Ten Things You Should Do In Zulu Culture

The Zulu culture is one of the most respected cultures in Africa. Founded in southern Africa, it is one of the indigenous societies which are considered to be the original inhabitants of this land long before any other groups came and occupied the place. With a rich oral tradition dating back to recorded times, the Zulu people continue to uphold their cultural values and practices that have been passed down from generation to generation.

One of the most significant aspects of the Zulu culture is their religion. They are an indigenous African group who believe in the protection of the nature and the universe. According to these beliefs, everything that has a divinity is considered sacred. It is also said that a soul which lives its life in the spiritual world is bound to Earth and cannot move to the other world. A Zulu's spiritual belief is so strong that it prohibits them from killing animals or hurting others. This strictly bound the Zulus to follow their cultural ethics and customs.

In terms of art, Zulus are known for their paintings and sculptures. Although some other ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa also practice pictorial and photographic arts, nothing compares with the Zulu artwork. The Zulus believe that the physical body is an expression of the soul and hence they make pictures and sculptures depicting their spiritual feelings. Among the Zulus, women are regarded as the most skilled of the artists while men are more into the architectural designs. Some of the most famous Zulu figures include Sanabisi, Kukui and Okata.

Sanabisi is one of the most important Zulu legends. He was the chief of the Zulus and he is considered to be the spiritual adviser to the warriors. He taught them to never kill a human being even if it were a stranger. Sanabisi taught that to be a true warrior one must be willing to die for one's beliefs and would not hold back his feelings.

The Kukui was a Zulu King, who led a large raiding force that fought against the Kaiser. He was the first one to convert to Christianity. Although he was not religious himself, he became an important spiritual leader to his people. The king had a great liking for a particular fish called Makurumu, which is the sacred fish of the Zulus. He offered sacrifice to have this fish brought to him but it turned out that the fish was a symbol for Christianity.

The Okata is another important Zulu legend. It tells how Okata, a Ngane woman married to a European soldier, fell in love with him and brought him to her homeland where he became king. She married a few more and then had many children with them but all of them ended up being murdered. She then committed suicide by hanging herself at the funeral stone. Since then, she is considered to be a Ngane and is respected as such in the Zulu culture.

The Zulus believe in reincarnation, so they believe that every person is born a warrior and destined to follow the leader of the tribe. All of the great leaders such as Kaffir Hardini were believed to have been reincarnated to fight in the battle to follow. This is why the Zulus have such respect and honor for warriors such as Kaffir Hardini.

The Zulus believe in nature and the element of magic. A magic trick is performed through a bush named “Ipomwosa”. This trick involves twisting the branch and making it jump into the air and then return to the magician who then claims it has become a vine. This is believed to be a symbol of one's magical powers and is a popular trick in Zulu culture.

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