The Sholu do not have a religion as such but they do have a strong sense of veneration for their ancestors. This seems to be an extension of the respect they have for old age in the living. It is as if the older you are the more respect you are due, irrespective of whether you are alive or dead. The ancestors that are held in greatest esteem are the oldest - the founders of their people have a special importance for them.
The Sholu have a strong artistic sense and this manifests itself most strongly in their clothes and pottery. Both of these, even the most utilitarian, tend to be decorated with an array of patterns, mostly geometric but with occasional stylised animals, plants or people. What strikes me most though is the use of colour. Each colour signifies various emotions, events or objects so for instance, if someone is feeling particularly happy they may wear something of one colour, if they are sad another. There is a bewildering array of these meanings, which are complicated further because combinations of colours can subtly alter the meaning. Blue and red by themselves might mean one thing but blue and red combined means another.
(The text is badly damaged at this point but the follwing lists can be made out)
hope, the body, plants, life, creation
mind, water, ancestors, reason, thought
morality, earth, home, family, respect
danger, action, courage, anger, fire
love, the sun, friends, emotion, freedom
sky, the moon, compassion and beauty
darkness, grief, illness, death, hardship
The key to discovering the origins of the Sholu must rest in deciphering these old scripts. My first thought was that the language underlying them is the written language that the Sholu speak today. Unfortunately however this is not the case. Their oral histories say that when they first came to the valley there were two active languages, only one of which had a written script. For some reason this language fell out of use leaving only the one they speak today. It seems though that some of the phrases they still use may derive from this other, now dead, language. I've made a note of some of these phrases and their meanings:
‘Sefi ut gofi’ - Good health.
‘Pu ku ruba’ - Don’t be afraid, never mind.
‘Pene la’ - Every day.
‘Seba ut itrita’ - Live in hope.
‘Seku rul’ - Peace be with you.
‘Serlote shukesu’ - Remember the ancestors
When they are gathering in the harvest they call it the ‘beshod’.
This last one is very common. It’s normally used when people are parting company, particularly if they have had a disagreement or have been discussing problems:
‘Chosu kiche el es’.