200th. WIFE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 28, 25 September 1931, Page 4

200th. WIFE

zulu king marries IMPRESSIVE CERMONIES AND GREAT TRIBAL GATHERING. DESCENDANT OF T'CHAKA. CAPETOWN. Solomon Ka Dinizulu, recognised by the Zulu nation as King not only of the Zulus, but of the whole of South Africa, has married what is approximately his 200th wife. Solomon is directly descended from T'chaka, the Zulu Napoleon, who died in 1828. He has, it is helieved, already about 200 wives according to native custom, but he is a distinctly "modern" chief, and. his magnifieent house at.-JMahashini is as large as any of the palatdal residenees which adorn the Durban Berea. It is an up-to-date building with extensive gardens and grounds, sheds and garages to house his cars. In addition, howver, he has a huge Royal kraal to comply with old Zulu custom, and this is more or less the heart of the Zulu tribe of the Zulu nation. 93 Trlbes.

The actual Zulus of the tribes are very strongly represented in the area of Mahashini, and any native who bears the surname of Zulu is of this royal house. There are about 83 tribes in the nation incidentally, of which Solomon's is the royal one of "Zulu." The thousands of huts which make up the kraal are situated on a hillside surrounded by valleys where a great deal of the fighting of T'chaka's time took place. It is beautiful undulating country, and directly to the north are the Mxongongos, a series of lcopjes on the other bank of the Mkuzi River, where a decisive battle was fought early in the 19th eentury between T'chaka and the chief of the powerful Ndwandwe tribe. Only a few miles from the kraal to the south is the site of the battle of UlindL In the Ngome Forest- nearby is the cave where Cetewayo surrendel ed to the British in 1897. Briefly, this historic area is the buthplace of the Zulu nation where T'chaka amalgamated the tribes and moulded them into one of the most farnous race groups in the world. There was dancing and feasting for three days, and the king's fighting regiments of splendid manhood (unarmed, of course) were greatly in evidence during the ceremony. The whole of the social code, the whole of the Hlonipa custom, the laws governing heredity and succession, the ownership of cattle and

piaccxcaiiy otfter law oi tne tribe are involved directly or indirectly in the elaborate Zulu wedding ceremony. Bride's Toilet. The bride walked from her father's kraal accompanied by her own bodyguard, 'and by her personal attendants. For the wedding, she was elaborately prepared, complying with ancient tradition. Her hair was extended from her head in a manner required, her face was covered with a beaded mask, two sprays of sakahula feathers projected from either side of her head gear, and there were one or two inflated bladders attached to her head as a sign of her accredited messcngership. Four or five fibre panels fell along the sides of her isidwaba (or leather lrilt), and she carried a small woman's dancing shield and a blade or assegai was thrown into the kraal at the end of the wedding, and was recognised as a symbol of priority. Beads draped about her shoulders and falling in front of her completed her attire. Visiting tribes attending the wedding went through a "welcome" dance which will indicate to Solomon that they wish him happiness and prosperity and that all feuds are thereby buried. This was in the form of a war dance, but, as previously stated, it was robbed of any suggestion of violence by a complete absence of weapons. The Meat The sacrificed meat was prepared the day before the ceremony, and when it was eaten care was taken to see that only certain portions of the animal were eaten by certain members of the tribe — there are parts of the meat which may not be eaten by the unmarried women and other portions which may and so on. '

Feasting began early in the morning if not on the night before the ; wedding and beer flowed freely. The actual wedding dance began after lunch and it continued in different forms and at intervals throughout the three days. Engaged girls only participated in the actual bridal dance and visiting men were allowed to dance the welcome. The men of the bride's tribe, according to old custom always join in the young girls' dance. Married women are permitted to take part in only one dance — the propitiatory — which keeps the spirits from doing harm to any warriors present. No children are allowed to attend. A Tradition It is difficult to say at which stage in the ceremonies the bride and groom I actually become man and wife, as I each item in the ritual plays its part J in the wedding. At one stage the • bride has the right to refuse to agree to the marriage and if she conforms to tradition she will dash off at the first opportunity, only to be brought back by a party of laughing* married women. This very rarely happens, and when it does it is not seriously considered, being in the nature of a practical joke on the part of the bride. 1