South+African+Mythology

South African Mythology By: Kelly M. Alyssa W. Haeleigh H.    INTRODUCTION The Zulu tribe in South Africa has very unique ways of telling stories and teaching lessons. The Zulu story, The Proud Princess, tells us many things about their culture and has similarities and differences relating to the Greek and Roman mythology. SUMMARY The Proud Princess reflects on the Zulu culture, and how they are grateful for what they have, even without what they want. The proud princess was born to the king, of the Zulu people. The king said because she was born on the day his warriors beat the enemies, that she would be the most loved of his daughters, and when she came of womanhood and age there would be great celebrations, that have never been seen before. The king would drive enough cattle to make dust arise from their hooves, and blot out the sun. Everyone in the village knew such boastful celebrations could not be fulfilled. The proud princess did not know this though, and became very proud, and grew up with a very high opinion of her own importance. When the day of her coming of age came, she sent her attendant girls to tell her father she was ready for him to drive the cattle before her. The king sent twenty oxen before his daughter, she was not satisfied. The king did not want to be shamed, so he drove out a hundred oxen from the kraals. The proud Princess was not pleased, she told the herdsmen to tell her father that, until she could not see the sun she was not returning home. The king became enraged with his daughters words but did not want to be shamed, so a thousand cattle were driven out in front of the Princess. The proud Princess could still see the sun, so the king’s warriors went out and found a very lush green field filled with plump cattle, and as they were driving the cattle back towards the village, they run into the Lord of the Cattle. The warriors took the cattle and finally the dust made a cloud that covered the sun, and the proud princess was satisfied. They had a great feast just as the king had boasted about. A few days later two leaves came to the hut of the proud Princess her younger sister. The leaves sent the younger sister to get some water, when she reached the rivers edge she became unable to move. The leaves then told the proud Princess to get some water, the princess refused. The leaves then ordered her once again, this time she did as she was told. The proud Princess was ordered to grind corn and make bread, she had never had to do such low work before and was appalled, but she did as she was told. She was then taken by the Lord of The Cattle, and had to stay with him a year and a day, because her people had taken his cattle. When she returned to the comfort of her village she was always grateful for everything demanded of her and everything that was put in front of her.

the South African Bushmen STORY ANALYSIS The Proud Princess explains natural events and he nature of humanity because the male bull protects the herd, it shows how people become full of themselves, and how greediness affects a person’s behavior. When the king’s warriors took all of the cattle for the princess, the Lord of The Cattle protected them, and got them back from the princess. That explains how the leader of a heard or group looks out for and protects the rest of them. According to (citation) pg. 80, “the Princess grew up with a very high opinion of her own importance and she became very proud.” People can become very full of themselves and that is just the nature of humanity sometimes. In the story, the king ordered twenty oxen to be sent out(citation) pg 80. The Princess said “Cattle? Cattle? What Cattle? ... I see nothing.”(citation) pg 81. She became so greedy and kept ordering more and more cattle. The proud Princess was very concited and greedy to other people which caused her to be punished by the Lord of The Cattle. the cattle CULTURE ANALYSIS In this form of Zulu mythology, The Proud princess relates to the Zulu’s culture by the importance of Cattle, the royalties privileges, and how being humble is greatly valued. In the book, the Princess wanted a lot of cattle because in their time, cattle symbolized wealth. Also, the king said “she will be the most loved of my daughters…..[and] when she grows to womanhood… the celebrations will be such as have never been seen before.” (citation)pg 80. In their tribe, royalty are highly regarded and they get the greatest treatment available. Re was humbleness. Then, throughout the story, but mainly at the end, a key characteristic and moral of Zulu culture was humbleness. The Lord of The Cattle spoke to the princess and said “you will live here for a year and a day … no one will cook your food… [or] clean for you. You will learn not to be proud. Your father humbled me by taking my cattle, now you must be humble in return.” This culture can be related to Greek and Roman cultures in many ways. The Proud Princess on the back of The Lord of The Cattle. CULTURE COMPARISION In the Zulu tribe’s story, The Proud Princess, the Princess is very ungrateful and can be related to the Greek story of Arachne, who is very proud and ungrateful to the gods, for giving her the great gift of weaving. It could also be compared to the Greek story of Narcissus, who was so full of himself that he fell in love with his reflection and died from grief of not being able to marry himself. In these stories they are teaching people to be grateful for what they have and to think about others and not just yourself. Both South African and Greek mythology has to do with their culture and reflects on different teachings. In each story there are gods, and monsters. In most African mythology the monsters are half animal or based on animal habits. In Greek mythology the monsters are more human like. The South African story of Lituolone has a monster named, Kammapa, that swallows almost all of man-kind, except for one woman, who manages to hide. The woman had a magical son named Lituolone in honor of his mother’s god. Lituolone killed kammapa and all of humanity was returned to Earth. The monster Kammapa is like the six-headed Greek monster, Skylla. In both culture’s mythology the archetypes are mainly heros and warriors. Greek god CONCLUSION This story not only ties into Greek and Roman Mythology but it explains the nature of humanity through the Princesses actions and the consequences that followed. The moral of the story explained the basic beliefs of the Zulu tribe. "Ariadne." Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division. //Ancient and Medieval History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? 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