Title: Zulu Shield
A4 Paper
Acrylic Paint
I was already in the bed and turn around to sleep, I then turn on my a back to sleep. It is very hard for me to lay on my back to sleep because then I snore my self awake. So I then turn back and lie on the other side. When I closed my eyes and I saw these images. I was tired and did not feel very well and thought if I don't stand up now and do it I will forget it in the morning. I stood up and come and paint it. It took me about twenty minutes to paint this in Acrylic. Now I am done and going to sleep now.
The history of the Zulu Shield.
The shield was used by the Zulu tribesman in battle for hundreds of years in the war. It is no longer
used in battle but now used in traditional Zulu ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, in the modern western world. These animals have played an important social, economic, political and spiritual role in the development of the Zulu's, Xhosas and Swazi people. Both in the past and present, but urban generation knowledge fade.
The Zulu shields have played a vital role in the traditional Zulu's battles and have always been handcrafted from the cowhide or more commonly know in Zulu terms as Nguni Cattle. The Nguni people are a group of people primarily speak Nguni languages and is predominantly in Southern Africa. The Nguni people are Zulus, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi people. The most notable of these kingdoms is the Zulu Kindom which was ruled by Shaka Zulu, a powerful warrior king whose conquest took place in the early nineteenth century.
There are 5 types of Zulu shields, which are each used for different occasions.
1. Isihlangu - the large battle shield used by King Shaka Zulu. This is about 1.5 m (5ft) in size.
2. Umbumbuluzo - The small battle shield that could easily be held in one hand when attacking.
3. Ihubelo - A small courting shield often this is dyed of red color.
4. Igqoka - A small dancing shield that is used at traditional Ceremonies.
5. Ihawa - A difficult rare shield to find.
Zebra and Kudu hides are also used to make these shields but not considered authentic Zulu shields.
Cowhide color patterns will play a role in who has what Zulu shields. The rare large white color
shield will be kept for a Zulu chief or a high-ranking Zulu warrior. This would help in the battle to
know who was in command in the confusion of fighting.
Not only give the shield physical protection, but also symbolic nature was implied as well. Shields
were seen to have medicinal, magic powers. Before a battle, shields were sprinkled with herbs (muti). This was done to increase the protective power of the shield, to ensure that the warrior came to no harm.
This Nguni cattle (the skin they use for the shields) seems the only cattle which determine the wealth of a Zulu man. If a young man wants to marry a fathers daughter he has to pay his father a
amount of Nguni cattle to marry her.
The Nguni cattle breed is a special to southern Africa. These cattle are introduced by Bantu-speaking
tribes to southern Africa during the migration from the north of the continent between 600 and 1400AD. The settle down in KwaZulu-Natal in the east. It is part of the "Coastal Belt", which is, over much of this region, more than 220 km wide. The largest of the rivers is the Tugela river, a portion of whose water is pumped over the Escarpment of the Highveld to supplement the water supply to large industrial cities of Gauteng.
The Nguni cattle are known for the fertility and resistance to diseases, a favorite breed amongst the local Bantu-speaking people in Southern Africa. They are characterized by their multi-colored skin, which can present many different patterns such as white, brown, golden yellow, black, dappled or spotty.
When I started to paint again I was playing with the idea to change my name - that is why the painting says Donjon.
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