The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-19
ODD CUSTOMS OF ZULULAND.
The Medicine Mans Hand burned at
the Kings Command.
From the San Francisco Examiner.

the Kings Command.
From the San Francisco Examiner
Taking the Zulu as he is found to-day in
his kraal. 100 miles away from a white set
tlement-the same habits, the same man
ner of marriage, the same death ceremony
and the same moon festival are carried on
now as when the Zulus first became known
to the civilized world.
It 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 a wife
to have her live in idleness. The husband
has bought her to do the work and he
tries to save up more cattle to buy more
of them.
The more wives he possesses the less
work he will have to do, and the more like
a prince he will live When a Zulu desires
to take unto himself wife he views the
dusky single Zulu maidens that live near
him. Generally these Zulu girls have
beautiful forms, but their faces make one
take out his watch to see II II has stopped
from the shock received. After Mr.. Zulu
has found girl that ne thinks would suit
him. he sees the father. and then the bar
ter 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 go. 1t is a part of their
education and has been so for centuries
If the prospective husband has the cattle
with him he takes his bride away. To
show her obedience to her new lord and
master she carries all he has with him to
his kraal. From that moment her fathers
house knows her no more, nor has he any
control over her She is as much the hus-
bands property as the sow that grazes on
his pasture. There is no ceremony. 1t is
purely a matter of trade, just as a person
would buy piece of goods in any store
in this country.
A Zulu woman, as is the custom with all
South African native women, no matter
how many children she may have, never
takes but one out with her, and that the
youngest. who Is strapped to her back,
American Indian fashion.
1t is amusing TO see crowd of Zulus
cook their meals on the prairie (veldD.
Their staple diet is common Indian corn
ground up and cooked with a little salt in
water. Seldom do they eat meat. When
bullock is killed a Zulu will eat all his
share at one sitting whether he starves
on the morrow or not. He has suficiency
for the day, and somehow he feels sure
that he will eat when the morning comes.
Yes, at their meal-cooking time fifty or
seVenty-five Zulus Will form a circle
around the big fire, on which-rests large
three-lCgged iron pot with this Indian corn
Cmealee meal as at is named in Afri-
cal. One burly negro, nearly always as
naked as the day he was born, stands by
the fire humming a Zulu song, with a
plaintive air like the songs of the southern
negroes, at the same time busy stirring
the 'mealee neal in the pot When the
cue is given for the chorus all the Zulus
in that circle around the pot rise on their
feet and begin dance that is weird in its
inception and must really be seen to have
a full appreciation of their antics.
Around this fire dance the fifty Zulus
with hands joined. at the same time yell
ing a chorus which sounds something like
this to q white man:
I'm UNI ugh va va mushla cacka IA ra
Ii ri ra all mushla."
The noise they make with this chorus
may be heard for miles and miles away in
the clear African atmosphere. When the
"mealee meal" is properly cooked it is a
case of every man for himself. Each man
dabs his hands into that boiling pot and
eats off his fingers No spoons of any kind
are used. The meal over the Zulus will
bring down their pipe, which is made out
of a cows horn followed in the center,
which is filled with water 1t is a minia-
ture arrangement of the Turkish pipe.
The Zulus at n burial never bury their
dead lying down. A large hole is dug
into the ground, and the dead Zulu, man
or woman, is buried in sitting position,
with his face turned toward the general
rising point of the moon. A few signs
and lamentations, and the body is left for
ever, with no further remembrance of the
person.
Among the great characters of the 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 revealed to him the cause
of the complaint, whether it be sickness
or crime.
Inc great DlnSdafn was d cnleI VINO was
a terror to his medicine man. There was
no punishment that was too severe but he
would innict it in an insnuating way on
the man of witchery. 1t is related that
his confidential man and the great medi-
cine being of the whole Zulu tribe had
come under his suspicion He was sent
for by the king, who welcomed his witch
doctor in cordial terms A large fire was
burning near by. The king stated:
MY man of medicine. your hands are
cold; go nearer to the nre-nearer. Yes.
the right hand is very cold. Put it into
the fire.
Thus the poor man was obliged to keep
his hand in that fire of white heat until
the member had burned to a crisp. The
command of the king was supreme, and
one indication of the pain would mean
instant death. After the seeming sus-
picion of the king had been gratified, he
stated that the hand was warm now and
that all was well.
The great moon festival of the Zulus
occurs once every three months A short
celebration takes place once a month At
the great celebrations the Zulus for miles
around gather at a chiefs kraal Bull
| locks are killed, native beer drunk and a
general good time had. There is no bar
barity no immortality, nothing but a di-
vine respect paid to the 'pale-face moon, -
which seems TO be their only religion.