Year: 1879

Her name was quite unpronounceable
to all the European strangers who gath
cred at the bridegroom's kraal to see the
novel sight Of Zulu wedding. Nogon-
zota was pretty, sleek and fat. Not
scar marred her face to lessen her value
The betrothal had been celebrated every
made. by great dance and feast. The
brides COW had been roasted and
eaten at the first one of these celebra
tions, but not one mouthful was she al
lowed to taste, though it is often passed
to her, but she must refuse it, or else be
taunted all the rest Of her life for her
sad lack of modesty, as it is called. Du-
ring these ceremonies she sat from morn
ing till darkness broke up the party, in
the hut, covered by skin across from
head to foot, and could speak to no one
excepting her bridesmaid. When all
cattle had been paid Casually ten head,
unless the girl belongs to the chiefs
family), then the marriage ceremony
took place, and lasted for three days.
1t would take whole magazine, the size
Of the Mssionary Herald, to tell all
the doings and sayings of those three
days. The obscene songs would shock
you, the wild dance would scare you,
and the great quantity of beef and beer
that disappeared down their throats
would have disgusted you.*


We wondered how all the crowd were
invited, for they never write invitations,
nor have they any mail carriers. But
we are told that numbers Of young girls
were detailed to march in different di-
rections to proclaim the wedding, by a
strange cry that sounded to us as if some
were doing their best to initiate the
neighing of horses The bride had to go
through many ceremonies to be prepared
+ her husbands welcome. She was


oroughly rubbed quite clean, for water
rlust not touch her body ON her wedding
day, or i'll will be her luck


Her dress consists of an oxhide skirt
which the Zulu deserves credit for hav-
ing rubbed, picked and blackened it, til
it looks like fashionable plush looking
mlterial. This skirt is long before and
feshorts behind. Her head is shaved, leav-
ing a tuft of hair on the crown as large
as a red rose, and it is made red with
ochre or red clay. A goats skin witt
the hair on, embroidered with beads and
copper balls tied around over her breas,.
A waistband made of the grass and en-
broidered with beads and sinew thread,
makes very respectable trosseau She
has, also, many charms around her neck,
of roots, and bones and teeth of fero-
cious animals. She opened the ball by
dancing with shield and knife in her
hand before all the assembly to show the
grace of her supple joints. Then the
bride with knife or spear walks up to
the brides y COW Cor OK and stabs it.
The men soon end it's life and cut it up,
and the women cook it as soon as they
can. Some is roasted on Goals, in long,
narrow, thin strips, and some is boiled.


There was one ceremony that struck
us. After the animal was killed the
bride danced up to the bridegroom and
made speech. She approached nearer
and nearer till she danced on his feet,
and said:


Do you promise to be kind to me,
poor young child, and if am i'll, not to
beat me, to make me work in the gar
den, for promise to obey you and do
my best; but | am young and not strong
and | do not yet know how to grind corn
very we'll nor to cook 4; so you must be
kind and patient.


This is her last chance of showing her
free will and power, so do not blame her
if she tries to make him feel it. Then
he says:


Before all these people I promise
to be kind to you, and not to beat you
hard, and not to make you work when
you are sick"


Then all dance with might and main,
but the bride disappears, and sits alone
with her bridesmaid in hut, covered
up, head and all, and speaks to no one.
She does not eat any Of the feast, though
all the mothers-in-law beg her to eat.
The bride is expected to weep for hours
on her wedding day, and the women all
condole with her on the approach Of her
trials and tribulatons. But the bride
groom is greatly congratulated, and he


The Zulu Bride on the first wedding day
for it takes three days to finish marriage-is
escorted by a crowd of her family and friends
to the home of the bridegroom. They go
shrekng, yelling and hOwling in a minor KEY