Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-11-12
Zulu Customs.


same death ceremony and the same
moon festival are carried on now as
when the Zulus first became known to
the civilized world
II Is the unwritten law among the
Zulus that the husband shall do no
work. What has he married for? He
did not pay his eleven or eighteen
head Of cattle for wife to have her
live I'm idleness. The husband has
bought her to do the work and he
tries to save up more cattle to buy
more OF them.
When a Zulu desires to take unto
himself wife he views the dusky
single Zulu maideus that live near
him. Generally these Zulu girls have
beautiful forms, but their faces make
one take ont his watch TO see If It has
stopped from the shock received.
After Mr.. Zulu hrs found girl that
he thinks would suit him, he sees the
father AMI then the barter for the
daughter begins. The highest amount
paid is eighteen head of cattle and
eleven the lowest. When the number
of cattle has been decided upon the
Girl is then introduced TO her husband.
She is perfectly willing to 90 1t is a
part ot their education, and has been
SO for centuries. II the prospective
husband has the cattle with him he
takes has bride away To show her
obedience to her new lord and master
she carries all he has with HIM to hls
kraal. From that M ment her father
house knows her uo more, nor bas he
any control over her She is as much
the husbands property as the cow
that grazes ON his pasture.
4 Zulu woman, as is the custom
with AN South African native woman,
no matter how many children she may
have. never takes but ore with her.
and that the youngest, who Is strapped
to her back, American Indian fashion.
il iy amusing to see crowd OF
. Zulus cook their meals on the prairie
/ ,yellU. Their staple diet is common
Indian corn ground mp and cooked
with a little salt IN water. Seldom do
they eat meat. When a bullock is
/ killed Zulu will eat all his share at
one sitting whether he starves on the
morrow or not He has a sulhclency
for t.s day, and somehow he feels
sure that he wl,i eat whom the morn
ins comes At their moal-cooklng
/ tsae fifty or seyeuty-hye Zulus will
/ form a circle around the big FIRE, on
which rests large three.legged pot
with this Indian corn mealee meal,
as il is named ia Africa. One burly
native, stands by the Gre hummlng a
. Zulu ng, with q plaIutiye air, at the
same time busily stirring the "mealee
meal" in the pot When the cue Is
given FIR the chorus all the Zulus in
that circle around the pot rise on
their feet and begin dance that IL
wicrd in its inception aud must really
be seen to have full appreciation Of
their antics.
Around this fire dance the fifty
Zulus with hands joined, at the same
time yelling chorus which sounds
something like this to white man:
"Um um ugh va va mushla cacka
. IA ra hiri ra all meshla
The noise they make with this
chorus may be heard for miles and
miles away in the clear African atmos-
phere. When the 'mealee meal is
properly cooked it is case Of every
man fr himself Each man dabs bIs
hands into that boiling pot and eats
of his fingers NosPOons Of any kind
are used. The meal over the Zulus
will bring down their pipe. which is
made ont Of a cows horn followed in
the center, which ~ filed with water.
It is a miniature arrangement Of the
Turkish piIe
The Zulus at burial never bury
their dead lying down. A large hole
il dug into the ground, aud the dead
Zuln man or woman Is buried in a sit
ting position, with bis face turned to-
ward the general rising point Of the
moon. a few slghs and lamentations
and the body il left forever with no
further remembrance Of the person.
Among the great characters Of the
2 Zulu is the medicine man. He uses
his craft wholly by superstition. and
states to his astonished people that
the great spirit Of the moon had re-
, vealed 70 him the cause Of the CON-
plant, whether il be sickness or crime,
: Fhe great "mcon festival Of the
Zulu occurs once every three months
- 4 short celebration takes place once a
a month. At the great celebration the