The mother's role is less aurthoritarain and more nuturing. It is the mother who passes Zulu folklore, history, and rules of behavior on to the children. If he can afford it, a Zulu man will take more than one wife. This inequality stems from the days when Zulu men spent most of their time as warriors, and women were responsible for most chores in the home. Along with preparing food, cleaning, and caring for the children, women make repairs on the homes, collect water, carry and chop wood, make pots, weave baskets, and brew beer.
Men clear the land of trees, construct the homes, and care for the livestock.
In Zulu religous life, great emphasis is placed on ancestor spirits. Offerings and sacrifices are made to these spirits for protection, health, and happiness. They also believe that ancestor spirits sometimes come back to the world in the form of snakes. If a snake appears in a Zulu village, the villagers make an animal sacrifice of a goat or a lamb as an offering to show respect for the visiting snake spirit. The Zulu also believe in one supreme god, whom they call Unkulunkulu, but this god is thought to have less influence on their lives than the ancestor spirits.