Elements of Culture
Although all other food is shared, amazi is considered a delicacy and may only be consumed by family members. It is mostly milk- curdled in a basket. It is a lot like our cottage cheese. After consumption, the vessel is immediately refilled with fresh milk and is never cleaned.
Amazi
[Food]
A single maiden will wear only a short grass skirt with beads.
An engaged girl will cover her breasts and have her hair grow.
A married woman covers her entire body to show she is taken and wears a cowhide skirt. Over this skirt may be another of cloth in white, red or black. The woman wears a cover decorated with beads with a message understood only by her husband over her breasts.
Women's
Clothing
Men's
Clothing
The amaShoba are cow tails worn on the upper arms and below the knees to give the look of bulkiness to the body.
IsiNene is the front apron, with skin patches sewn together to add weight and cover the male genitals.
iBeshu is the rear apron made from calf skin (from stillborn or dead calves). Young men have knee length whilst those of the older men are ankle length.
A headband is only worn by married men.
The leopard is the biggest predator and only the members in a social position wear the skin and fur.
The inJobo are long animal skins worn on the hips.
Religion
They believe in a creator and God Unkulunkulu. This this belief is debatable to have originated from early Christian missionaries.
The Zulu have a few elements to be present in a human being: the physical body inyamalumzimba or umzimba; the breath or life force umoyalumphefumulo or umoya; and the "shadow," or personality isithunzi. Once the umoya leaves the body, the isithunzi may live as an ancestral spirit idlozi if certain requirements were met in the life.
Zulu
Warrior
Impi warriors were trained as early as six, joining the army as udibi at first, being enrolled into same-age groups intanga. Zulu boys accompanied their fathers and brothers on campaigns as servants until they were promoted to be a warrior, chosen by the king.
