in Arabic script) also known as Cape Muslims or Malays, are a Muslim community or ethnic group in South Africa. They are the descendants of enslaved and free Muslims from different parts of the world, specifically Indonesia (a ...

, who are descendants of slaves from the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...

. It is believed that the Sotho may have adopted the mokorotlo through exposure to these hats. The mokorotlo was likely adopted in the early 20th century, when chiefs began to wear the hat and began singing a song also known as the ‘Mokorotlo’ to garner support at village “Pitso”, which is a gathering. In its original form, it was exclusively worn by males to gatherings. However, in the 1950s, new designs were developed to cater to women.

Symbolism

The Sotho display the mokorotlo in their homes, indicating that they uphold the customs and acknowledge their bonds with their

Balimo Balimo Urban LLG is a local-level government (LLG) of Western Province, Papua New Guinea Western Province is a coastal province in southwestern Papua New Guinea, bordering the Indonesian provinces of Highland Papua and South Papua. The provinci ...

. It also serves to protect the home against danger and other evil influences. The hat is an important part of Sotho cultural attire that is worn to reflect national identity and pride.

Alternative uses

Other warfare rituals, songs and poems go by the generic name of mokorotlo. It is also noted that mokorotlo refers to the traditional male dance performed by male initiates and elders.

References

Hats National symbols of Lesotho Sotho culture South African fashion {{Lesotho-stub