Emperor Shaka the Great: A Zulu Epic (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works African Authors Series)
by Mazisi Kunene
Category: Epic poetry, Zulu

Emperor Shaka the Great is an epic poem based on the Zulu oral tradition, compiled in Zulu then translated by South African Poet Mazisi Kunene. The epic follows the life of Shaka Zulu. The poem documents his exploits as a king of the Zulu people, produced considerable advances in State structure and military technologies of the Zulu. Some critics express concern over the historicity of the retelling. However, Kunene's embrasure of an African perspective on Shaka's Rule expresses an attempt at understanding the apparent horrors observed by Europeans in the Shaka's history.