action. The ritual role of women is further exem-
plified in the relationship between women and
inkosazana yezulu, whose features contribute
to the overall complexity of the Zulu religious
system. She is associated with virginity and fertility
of all creatures. Apart from acting as a mediator
between the people and the God of the Sky, she is
also capable of instituting rules of behavior and
ritual actions that are distinct from those of both
the God of the Sky and the ancestors. The location
for the revelation and veneration of the Sky God
and Goddess are specific hills or mountains.
Some significant roles in Zulu religious praxis
are those of the headman/priest, diviner, medicine
man, heaven herd, sorcerers, and witches.
Political, social, and religious functions overlap
and interact with each other. The headman of
each Zulukraalis the chief custodian and leads
communal rites, especially those connected with
ancestors. Divination is an important activity, and
the role of the isangoma (diviners) is widespread.
The isangoma represents a pivotal force for order
and rapprochement between humans and the
spirit world. This vocation is most often assumed
by women and involves special training under an
experienced diviner. Diviners are consulted when-
ever illness, misfortune, or unusual events occur.
They diagnose the problem and recommend paths
of reparation in the case of ancestral anger and, in
the event of sorcery, may point out abathakathi
(the sorcerer) or suggest countermeasures. The
herbalists or medicine men also play a similar role
by diagnosing illnesses, prescribing cures, and
providing protective medicines. Specialists in med-
icine with a wide range of medical knowledge are
known asizinyanga zemithi(a specialist in medi-
cine) or izinyanga zokwelapha (a specialist in
healing). The diviners are mostly women, whereas
the herbalists are men. They are approached with
much awe and respect.
The Zulu make distinctions between three aspects
of being, which are important for their religious
thinking. They distinguish amonginyama/umzimba
(the physical body that decomposes after death),
umoya/umphefumulo (the vital force that keeps
humans alive), andisithunzi(literally “a shadow,”
personality). Once the umoya leaves the inyama, the
person is dead and the body is buried and rots. The
isithunzi lives on as an ancestral spirit; it goes touya
kwabaphansi(those underneath), the ancestors who
live in the netherworld. The importance of the
isithunzi in Zulu thought and in human affairs is that
it can be removed by means of medicine and kept
captive. Umoya is also human instinct. A human can
have a good and bad spirit. This spirit, which is a
vital force, also gives strength. The pursuit of health,
fertility, and a balance between humans and with
nature constitute some of the basic concerns of tradi-
tional Zulu religion. Rites of passage are a common
feature of Zulu religious life. All cycles of life, includ-
ing birth, puberty, initiation, marriage, and death,
are celebrated with rituals. The Kraal (homestead) is
the primary locus for ritual action, although hills or
mountains also play an important role. It is in these
religious spaces that crucial religious performances
occur. Each rondavel in the village is characterized by
the umsamo, a special space set aside for various
objects with ritual significance. It is a ritual space for
communing with family ancestors.Afe AdogameSeealsoXhosaFurtherReadings
Berglund, A. (1976).Zulu Thought-Patterns and
Symbolism. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana
University Press.
Hexham, I. (1987).Texts on Zulu Religion: Traditional
Zulu Ideas About God. Lewiston, NY: Edwin
Mellen.
Lawson, E. T. (1984).Religions of Africa: Religious
Traditions in Transformation. San Francisco: Harper
& Row.
Vilakazi, A. (1962).Zulu Transformations:A Study of
the Dynamics of Social Change. Pietermaritzburg,
South Africa: University of Natal Press.Zulu 745