Zulu is the name given to a large group of over 8 million people

[color=black]Zulu is the name given to a
large group of over 8 million people. They have lived in southern Africa for
around 2,000 years and they speak a language called Zulu. Zulu people have
their own culture and are known for their brightly coloured beadwork. The
pattern of the beads can have different meanings such as warnings or love
messages.[/color]


[b][color=#F79646]WHERE DID
THE ZULU COME FROM?[/color][/b]


[color=black]The traditional Zulu homeland is
a region in South Africa known as Zululand. Before the Zulu arrived in southern
Africa, they probably travelled from further north in Africa. Archaeologists
have found evidence that distant ancestors of the Zulu were farmers from north
of the Zulu homeland. These ancestors moved to an area on the east coast of
South Africa that is now in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. They then spread
along the river valleys and into the grasslands.[/color]


[color=black]The Zulu traditionally lived in
villages of a few thousand people. Each village was called a chiefdom and had a
chief. The people grew grain and bred cattle, goats and sheep in order to
survive. As trade with other countries began to grow, so did the chiefdoms. In
the 1820s, the separate Zulu chiefdoms were turned into one big kingdom, with
one ruler—the Zulu king Shaka. The name “Zulu” now became known to more people.[/color]


[color=black]The Zulu Kingdom was destroyed
in civil wars and invasion by the British about 60 years later. Many Zulu
people left their homes and moved to the cities to find work. Some travelled
long distances to work in the cities and return home to their villages at night.[/color]


[color=black]Today, there are around 8
million Zulu people living mainly in South Africa. Some Zulu live in the nearby
African countries of Malawi, Mozambique and Swaziland. About half of the Zulu
live in cities and the other half live in the countryside. Zulu people raise
cattle and grow corn in the countryside. Unemployment is high in South Africa,
especially for black people. Zulu people may find it hard to get good education
and training, so they often work in unskilled jobs. These include working as
maids and servants in cities or working on farms or in mining in rural areas.[/color]


[b][color=#F79646]ZULU LIFE[/color][/b]


[color=black]Traditionally, Zulu families live in
huts made from small trees and grass. The huts are shaped like beehives. The
floor of the hut is made from clay and cow dung. In the centre is a fire for
cooking. Huts are built in a circle to form a small village called a
“homestead”. In the centre the cattle are kept in pens.[/color]


[color=black]Zulu boys and girls living
in homesteads have different daily tasks. The boys look after the farm animals,
herding and milking them. Girls fetch water, clean the hut and collect wood for
the fire. Families are normally quite big and older children help to look after
their younger brothers and sisters. While the older boys help their fathers
with the animals, older girls help their mothers with the cooking.[/color]


[color=black]Zulu are well known for
their beadwork and weaving. The women weave grasses to make baskets and mats.
Zulu also make clay pots and decorate them with paint in different colours.[/color]


[b][color=#F79646]TRADITIONAL
DRESS[/color][/b]


[color=black]Young Zulu women wear colourful
beadwork as traditional costume. Older Zulu women wear more clothes to cover
their bodies, and a wide hat made from straw and decorated with beads. Zulu
women wear a pleated skirt, called an [i]isidwaba[/i], made of cow skin, which
the younger women sometimes cover with beads. Beadwork is also used for
jewellery, masks and other accessories.[/color]


[color=black]Zulu men wear a loose piece
of cow skin around their waists, which covers the front and back. Men and women
do not wear shoes when wearing their traditional costume, and instead walk
barefoot.[/color]


[color=black]When a Zulu boy or girl
reaches a certain age, a special ceremony is held to celebrate. Ceremonies are
also held for marriages and funerals. There is a lot of dancing and singing at
these ceremonies, and traditional costumes are worn. Nowadays, many Zulu tend
to wear Western clothes (such as trousers, skirts, T-shirts and shirts) the
rest of the time.[/color]


[b][color=#F79646]RELIGION[/color][/b]


[color=black]The Zulu traditionally believe in one
god called [i]Nkulunkulu[/i], who created the universe. They also worship the
spirits of their ancestors. Holy people called [i]sangoma[/i] can call up the
spirits and talk to them. The Zulu believe that offending the spirits or the
god will cause bad things to happen. Some Zulu people now follow Christianity.
Many still practise some of the traditional religious customs.[/color]










[font=&quot][img(216,192)]file:///C:/Users/ASUS/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg[/img][/font]


[b][color=#FF7800][font=&quot]Zulu beehive houses[/font][/color][/b]


[color=black][font=&quot]Traditional Zulu beehive houses are
made of layers of thatch covering a framework of wooden strips. These houses
are usually arranged in a circle.[/font][/color]





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