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Zulu

The Zulus are a tribe that are rich in the art of beadwork.

They were at their prime under the rule of Shaka. He was born in 1787, the son of Senzagakona and Nandi, Senzagakona’s fourth wife.

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The Zulu are herders.  Here a Zulu woman stands beside her cow.

At age six he watched the cattle like all six-year-olds.  It was great shame to let a cattle go.  Cattle were very important to the Zulus.  They were the Zulu’s source of meat, drink, clothing, and if a man asked to marry, the man’s family had to pay a bride price.  Unfortunately Shaka did just that.  It was only a little sheep but he was scolded just the same.  However Nandi stood up for her son and did what no one else would do.  This was a big mistake.  Senzagakona sent her back to her tribe.  Her family had to pay back the bride price of course.

At his mother’s tribe he was a disgrace.  When a drought came, Nandi and Shaka appeared as one more mouth to feed, so they were sent to wander.  Finally they found a kind man who offered to shelter them.  There Shaka earned an assegai, or spear.   He completely perfected the movement to throw the assegai.  He was admired throughout the tribe but he wanted to prove that they had a reason to respect him.

Soon he had his chance.  He spotted a leopard in a tree.  He stood his guard and soon had a dead leopard to present to the tribe.

Shaka was awarded an oxide shield and a bunch of assegais representing him as a warrior.  He started fighting but thought it a waste to throw away your weapon, so he designed a new assegai that was like a sword rather than a spear.  Soon he went barefoot because his sandals got in the way.  He instructed himself to fight silently and made up surprise moves.  He taught others his way to fight.

Shaka was made king of his father’s village.  He ordered the older herdboys to carry the men’s supplies.  He decided to build a new village and ordered all men to be in the army.  He split the army into four regiments each with their own color shield.  To marry, a Zulu had to fight very well.

After a while there were only two main groups of Zulus.  The other group challenged Shaka’s group.  He knew he couldn’t say no, so he said, "As long as I choose where to fight."   Shaka knew he was out-numbered but chose to fight on a hill with a hole in the top.   He put one regiment in the hole and the rest around the hole.  When his enemy appeared they rushed at him, but as they went up the hill they bumped into each other.   As the men outside the hole grew tired, the men inside got out and defeated the already-tired enemy.

When his mother died, Shaka ruined the wonderful army he had created.  He didn’t let the Zulus grow crops or drink for a year, and took the older herd boys back to the fields.  It grew harder and harder to marry because the Zulus were drained of their strength and could not fight well.  Soon his army turned on him and killed him.

Although he turned on his people, Shaka is still remembered today.

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