Zulu

The Zulu (amaZulu) are a Nguni people who live mainly in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, with smaller numbers in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. They form the largest South African ethnic population, estimated at 9 million. They have close cultural, ethnic-linguistic affinities with the Xhosa, Swazi, Basotho, and Matabele. Their language, isiZulu, belongs to the Bantu language stock. In the early 19th century, Chief Shaka (c. 1787–1828) united various Nguni peoples through new techniques of warfare and expansive conquest, thus forming a powerful Zulu nation. The Zulu kingdom has played a significant role in forming and shaping South African history. Today, the Zulu are one of the major players in South African politics.

The Zulu religious worldview is complex; it is tied to social, cultural, political, and economic life. Ritual is central to Zulu religious life and helps to maintain relationships to the powers of life. Three elements that are capable of exerting amandla (power) are the God of the Sky, the ancestors, and medicine. The Zulu trace their ancestry to an act of creation by inkosi yezulu (Sky God), who lives up above along with inkosazana yezulu (Sky Goddess). The Zulu have a relationship to the sky as well as to the Earth, the abode of the ancestors. The ancestors live down below; hence, they are often referred to as abapbansi. The God of the Sky is a male father figure while that of the Earth is a female mother. Both are believed to have brought Abantu (the “people”) into being. In Zulu tradition, myths connect the human and natural cosmos. The creation myth, for example, relates the gods to the birth of the first humans. The first human who existed was uNkulunkulu; he was believed to have creative power.

The world below is divided into three levels: the level of the unborn spirits, the recently deceased spirits, and the ancestors. The amalozilamakbosilamatbonga (ancestors) are of central significance for the Zulu. Their religious life, which revolves around ancestral veneration, attracts extensive ritual obligations. The relationship between the living and the Dead is one of mutuality that excludes non-kin and reflects the major emphases of Zulu kinship. Zulu society is patrilineal; authority and inheritance proceed through the male line from father to son. Although Zulu society is patrilineal, women nevertheless occupy a significant space for religious [Page 744]action. The ritual role of women is further exemplified in the relationship between women and inkosazana yezulu, whose features contribute to the overall complexity of the Zulu religious system. She is associated with virginity and fertility of all creatures. Apart from acting as a mediator between the people and the God of the Sky, she is also capable of instituting rules of behavior and ritual actions that are distinct from those of both the God of the Sky and the ancestors. The location for the revelation and veneration of the Sky God and Goddess are specific hills or mountains.

Some significant roles in Zulu religious praxis are those of the headman/priest, diviner, medicine man, heaven herd, sorcerers, and witches. Political, social, and religious functions overlap and interact with each other. The headman of each Zulu kraal is the chief custodian and leads communal rites, especially those connected with ancestors. Divination is an important activity, and the role of the isangoma (diviners) is widespread. The isangoma represents a pivotal force for order and rapprochement between humans and the spirit world. This vocation is most often assumed by women and involves special training under an experienced diviner. Diviners are consulted whenever illness, misfortune, or unusual events occur. They diagnose the problem and recommend paths of reparation in the case of ancestral anger and, in the event of sorcery, may point out abathakathi (the sorcerer) or suggest countermeasures. The herbalists or medicine men also play a similar role by diagnosing illnesses, prescribing cures, and providing protective medicines. Specialists in medicine with a wide range of medical knowledge are known as izinyanga zemitbi (a specialist in medicine) or izinyanga zokwelapba (a specialist in healing). The diviners are mostly women, whereas the herbalists are men. They are approached with much awe and respect.

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