The do’s and don’t of Zulu weddings are one of our most popular topics on Ulwazi – we are constantly getting questions from brides-to-be regarding the proper procedures to be followed in respect of all the different elements that make up a traditional Zulu wedding. To add information to this ever-growing source last month Nqobile … Read more
The idea of how Zulu culture is adapting to modern life is one that we’ve discussed a few times during our monthly Ulwazi meetings. In fact we’ve even thought of creating a whole new subsection on the Ulwazi wiki that deals with new Zulu traditions, things like the ‘after tears’ parties that have become a … Read more
This month Nqobile’s stories were all focused around the relationship between a wife and mother and her family. It’s amazing how many age-old Zulu customs still remain strong, despite a good many others being lost or adapted over time. Although it would seem that the interpretations of these customs are not always the same – … Read more
As usual Nqobile chose some interesting topics to research in the month of November. The first of her stories deals with complexities involved in a polygamous Zulu relationship, in particular how livestock is distributed between children of different wives, and the social rules associated with how to deal with this issue (e.g. the process that’s … Read more
Every month the Ulwazi team meets to discuss the stories that the fieldworkers have been researching. As a non-Zulu person I find the stories absolutely fascinating, and my questions to the team often lead to heated discussions about traditional Zulu culture and how it translates to modern day living. One of the stories that we … Read more
Over the month of September, SAFM had some really interesting stories relating to Heritage Month. Last Saturday morning they had a brief interview regarding ululation and its history. Growing up in South Africa, especially in KZN (which according to the interviewee has the most talented ululaters!) we are very used to hearing that high pitched … Read more