DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0291
216
W. S. Ferguson
zoulous”, writes Delegorgue,94 “sont les hommes les mieux faits de toute la race cafre;
leur faille, inferieure a celle des Anglais et surtout des boers, est egale, ce me semble, a
celle des Frangais; mais elle off re plus de grace dans 1’ensemble des proportions; elle est
svelte, elegante et soli de; les muscles sont dessines fortement, sans accuser de maigreur.
On trouve chez eux le ferine uni au gracieux, la force jointe a 1’agilite, partout de la soup-
lesse, et jamais dans leur pose 1’embarras du maintien”. Of the mental characteristics
of the Zulu the same sympathetic reporter writes as follows:95 “Done d’un jugement par-
faitement sain et d’une penetration qui etonne, il n’admet qu’avec la plus grande reserve
tout se qu’on lui dit concernant des choses a lui inconnues. Sont-elles vagues, ne tom-
bent-elles pas sous le sens; il semble y adherer par defaut d’opposition; mais plusieurs
heures de discours ne rencontrent encore qu’un veritable sceptique. Le Zoulou a un
brillant vernis d’urbanite; il est d’une politesse et d’une aisance de manieres qui contras-
tent singulierement avec la grossierete et la pesanteur non-seulement de certains Cafres
de 1’interieur, mais encore des boers. Il a de lui-meme une tres-haute opinion, qu’il
se laisse aller a temoigner quelquefois par une sorte de mepris pour tout ce qui est euro-
peen”.
*
* *
What, now, was the origin of this strange system? We have, I believe, to recognize
first the fundamental Bantu institutions on which it was based — old institutions which
were developed and put to new uses by the founders of the Zulu state; secondly, the
innovations of Dingiswayo, king of the Umtetwas; and thirdly, the perfecting of the
system under Chaka (1812/16-1828). The deterioration of the system began with Din-
gaan (1828-1840)96: under Panda (1840-1872), who violated the Zulu law that a king
should never live to grow old, it fell into decay,97 only to be restored on a different
economic basis by his enterprising son, Cetshwayo (1872-1879, 1883/4).98
The two most important Bantu practices underlying the military system we have
been considering are, I believe, the folk-dance and the puberty rites.
94 Delegorgue, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 216.
99 Ibid., vol. 2, p. 234.
96 In addition to the works cited above (p. 198 n. 3) the following books may be consulted for the story of Dingis-
wayo, Chaka, and Dingaan: J. Y. Gibson, The story of the Zulus,2 London, 1911, p. 11 sqq.; G. McC. Theal, History
of South Africa, vol. 3, p. 293 sqq.; vol. 4, p. 116 sqq.; J. C. Voigt, Fifty years of the history of the Republic in
South Africa, London, 1899, vol. 1, p. 184 sqq.; D. Kidd, The essential Kafir, London, 1904, passim; A. Steedman,
Wanderings and adventures in the interior of southern Africa, London, 1835, vol. 1, p. 269 sqq.; vol. 2, p. 238 sq.
97 See especially, Mann, op. cit., p. 28 sqq.
98 The most important alteration, due to the advance of the whites and the cessation of profitable wars, was
that the king no longer fed his soldiers; they had to have their food brought to them at the ekandas. Hence there
was a great falling off in the numbers in residence there, and they stayed a much shorter time. See especially Bishop
Colenso, op. cit., p. 190 sqq.; Gibson, op. cit., p. 131; Mann, op. cit., p. 28; and supra, p. 203.
W. S. Ferguson
zoulous”, writes Delegorgue,94 “sont les hommes les mieux faits de toute la race cafre;
leur faille, inferieure a celle des Anglais et surtout des boers, est egale, ce me semble, a
celle des Frangais; mais elle off re plus de grace dans 1’ensemble des proportions; elle est
svelte, elegante et soli de; les muscles sont dessines fortement, sans accuser de maigreur.
On trouve chez eux le ferine uni au gracieux, la force jointe a 1’agilite, partout de la soup-
lesse, et jamais dans leur pose 1’embarras du maintien”. Of the mental characteristics
of the Zulu the same sympathetic reporter writes as follows:95 “Done d’un jugement par-
faitement sain et d’une penetration qui etonne, il n’admet qu’avec la plus grande reserve
tout se qu’on lui dit concernant des choses a lui inconnues. Sont-elles vagues, ne tom-
bent-elles pas sous le sens; il semble y adherer par defaut d’opposition; mais plusieurs
heures de discours ne rencontrent encore qu’un veritable sceptique. Le Zoulou a un
brillant vernis d’urbanite; il est d’une politesse et d’une aisance de manieres qui contras-
tent singulierement avec la grossierete et la pesanteur non-seulement de certains Cafres
de 1’interieur, mais encore des boers. Il a de lui-meme une tres-haute opinion, qu’il
se laisse aller a temoigner quelquefois par une sorte de mepris pour tout ce qui est euro-
peen”.
*
* *
What, now, was the origin of this strange system? We have, I believe, to recognize
first the fundamental Bantu institutions on which it was based — old institutions which
were developed and put to new uses by the founders of the Zulu state; secondly, the
innovations of Dingiswayo, king of the Umtetwas; and thirdly, the perfecting of the
system under Chaka (1812/16-1828). The deterioration of the system began with Din-
gaan (1828-1840)96: under Panda (1840-1872), who violated the Zulu law that a king
should never live to grow old, it fell into decay,97 only to be restored on a different
economic basis by his enterprising son, Cetshwayo (1872-1879, 1883/4).98
The two most important Bantu practices underlying the military system we have
been considering are, I believe, the folk-dance and the puberty rites.
94 Delegorgue, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 216.
99 Ibid., vol. 2, p. 234.
96 In addition to the works cited above (p. 198 n. 3) the following books may be consulted for the story of Dingis-
wayo, Chaka, and Dingaan: J. Y. Gibson, The story of the Zulus,2 London, 1911, p. 11 sqq.; G. McC. Theal, History
of South Africa, vol. 3, p. 293 sqq.; vol. 4, p. 116 sqq.; J. C. Voigt, Fifty years of the history of the Republic in
South Africa, London, 1899, vol. 1, p. 184 sqq.; D. Kidd, The essential Kafir, London, 1904, passim; A. Steedman,
Wanderings and adventures in the interior of southern Africa, London, 1835, vol. 1, p. 269 sqq.; vol. 2, p. 238 sq.
97 See especially, Mann, op. cit., p. 28 sqq.
98 The most important alteration, due to the advance of the whites and the cessation of profitable wars, was
that the king no longer fed his soldiers; they had to have their food brought to them at the ekandas. Hence there
was a great falling off in the numbers in residence there, and they stayed a much shorter time. See especially Bishop
Colenso, op. cit., p. 190 sqq.; Gibson, op. cit., p. 131; Mann, op. cit., p. 28; and supra, p. 203.