INkatha (Zulu artifact)

The iNkatha [iŋkaːtʰa] (plural: iziNkatha Zulu pronunciation: [iziŋkaːtʰa])[1] was the magic and sacred 'grass coil', a symbol of unity of the Zulu nation.[2] The sacred item was normally kept under guard, and Zulu kings sometimes seated themselves on it when going to war.[3] The preparation of an iNkatha can be traced back to the time of king Senzangakhona, the father of Shaka. The last inkatha yezwe (grass coil of the nation) was destroyed in 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War.[2]

  1. ^ Boddy-Evans, Alistair. "Zulu War Vocabulary: A List of Common Zulu Terms Relevant to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879". About.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b Williams, J. Michael (2010). Chieftaincy, the state, and democracy: political legitimacy in post-apartheid South Africa ([Online-Ausg.] ed.). Bloomington [u.a.]: Indiana Univ. Press. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0253221552.
  3. ^ Waetjen, Thembisa (2004). Workers and warriors: masculinity and the struggle for nation in South Africa. Urbana (Ill.): University of Illinois Press. p. 14. ISBN 0252029089.