The Mentality of the Zulus

A Zulu Warrior from the time
of Isandlwana

Zulu Religion

The basic elements of the Zulu religion were similar to other African religions. They believed in a supreme creator god, Nkulunkulu, but there were also many other spirits and gods.  Mostly, these gods did not want to be bothered by the mundane problems of mortal men, so in order to invoke their protection the Zulus had to get their dead ancestors to do their bidding for them.  Thus, ancestor worship was important for it was the means to communicate with the spiritual realm.  It was these spirits, good and bad, who were responsible for all the things that happened in life.  The Zulus had no concept of fate; nothing happens by chance.  Even natural events such as the rain or a comet in the night sky are caused by spirits for their purposes. 

The Zulus had numerous superstitious beliefs about the human body.  They were obsessed with cleanliness; often they took three baths a day.  Because the human body is inhabited with spirits, certain ceremonies had to be carried out after death.  They noticed that a dead body, left unattended, would swell up in the belly.  This was a sign of the spirit desperately trying to release itself from the corpse.  In order to prevent this tragedy, the Zulus believed the body of a dead person had to be disemboweled.  This meant  making an incision across the body's abdomen and removing its entrails.  To satisfy these escaping spirits, the clothes from the dead then had to be worn by the living until the proper ceremony. 

The symbol of wealth for the Zulus was the amount of cattle someone owned.  Because of their cattle and cultivation of land, much land was needed by the Zulus.  Tribal land was very important to them.

Zulu Technology and War

The Zulus had several basic fighting weapons.  The isiphapha was a broad head spear, usually used in hunting, that made a large wound and caused massive bleeding.  The isijula was a smaller head spear that could be throw a longer distance or used for jabbing during hand-to-hand combat.  It was preferred in battle.  The Zulus were trained to approach their enemy, hook the left edge of their shield behind the shield of their enemy and shove it to the left.  This threw the enemy off balance and prevented him from using his weapon.  It also moved his opponent's shield across his body exposing the his left side as an easy target for a Zulu spear thrust.  Another weapon was the iwisa, a long sort of club with a polished knob on the end.  In the picture to the left the Zulus are training with their iwisas.  The end of the club was extremely hard and could crack the skull of their opponent.  Thus the majority of the Zulu weapons, while well suited for tribal combat, was only effective at close range hand-to-hand combat situations.  And in such situations the Zulus were ferocious warriors.  One reason for this was the ceremonies in which the Zulus prepared for battle.  The witch doctor would bring in a magic potion for them all to drink that would make them vomit.  Then they chewed a dry piece of meat specially prepared with plants and herbs.  Like a drug, these herbs altered the mental state of the Zulu warriors making them feel invincible.  With these tactics and weapons, the Zulus created an extensive empire.

BACK