Contents
1 Background
2 Animals used for medicinal purposes
3 Zulu summary
4 Izilwane ezisetshenziselwa ukwelapha ngokomdabu
5 Izinhlobo zezilwane ezisetshenziswayo
Background
Fats are of medicinal value due to the fact that animal’s stores excess foodstuffs, steroid hormones, toxins and other chemicals in their fat. The fat discarded from glandular organs is different in that it contains phosphitides which are insulting and mainly used by traditional healers.
Animals used for medicinal purposes
Baboon, beetle, bull, chameleon, (pet) cats, crocodile, duiker, eagle, eland, elephant, frog, giraffe, hippopotamus, iguana, jackal, lion, lizard, cobra, owl, porcupine, puff-adder, rhinoceros, seal, snake, wild cat, wild dog, wildebeest and tortoise.
The cobra is admired for its agility and thus its fat is recommended as a cure for vertebral pains and sciatica.
The crocodile meat is combined with sweet potato leaves to counteract poisoning, which may be eaten with food or being bewitched by a witchdoctor. The fat is used to prevent infectious diseases amongst children by applying on the body or swallowing fat.
The baboon has the reputation of being cunning, intelligent and agile. Thus its bones are used for the treatment of arthritis, by grinding the bone until its powder. The skin is burned and the fumes carried around the homestead to mark off the forbidden territory.
The skin of the monkey is used to prevent the spreading of contagious diseases. Their intestines are cleaned and mixed with medicine known by traditional healers and it is linked with preventing miscarriages, and help women who have a predisposition to having stillborn children. The way in which the monkey clings to their mothers represent the cling of foetus in the womb.
Lizard (iguana) is used as ingredients to many medicines. The flesh of the iguana is used with plants to treat conditions caused by clogged blood vessels which leads to strokes or paralysis if the clotting affects the right of the side of the body, the left side of the lizard is used. It is also believed that the skin of the male and female iguanas can be used to strengthen the bond between a husband and a wife.
The skin of elephant is used to prevent disease as it is strong. The jawbone is used to strengthen tiredness in patients. Its gallstones can be mixed with fat of the python and applied to the face to attract luck, and if mixed with plant roots they can be used to treat barren women.
The horns of the powerful rhinoceros is considered to be a magical ingredient that gives warrior invincibility when it is powdered and mixed with the fat the ingeze is rubbed into the wrist joints.
Zulu summary
Izilwane ezisetshenziselwa ukwelapha ngokomdabu
Ziningi izilwane ezisetshenziselwa ukwelapha izifo ezahlukahlukene. Abalaphi bendabuko bathatha izicubu noma amafutha ezilwane ezahlukene bazihlanganise nemithi yabo ethize ukuthi bakwazi ukwelapha labo abadinga usizo lwabo.
Izinhlobo zezilwane ezisetshenziswayo
Imfene, unwabu, ikati, ingwenya, ukhozi, indlovu, iselesele, indlulamithi, imvubu, ujakalasi, ibhubesi, imamba, isikhova, ingungumbane, ubhejane, inja yehlathi nezinye eziningi.
Amafutha engwenya asiza ukuvikela izingane ezifweni. Inyama yayo ikhipha idliso.
Amathambo emfene axosha imimoya emibi ekhaya.
Isikhumba senkawu sisiza umuntu onenkinga yokuphuphunyelwa yizisu uma ekhulelwe.
Inyama kaxamu ihlanganiswa nemithi yesintu ukulapha isifo sohlangothi.
Source: Bhekumuzi Sithole, Sangoma, Umbumbulu
Written by: Bongiwe Ndlovu