King Shaka of the Zulus

 

King Shaka of the Zulus

 

Look closely at the accompanying painting of King Shaka ka Senzangakhona, twelfth king of the Zulu nation. The original work was painted several years ago by the author of this blog, in oils.

 

King Shaka of the Zulus

It is a truthful interpretation, based on forty years of research including the historical testimony of the trader and friend of the king Henry Francis Fynn. It is arguably the most accurate representation of the Zulu king anywhere in the world. The image is offered as a standard for other portrayals. It provides the cover for the historical novel ‘Shaka, the story of a Zulu king’, found elsewhere on the website that supports this blog.

 

The Zulu king was known for his stature and magnificent physical presence. He projected dignity and a sense of command, was powerful in build and indeed displayed ‘remarkable athletic ability’ according to the testimony of Isaacs, one of the traders of his time. 

 

Since Shaka’s death in 1828, many artists have tried to portray him in paintings or sculpture. From the often bizarre works seen, one concludes it to be a difficult task.

The build should be even more muscular and athletic than most of the earlier attempts, showing a man whose tall stature was instantly recognizable in a crowd.  The posture should be alert, coiled, prepared for action; for he was a man attuned to the nuances of the times and ready for any challenge.

Anyone wishing to do justice to the Zulu king through medium of sculpture would require a figure at least three metres in height to give the necessary weight to his presence, while not being banal for its reliance on massive proportions alone.

 

King Shaka was a man of considerable intelligence who planned complex campaigns with great insight, undertook the training of his irresistible fighting forces with great skill and managed the integration of numerous lesser tribes and clans into the growing Zulu nation.

It was a task requiring considerable gathering and processing of information, logical, rational, critical and creative thinking, and an acute ability to understand how social systems work.  Engineering the stabbing spear, designing the battle-formation for attack modeled on the olden-time hunting tactics of a Zulu family, implementation of complex social and legal systems, and leadership of the First Fruits and other ceremonies showed much creative flair.

The manner in which he overcame the intrigues of rebellious sangomas and the deception with which he enticed and lured into ambush several invading Ndwandwe hordes from the northern lands around the Pongola river also reveal his ability to think divergently. His was a considerable intellect.

 
There were notable examples of honourable conduct on the king’s part, admiration for bravery and the discharge of duty, forgiveness for those who spoke the truth boldly, and compassion for the poorest amongst the nation.  Despite his gravitas, there were glimpses of humour at times. With the later politicization of the king’s record, those who wished to discredit him neatly omitted these attributes while magnifying the harsher side of a harsh reality. 

Yet even the most brutal of the recorded methods of punishment used by the Zulus of the time were no worse than what was done at the same time in apparently ‘civilized’ nations such as England and France. There, terrible procedures of hanging, drawing and quartering had been used for more than five hundred years. In current times, savage and ferocious forms of execution still persist in many parts of the world.

Any statue must reflect a penetrating intelligence and the dignity befitting a man of massive presence and gravitas.  He need not be particularly handsome, since there is no clear record of his features, yet the sculptor must shy away from portrayals that do not get the features anatomically in proportion. The face must be absolutely right, and it must be strong.

For decoration and a display of power, King Shaka had a band of strung lion’s teeth encircling his neck.  In less formal attire he wore tassels and even genet skin. He sported a loin covering of assorted samango monkey, genet and other tails (the isinene) of a length befitting a senior man, and wore a soft antelope-skin covering (ubeshu) hanging to behind his knees in his mature years.

His full headdress was magnificent, being usually bedecked with an apron of red purple-crested lourie (touraco) feathers inserted in a thick band of leopard skin or brown otter pelt, all surmounted by a sixty centimetre long blue crane feather at the front. Around each upper arm and lower leg was a tassel made of long bleached hair derived from the extremities of cattle tails.

Plugs of shiny yellow cane were inserted in his ear lobes. The clash and contrast of the primary colours; blue (the crane feather), red (lourie feathers) and yellow (cane for the ear decorations) was impressive.

His weapons consisted of a great white shield taller than most men, made of double-layered cattle hide with a small black patch the size of the open human hand slightly offset at the center. It was a blemish to show that even the king did not regard himself as perfect.  The shield must be that engineered by the Zulu king, and not the smaller version that crept in during ensuing years under Kings Dingane, Mpande and Cetshwayo.

His spear was the iklwa! stabbing spear, a metre long with a massive, razor-sharp hammered-iron blade. The wood was flared at the lower extremity so that it would be secure in the king’s grasp during battle. It must be displayed in the right hand, held low since the attacking thrust was upwards under the ribcage, and not a futile overhand jab. 

The image should preferably show the King in full battle dress, something like the miniature displayed in the Old Courthouse Museum in Durban.  He might be leaning slightly forward, or at least be balanced to show a powerful, coiled posture from which action will erupt.

 

Considering the emotive hold the image has over the Zulu nation of 9 million people, it is advisable to get the image correct. Our Zulus don’t take kindly to any slight directed to their kingly lineage.