and two boys to the beach to look for a certain vegetable marrow
growing near the sea. This species grows wild there, and has never been
cultivated. Sometimes the marrow would be ready to pick early in the
season and sometimes late; and the time to begin the annual feast
greatly depended upon this. They could not commence operations without
knowing that the vegetable was ready, for it had to be used on the
second day. Therefore the party sent off in search of it had to stay on
the coast until it was fit to pick; they were on no account whatever to
return without it. On its arrival all is ready for the second day’s
performance, which proceeds as follows: The king and party rise very
early and enter the great cattle kraal. Here the marrow is presented to
the king, who receives and inspects it very carefully, and says a few
words in a low voice over it, all the chief men standing round about
him expectantly. Then the ceremony of tossing the marrow commences. The
king throws it up in the air five or six times, catching it again like
a ball, after that he throws it to the men, when it breaks perhaps into
two or three pieces, and these again he throws to the men, and they by
turns go through the same performance. Then they throw the broken
pieces over the kraal to all the different regiments drawn up round it
awaiting their turn at the tossing. This goes on until all have touched
the marrow and broken it into small pieces. Then the king picks out of
his herd another black bull, fiercer than the one of the day before, to
be treated in the same way. It is said that it gives the warriors
bravery and cruelty. At noon, when all the ceremonies are over, the
king declares the “Feast of first fruits” at an end. He allows reed
instruments (umtshingo and ivenge) to be played all through the
country, so that all people may know they may now begin to eat green
mealies, vegetable marrows, and pumpkins. Before the umtshingo and
ivenge are heard no one may touch anything fresh out of the gardens, no
matter how long the fruit or vegetables have been ripe (even if the
people are starving), on penalty of death, or, later on, a heavy fine.
It was against the laws of the country, too, to play the reed
instruments before the king gave the order, being considered a greater
offence even than eating green mealies before “Ukunyatela” (to tread)
had taken place, for it was misleading the people; therefore the
punishment for this offence was certain death. Umtshingo is the long
hollow reed the natives play tunes on. It is a kind of flute; there is
no string to it. The ivenge is a short one with only two notes. Two of
these instruments have to be played together to make a tune at all. The
favourite air played on them is, “Ucakide ka bon’ indod’ isegunjini”
(the weasel doesn’t see the man who is in the corner). Some natives can
play several nice tunes on the long reed.
The great dance commences about 3 p.m. All have to “vunula” first (put
on their ornaments). They, of course, grease themselves well to make
their dark bodies sleek and supple. All chiefs have black feathers of
the indwa bird stuck in the centre of their head ring, just above the
forehead. The younger chiefs wear black ostrich feathers in the same
way. The grand old Mbonambi regiment carried plumes of black ostrich
feathers. A shape of straw was first made (like the crown of a hat) and
the feathers were neatly stitched on to cover it all. These plumes
looked very graceful as the men came dancing and bowing before the
king. All the regiments would simultaneously beat their shields with
knobkerries, and the noise would re-echo over the mountains like a
fearful peal of thunder. The regimental ornaments varied a great deal,
as they were chosen to mark the different corps. The rest of the
afternoon, until dark, was spent in dancing and singing “Ingoma ye
nkosi” (National Anthem). The words were as follows:—
“Abafo besab’ inkosi (Strangers fear the king),
Konj’ uyaliwa (By the by you are rejected),
Bamzonda bamyoliza (They hate him, they praise him);
Konj’ uyaliwa” (By the by you are rejected).
It sounded really grand to hear thousands of men singing it, dancing,
and keeping time with their feet, the words giving somewhat the effect
of a “round,” and the trampling of feet resembling distant thunder. The
next morning, on looking round at the fields where the dance had taken
place, one would find the grass beaten into the ground.
The third day is usually spent in feasting and drinking beer. The king
orders his chiefs to deal out a certain number of cattle to each
regiment for slaughter early in the morning, so as to give them plenty
of time to prepare the meat, and to have it cooked by noon, when the
feast commences. After all the meat has been devoured beer is brought
round, and those who serve it out have to taste it first in front of
everybody to show that it has not been poisoned. This is a standing
rule at all beer drinks. No one will drink the beer before it has been
tasted. The men sit down in circles, and the one who heads the circle
has the first drink, and passes the earthen vessel to the next, and it
travels all round the circle and comes back to him again, then he takes
another drink and passes it; this is repeated till there is no beer
left. Talking goes on all the time—relating anecdotes, questioning and
arguing as to which regiment danced the best, looked the best, or
distinguished itself the most in any way. Now and then an “Imbhongi”
(jester) comes forward, shouting praises to the king, and jumping about
like a maniac, with long horns fixed on his forehead. He acts the wild
bull, tearing the ground up with his horns, then leaps into the air,
shouting the king’s praises all the time. The people have to show their
approval by praising and thanking him for his wonderful feats of
agility. This afternoon the doctors are uncommonly busy preparing
“Imshikaqo yemiti” (the mixture of medicines), to be ready for use the
next day. The officers also are busy choosing places where the
doctoring is to be done.
On the fourth day each man in every regiment has to take the mixture of
medicines, which acts as an emetic. In order to be fully prepared for
the effects of the medicine, each regiment, in its allotted place, digs
a deep trench. This is done very early in the morning. It is said by
many who took this mixture that it made their hearts feel very bad
indeed, full of cruelty and daring. This is the day, too, when the men
felt most inclined to fight in order to try their strength. They would
break out quite unexpectedly, without waiting orders from their king.
At the last feast given before the Zulu war the ground was actually
strewn with the dying and the dead. The blood of the favourite
Ingobamakosi regiment being heated and poisoned by the “Imshikaqo,”
they dashed forward to try their strength against another noted
regiment, which, jealous of them, had been constantly provoking them to
fight.
Late in the afternoon of this great doctoring day the chiefs had to
call up their men to stand before the king and hear the new laws given
out. Soon after this, “ukubuta” (collecting) takes place. The boys who
have come to “Kreza” (milk into their mouths), come forward to be
“Butwa” (made into a regiment). The name is chosen and given out. So
the lads go home holding their heads up high with pride, shouting as
they go along, “We are soldiers of the king.” After this has been done
the king addresses the people, and fines those heavily who have been
fighting and shedding blood. Then he praises those who have behaved
best, and finally bids them all go home in peace. A good many men
generally volunteered to stay on and “konza” (serve the king). There
was always plenty of work for them to do in the fields, weeding mealies
and minding amabele (Kafir corn) gardens—keeping the destructive
little birds away from eating them. There was also a good deal of
fencing to be done, for the king’s kraal was an uncommonly large one,
and had always to be kept neat and tidy. The men who volunteered to
stay and work had to keep themselves in food. Very often they would run
short and live only on water for days. Their people had to come long
distances with it, carrying it on their heads, and sometimes they could
ill be spared from home. They got no pay for their work, but a beast
was given them occasionally for slaughter when all the work was
finished. By the time they had to leave, a good many of them were
reduced to mere skeletons, and could barely manage to drag themselves
home.
The annual feast is now a thing of the past, as there is no king, so is
also the “Feast of the first fruits.” The only part of it they keep up
is taking a dose of the mixture each year before eating green mealies
or vegetables. This they regard as a help towards making the green food
agree with them, and that is all.
UKUQWANJISWA KWEMPI
(THE DOCTORING OF AN ARMY)
This was a most important ceremony among the Zulus while they were
still under their own rulers. The natives of Zululand, as all who know
anything of their history will admit, were the bravest and most warlike
of the coloured races, and were always ready to fight for their king
and country. They never shirked their duty as soldiers, they were all
trained to arms from boyhood, and felt it a disgrace not to go out
against the foe whenever called upon to do so.
The ceremony of Ukuqwamba was invariably performed when there was to be
war, and was supposed to make the men both brave and invulnerable.
A proclamation went forth to all the men, in the word “Maihlome” (Let
them arm), and in a very short time the whole manhood of the nation
mobilized and proceeded, fully equipped for war, to the chief kraal of
the sovereign, encamping within a short distance. No women were
permitted to come near, all supplies of food or other necessaries being
brought by men or boys specially deputed for this service. The army,
having assembled at its rendezvous, was then formed into a crescent,
and the national war-doctor marched up in all his war-paint, when a
very wild black bull was brought in, seized by some warriors selected
for the occasion, and held down by them, while the doctor killed it by
a blow with his axe on the nape of the neck. Meanwhile a large fire was
lighted, and kept up while the beast was being flayed. Then its flesh
was cut into long narrow strips, which were roughly roasted in the fire
under the superintendence of the doctor, rubbed with a powder made of
various roots and herbs and portions of the skins of lions and other
fierce animals, and tossed up into the air among the soldiers, who had
to catch them in their mouths, bite off a piece, and pass the rest on,
till everyone had had a mouthful. Any piece which might chance to fall
on the ground was left there.
The doctor’s attendants now brought him vessels full of a liquid
composed of various medicines pounded and mixed with water, and the
doctor sprinkled the warriors with it, shouting the while, “Umabope
kabope, Umabope kabope” (let the Mabope tie up, that is, concentrate
the strength of the army).[3] All were now ready, and without further
delay set out to fight. The “tshela” (tela) or sprinkling was repeated
in case of a reverse, but not the killing of a bull.[4]
The whole body was now drawn up in a crescent, representing the two
horns of a bull about to thrust at the enemy, while the central part
represented the face of the bull, which would drive them away.
The war-doctor brings with him all the things required for carrying out
the rites I have described, namely, an axe with a sharp point, a knife,
the different medicines, and the sprinkler. This should be made of the
tail of the gnu, or if this cannot be obtained, the tail of a black
bull is used. All these things the doctor keeps in his own possession,
carefully wrapped up in a mat.
The whole of these ceremonies were gone through just before the Zulu
war of 1879, and in addition to this the fighting men partook of a
medicinal charm which was to repel the enemy (Intelezi yempi).
We must not forget the women-folk who were left behind. Married women
always wear a skirt made of ox-hide, the hair having been scraped off.
In ordinary life the upper edge of this is rolled outward, round the
hips, but during war they turn the roll inside. The young girls throw
ashes over their bodies, a sign of mourning, as wearing sackcloth and
ashes was among the Hebrews. The old women take their brooms and run
along the roads sweeping with them, thus indicating that they would
make a clean sweep of their enemies in all directions. This they call
Ukutshaluza.
Women also drink similar medicines to those taken by the men, but the
preparation of them is somewhat different. A big fire is lighted
outside the kraal, and a pot containing a number of roots possessing
magical properties is put on, and left to simmer slowly till next
morning, when the fresh milk of a cow is added, to whiten it. This is
supposed to bring good luck. When it is ready, all the women and
children sit round the pot, dip their fingers in it, and lick off the
mixture. This is the Ukuncinda, or ceremony of sucking. After this, a
cow is slaughtered for them to eat. Then they begin to sweep, smear the
floors of their huts with cow-dung, and make all tidy. This is
evidently to prepare for the return of the soldiers. Beer is made, and
snuff ground, and all the snuff-boxes filled up, so that nothing shall
be wanting.
The Zulus “fight and die”; there is no turning back, no retreating—for
that only means death in the end, an inglorious death instead of a
glorious one. Any who turned back would be killed by order of the king
or chief. This was the law of the country in war-time.
When attacking, the whole body of men made one big rush forward,
shouting their clan name or war-cry, “Usutu!” or “Mandhlakazi!”[5] &c.,
as the case might be.
On camping out for the night a watchword was always agreed upon,
unknown, of course, to the enemy, and to every passer-by they cried,
“Who goes there?” their own people, on giving the word, being allowed
to go safely on their way. This, of course, is the same procedure as
would be followed among other nationalities.
-----
Footnote 3:
Umabope is explained in Colenso’s _Dictionary_ (p. 333) as “a
climbing plant with red roots, bits of which are much worn about the
neck.” A note adds: “The root is chewed by Zulus when going to
battle, the induna giving the word ‘Lumani (bite) umabope!’ which
they do for a few minutes and then spit it out again, saying
‘Nang’umabope!’ (here is the umabope). The notion is that the foe
will be bound in consequence to commit some foolish act.” (The verb
bopa means “tie.”)
Footnote 4:
The nearest translation that can be given in English of the word
Ukuqwamba would be “Talisman,” and “Ukuqwanjiswa kwempi” may be
rendered “The consecration of an army.”
Footnote 5:
Usutu is the name of the royal clan to which Cetshwayo
belonged—Mandhlakazi being the house of Zibebu.—ED.
INGOBOCO
(FINDING OUT WIZARDS)
The office of Detector of Wizards was held by the Chief of Izanusi. He
was the one chosen by the king to decide abatakati (wizard) cases. A
big Umkamba tree, standing with its wide outstretched branches between
Mahlabatini and Ulundi Military Kraals, was the place where he took the
appeal cases. (The former was Mpande’s headquarters and the latter
Cetshwayo’s.) He heard only the most complicated cases in which the
majority of people were dissatisfied with the inferior Zanusi’s
(detector of wizards) decision. I happened to be paying a short visit
to these kraals during Cetshwayo’s reign, when one morning early I saw
a great number of people collected under the Umkamba tree, and on
asking a native standing by what these men were assembled for was told
that the king’s chief, Sangoma, was about to “Bul’ingoboco” (inquire
into the wizard’s case whether the right judgment had been given). Then
my friend and I went near the place to observe the proceedings. We saw
the demoniacal Umgoma standing with his dreaded magic wand in his right
hand, a black tail of “Inkonkoni” (gnu), and making fearful deep noises
in his throat (bodhla), calling the spirits to help him to touch the
right man with his wand. While doing this he would be walking round and
round the people, now and then making sudden leaps into the air like a
maniac, flourishing his dreaded wand, and all the accused would be
awaiting the final touch with fear and trembling. The Imigoma (doctors)
who had partly heard the cases would also be present, as well as
relations of the accused, but none of them were supposed to say
anything to the Ingoboco man: the amadhlozi (spirits) were to instruct
him in everything. After having gone on till thoroughly exhausted with
the antics described, he suddenly stops near his victim, whom he
touches on the head with the Inkonkoni tail. The poor man has then to
be taken off at once without even a word of remonstrance or a last
farewell from his relations. He is driven off to Kwankata, a precipice
over a deep pond in the Mfolozi River, which is full of crocodiles.
This place is at no great distance from Ulundi. Having reached it the
poor victim would be first stoned, then thrown down the precipice into
the pond, where the crocodiles were always in readiness to receive him.
They really lived on human beings.
Happily the morning we were watching Ingoboco the victim escaped most
marvellously by running off at once to the king, who was standing in
the cattle kraal, and throwing himself down at his feet, pleading for
mercy, which was granted at once as a reward for his pluck and running
powers. I am told that several others managed to save themselves in the
same way, for it was quite an understood thing that if a man reached
the king, outstripping all his pursuers, he would be saved. This also
held good if a man reached King Mpande’s grave in safety. No one would
dare to touch him there.
ICIMAMLILO
(FIRE EXTINGUISHER)
Icimamlilo is the name of a compound which is in use among the heathen
Zulus in cases of murder or homicide, and so well is this known that if
any person were found using it after a murder had been committed, that
person would be strongly suspected of the crime. It consists of four or
five kinds of very bitter roots, with pieces of the flesh of the
following animals: a lion, a baboon, a jackal, a hyena, and an
elephant, also a kind of hawk. All of these ingredients are essential,
there are others which may be added, but which are not absolutely
necessary. After all these things have been burnt to ashes and
thoroughly mixed, the murderer or homicide swallows some of the powder,
and mixing the rest with water sprinkles himself and goes off for a
bathe; then the purification is complete, and any evil effects upon the
system which, according to native superstition may follow the killing
of a human being, are counteracted. This custom of purification is
still strictly kept up by the heathen natives, as a preventive against
their own death, which they believe might otherwise naturally take
place as a consequence of having killed another.
RAIN DOCTORS
In common with other backward races the Zulus have faith in the power
of the rain doctors to make, or to draw, rain, and also to prevent it
from falling. The Zulu kings generally kept rain doctors; but as these
men, when they did not make enough rain to please their royal masters,
were in danger of being fined or even put to death, they were obliged
to invent a good many excuses for their failures. The most common was
that they felt sure somebody was practising witchcraft, that is to say,
putting pegs dipped in medicine into the ground, or tying knots in the
grass on the mountain-tops and sprinkling them with medicines, either
of which proceedings would stop the rain. Then the king would send
messengers round the country commanding his subjects to find out where
pegs had been driven in, or knots tied in the grass, and the owner of
the kraal in whose neighbourhood this was found to have been done was
liable to be killed or fined, at the king’s discretion. In a dry season
people were constantly in fear of this happening, for they knew that
any who wished to injure them would drive in pegs near their kraals and
then report them to the king for having done it.
Cetshwayo once had a rain doctor of whom he thought a great deal; but
one year when there was a terrible drought he lost faith in him, and
then someone accused him to the king of having wilfully prevented the
rain from falling. Of course this made his majesty furiously angry, and
he ordered the unfortunate man to be killed and thrown into the river,
together with his hut and everything he possessed. No sooner was this
order carried out than the rain fell in torrents. Such is the story
told by the natives, but I cannot vouch for the truth of it.[6]
The Zulus used to consider the Basuto rain doctors the best of any, and
the king sometimes engaged some of them to come to Zululand when rain
was wanted. One year a large number of them arrived, laden with roots
and other medicines, from Basutoland. Some carried calabashes filled
with liquids, which were rolled about on the ground at the cattle-kraal
to bring thunder, and bundles containing charms to bring lightning and
rain were stuck upright in the ground. These performances went on for
some weeks, until at last the rain came, and the Zulus were satisfied
that it was caused by the hard work of the Basuto doctors. These men
were kept well supplied with beef and beer all the time they were in
the country, and handsome presents were given them when they left it to
return to their own land.
-----
Footnote 6:
This story scarcely seems to be consistent with Cetshwayo’s
character. He was certainly a sceptic as regards witchcraft.—ED.
THE RAINBOW, LIGHTNING, AND ECLIPSES
The Zulus believe in a glorious being whom they call the Queen of
Heaven, of great and wondrous beauty, and the rainbow is supposed to be
an emanation of her glory. This “Queen of Heaven” (Inkosikazi) is a
different person from the Heavenly Princess, to whom the young girls
pray regularly once a year, as described on another page.[7]
Some believe that there is a gorgeously coloured animal at the point
where the rainbow appears to come in contact with the earth, and that
it would cause the death of any who caught sight of it.[8]
The natives as a rule are very superstitious about the lightning; if it
has struck anything they say “the heavens did it,” they dare not speak
of it by name. A person killed by lightning is buried without ceremony,
and there is no mourning for him; a tree which has been struck may not
be used for fuel; the flesh of any animal so killed is not to be eaten;
huts which have been injured by lightning are abandoned, and very often
the whole kraal is removed. Persons living in such a kraal may not
visit their friends, nor may their friends visit them, until they have
been purified and pronounced clean by the doctor. They are not allowed
to dispose of their cattle until they also have been attended to by the
doctor: even the milk is considered unclean, and people abstain from
drinking it.
An eclipse or an earthquake foretells a great calamity, and the natives
are terrified whenever an eclipse takes place. The defeat of Cetshwayo
by Usibebu a few hours after an earthquake, which was felt all through
Zululand in 1883, naturally confirmed them in the belief that it is an
evil omen.[9]
-----
Footnote 7:
The rainbow is called utingo lwenkosikazi, “The Queen’s Bow.” See
Callaway, _Nursery Tales and Traditions of the Zulus_, p. 193.
Utingo, however, is not “a bow” in our sense (at any rate not in
current Zulu speech), but a bent stick or wattle, such as is used in
making the framework of a hut. It is difficult to ascertain anything
about this inkosikazi; but the Zulu women hold dances on the hills in
honour of some Inkosazana—an echo, it may be, of the story of
Jephtha’s daughter.
Mr. Dudley Kidd (_The Essential Kafir_, p. 112) seems to have
confused her with Nomkubulwana, who, as Miss Samuelson expressly
tells us, is not the same person. It is not clear whether she is
identical with the mysterious being called “Inkosazana,” of whom the
late Bishop Callaway says: “The following superstition ... appears to
be the relic of some very old worship” (_Religious System of the
Amazulu_, p. 253).
She was supposed to appear, or rather to be heard speaking (for she
was never seen), in lonely places, and predicted the future, or gave
directions which had to be obeyed by the people. “It is she who
introduces many fashions among black men. She orders the children to
be weaned earlier than usual.... Sometimes she orders much beer to be
made and poured out on the mountain. And all the tribes make beer,
each chief and his tribe; the beer is poured on the mountain; and
they thus free themselves from blame.... I never heard that they pray
to her for anything, for she does not dwell with men, but in the
forest, and is unexpectedly met with by a man who has gone out about
his own affairs, and he brings back her message.”—ED.
Footnote 8:
The Congo people believe the rainbow to be a snake (chama) as do the
Yorubas (Oshumare). (See Mr. Dennett’s _At the Back of the Black
Man’s Mind_ (p. 142), and _Nigerian Studies_ (p. 217).—ED.
Footnote 9: