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Shaka Zulu
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Location: KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa
Population: 7 million
Language: isiZulu - Kwazulu (Nguni)
Neighboring Peoples: Sotho, Tswana, San
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Traditional Bride & Bridesmaids
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Types of Art:The Zulu are best known for their pottery, beadwork and basketry. There have also been some figural sculpture questionably attributed to them. Zulu architecture is quite complex, and the dress or fashion of the Zulu has been carefully studied.
Clay Pots.
This is the most tradition ornament that a zulu will own. Used through out African countries, but still has that unique sense of ownership to the Zulu people. The clay pot is called "inkamba" in Zulu and clay in is "ibumba" .
In the olden Zulu days, the clay pot was used for cooking food and drinking "umqombothi".
Making Clay Pots
The way in which a clay pot is made has not changed, you mix clay with water and form it into an open ball position, the sides of the clay have to be rolled from a long clay string.
When the pots are finished they are put in the sunlight to dry for a week before the baking process, baking the clay pots is what makes the clay pot colour. They bake the pots in a ground hole with leaves, the fire is set using wood, aloes and dried cattle dung.
Zulu women are the ones involved in making clay pots.
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A Zulu Maiden
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African Baskets
African Baskets made by Zulu Weavers. South Africa is famous for its tightly woven Zulu Baskets.This is a true art form and they are functional, beautiful and decorative.
African beadwork
African beadwork is a strong part of the Zulu tradition and the tradition of many other African tribes. Trade in beads began hundreds of years ago, probably even before the days of Henry Francis Fynn - the first European settler to settle in Natal in 1824. These beads came to be highly valued by the Zulu tribes who then started to add them to many different items and even weaved into them messages which were then sent to friends and lovers.
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Isilo
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History:In the late sixteenth century, the Nguni people moved from the Congo Basin area southwards to Zululand. Among them were Malandela and his wife Nozinja who had two sons, Qwabe and Zulu (Heaven). They discovered the Mandawe Hill near Eshowe and built their new home there. He chose this place for its unrestricted and scenic view of the Nkwalini valley which was situated at the bottom of the hill. Malandela could not enjoy his new home for long as he died shortly thereafter. After Malandela’s death there was a rift in the family and his widow, Nozinja and her second born son, Zulu and faithful servant left. Qwabe, the first born was left behind to be the chief. Nozinja, Zulu and their faithful servant then set up home where the Black and White uMfolozi meet and it is here that Zulu grew up. He became a young man and went to look for a wife, on finding her, their marriage marked the beginning of a new clan – AmaZulu (people of the Heaven).
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Two old Warriors
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After Zulu came Punga, then Mageba, Ndaba and Jama. Not much is known about Zulu and his successors, our knowledge historically begins from Jama’s son, Senzangakhona was the chief. Senzangakhona fell in love with Nandi who was from the neighbouring tribe of the Elangeni who bore him an illegitimate son named Shaka Zulu in 1787. Nandi was eventually asked to leave the tribe with her son and mother and they lived in exile moving from tribe to tribe till they arrived at the Mthethwa tribe where they were accepted. In 1816,
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Zulu Fashion 1
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Senzangakhona died and his heir was to be Sigujana, but Shaka marched there, killed his half brother and proclaimed himself king. He led the Zulu to their greatness.
Shaka became king of the Zulus in 1816 when he was about 30. Over the next few years he systematically attacked every independent group in the vicinity, either driving them away or absorbing them in the Zulu nation. The first people he attacked were the eLangeni.
Shaka's Zulu warriors or amabutho were truly legendary, and stories of the grueling and often cruel training are innumerable. However, Shaka never expected his men to do anything he couldn't or wouldn't do himself, and he set the example. He spared himself no luxury of a true king.
Forced marches of up to 70km a day, carrying weapons, and surviving on what they could
find in the bush, proficiency in handling their weapons, and the methods of dispatching the enemy were the order of the day. Shaka had soon discovered that the crude sandals traditionally worn by Zulu men hampered his speed and agility, and as a result the army marched, ran, and fought bare foot - on sharp stones, through thorn bush, in deep sand, rivers and every type of terrain possible. Another innovation of Shaka's was the short stabbing spear; a great improvement on the longer handled throwing assegais which broke when used against the enemy at close range.
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Maidens in Procession
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Economy:Rural Zulu raise cattle and farm corn and vegetables for subsistence purposes. The men and herd boys are primarily responsible for the cows, which are grazed in the open country, while the women do most, if not all, of the planting and harvesting. The women also are the owners of the family house and have considerable economic clout within the family. In the urban areas of South Africa, Zulu, and in fact all Africans, are limited to labor intensive work and domestic duties. Even as Apartheid as an institution is beginning to crumble, it is still extremely difficult for Africans to compete for jobs for which they have not been trained, and the country is still entrenched in de facto racism.
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Sangoma
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Political Systems:Chieftainship and any position of power are based on genealogy. The eldest or favourite son becomes the heir to the throne or becomes chief. The head of the tribe acts as an arbitrator to any minor disputes, if need be, they would be referred to the ‘induna’ who had a seat in the Royal Parliament. The Zulu Supreme Court of Justice presided above all of the ‘izinduna’.
Nowadays the Zulu are officially ruled by the government of South Africa, but still refer matters to their tribal authorities.
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Zulu King has a chuckle
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At present, the Zulu king is King Goodwill Zwelithini and the political leader is Mangosuthu Buthelezi who is also the head of the Inkatha Freedom Party.
He became king on the death of his father, His late Majesty King Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomonm in 1968. HRH Prince Israel Mcwayizeni KaSolomon acted as the regent 1968-1971 while the King took refuge in St Helena for three years to avoid assassination. After his 21st birthday and his marriage, Zwelithini was installed as the eighth Monarch of the Zulus at a traditional ceremony at Nongoma on 3 December 1971, attended by 20,000 people.
Religion:The Zulu people believe in a higher power called ‘uNkulunkulu’ (greatest of all great) but they also share their world with the spirits of their ancestors. Christianity was brought by the missionaries from America and Europe and was not accepted easily by the Zulus, nowadays however traditional beliefs and Christianity are generally combined.
Culture
Arts and crafts
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Zulu Girls Singing & Dancing
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Zulu people are very creative and this is seen in their artwork which is primarily beadwork, basketry and pottery.
Beads were used to decorate and adorn themselves. Bright colours were used and they were worked into wonderful geometric patterns. Beads not only decorate, they also convey messages, different colour beads mean different things.
Baskets were also woven from different materials, they were made from dried grass, thin rushes or lengths of telephone wire. These baskets were used for storing, transporting and as drinking vessels. They too were woven into wonderful geometric shapes with different colours achieved by dying the grass with berries, roots and flowers.
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Overlooking Thatched Hut
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Traditional Dress
Men
Traditionally men wear and skins and feathers. The type of feathers and skins worn indicate the person’s status. Men wear ‘ibheshu’ which is an apron worn to cover their rear and the length denotes maturity.
Women
Traditionally young unmarried girls do not cover their breasts and as they mature and become ‘engaged’ they start covering their bodies.
What a person is wearing can tell you a lot about them e.g. if a woman is wearing a head dress, a black, leather skirt and has her breasts covered, she is married, if a man is wearing a ‘headband’ he is married etc.
Respect
The whole Zulu way of life is about respect, all married women are mothers, married men are fathers to all children within the homestead and as such may discipline any child that needs disciplining.
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Zulu Tribe overlooking Tugela
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All children are taught respect and discipline from an early age and they also are taught they should be seen and not heard unless spoken to or invited to speak.
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The Rolling Hills of Zululand
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Economy
Rural Zulus are generally farmers, the chief crop planted is maize. Farming is generally for subsistence purposes. The men are responsible for the livestock, young boys herd the cattle in the open veld. The women look after the home and the fields. Nowadays they have had to seek employment in order to make money. As a result of South Africa’s old apartheid regime, most Zulu and African people did not receive good education, which limited them to labour intensive and domestic work, but with our new democracy, they are able to compete for jobs which previously they could not.
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Zulu Girl
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Zululand Eco-Adventure Tours:
Zulu Culture
King Dinzulu Township and Upliftment Tour
Zulu Traditional Ceremonies
Walters Traditional Zulu Village
Overnight in Walters Village
Zululand Outback Tour
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The Kings Men
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Valley of the Zulu Kings
Sangoma and Ceremonies
Zululand Weekend Package
Mbongolwane Wetlands Zulu Villages and Crafts
Zulu Kings Reed Dance
Shaka Zulu Celebrations
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Handsome cock
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Zulu Wars / Battles
Shaka Zulu
Zululand Eco-Adventures
Eshowe
Zululand
KwaZulu Natal
South Africa
info@eshowe.com
035 474 4919
Your Guides:
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Graham Chennells
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Walter Cele
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Gladys Dlamini
Click here for our photos on Flickr!
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Zulu Culture
