What is the magic coil?

Still not back in the Uk, so I’m hoping someone can help. A few mates and me were have a discussion about Victorian wars (Yes we have been here before) One of my mate’s says the Zulu’s used a magic Coil. But none of us know what this is. We all agree it has nothing to do with stopping pregnancy or has it.

If anyone knows please let us know. I personally think he is winding me up.

sas1

sas1. He's winding you up. Never heard of it. As for stopping pregnancy Take care.

I think you'll find your friend was referring to the Inkatha kaZulu. It was a coil of grass about the size of a small motor car tyre, wrapped in a python skin. It dated back to the time of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona and held incredible mystical power. Prior to a major event taking place, the Inkatha was removed from its repository at kwaSiklebeni ikhanda (military barracks) in the eMakhosini Valley (where many of the ancient Zulu kings are buried: Zulu, Phunga, Mageba, Ndaba, Jama, Senzangakhona and Dinuzulu) prior to a major event taking place. It would be carried to Ondini (Ulundi) where King Cetshwayo kaMpande sat on it and revievew the events of the First Fruits ceremony and the umnyama (purification of evil and darkness). All sorts of things were added to to by izinyanga (war doctors), such as insila (body dirt recovered from the door to the king's hut) etc. Most importantly, samples of warriors' vomit were added (remember that it was (and still is, to a great extent) believed that one's stomach harbours one's spirit). The amabutho were made to line up alongside a pit near the confluence of the Ntukwini stream and the White Mfolozi River, into which they vomited. The Inkatha was then rebound and retirned to its repository.
The Inkatha's influence was so great that it was one of the objectives of the British army - to find it, destroy it and in effect tell the Nation that Queen Victoria was now their liege. It was apparently inadvertantly destroyed while the cavalry were burning amakhanda in the eMakhosini valley during the British army's advance on Ondini. It had been removed from kwaSiklebeni and placed in another ikhanda, which was burnt and therefore the Inkatha was also burnt although the present Zulu king, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu maintains that it was hidden and still exists.
It in effect still lives on in name; during the reign of King Solomon kaDinuzulu, he revived the Inkatha as a Zulu cultural organisation but when the Nationalist Government eventually permitted Blacks to establish political parties in South Africa, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi revived the Inkatha by naming the ruliing Zulu political party after it. It is now known in South Africa as the Inkatha Freedom Party, but due to its name is largely Zulu in membership.
Inkatha should not be confused with kwaNkata, which was where King Cetshwayo kaMpande had executions carried out. This is situated downstream of Ulundi and I have had the privilege of accompanying my dear friend SB Bourquin on a journey of exploration many years ago. We found it after a hectic walk through thick bush and quite deep water in the White Mfolozi River.
Several prominent amakhosi had their own inkatha. Chief Ntshingumuzi's inkatha - he was the head of the Mamfongonyana section of the Qwabe tribe (Qwabe was the brother of Zulu in the 1600s) (removed after the trial of Chief Messeni ka Muzi and Ndlovu kaThimuni Zulu at the end of the 1906 Poll Tax / Bhambatha Rebellion) has thankfully been preserved in the Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg, but the tribal elders are determined to get it back some day.
All this may appear nonsensical or trivial, but one needs to have a sound knowledge of ancient Zulu tradition and beliefs to understand what it is about.
To summarise, therefore - you friend is quite correct: There was a magical coil - the Inkatha kaZulu.
Regards,
Ken

Posted on behalf of Ken Gillings.

This a photo of the grave of King Senzangakhona kaJama - the father of king Shaka. It was the site of the repository of the Inkatha kaZulu - the 'magical coil' that I have referred to in my reply.

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Photo Supplied by ken Gillings

Thanks for the Photo Ken. Its doe’s look a bit snakeified (I Invented that word)

Came across this description Inkatha kaZulu same as what Ken as said really.

Worse than defeat for the Zulus was the fact that their symbol of nationhood had been destroyed. This happened when a troop of Dragoon guards was sent to one of the royal kraals not far from Umgungundlovu where one of the ancient kraals was situated. At this kraal the Zulu national coil, the Inkata, was kept. The Inkata was a coil made of grass, magic substances and the body parts of deceased kings, all bound with a python skin and represented the power of the Zulu nation. It was brought out only on very special occasions. The destruction of magic coil was a definite indication to the Zulu people that their kingdom and their existence as a nation had come to an end.

Source: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Well.You learn something new everyday

It appears is not just the Zulu’s

All Bantu Chiefs possess special rainmaking " medicines ". Among The Venda and Northern Sotho the most important ingredients of this Medicine is taken from the bodies of deceased Chiefs. These tribes Do not bury their Chiefs immediately after death, but allow their bodies to decay; certain portions of the corpse are carefully preserved, and added to the rain medicine. The Lobedu, e.g., use the body dirt and skin of the deceased Chief (who, as elsewhere mentioned, is always a woman). " On the death of the queen, which is kept secret for a whole year, the body is washed every day and the dirt is made to fall into an earthenware basin. This is done until all the skin comes off, and only then is the chief buried. This skin is put into the rain pots." The rain medicine thus affords a direct means of establishing contact between the ruler of a tribe and past generations of Chiefs. Since the Swazi also treat the bodies of their dead kings in such a manner as to hasten decomposition, it is probable that here too portions of the corpse are added to the rain medicines. Shangana-Tonga Chiefs, again, have sacred bundles of medicine made up largely of the nails, hair, and portions of the skin of dead Chiefs; while the inkatha or sacred coil of Zulu Chiefs includes among other ingredients dirt from the bodies of past and present Chiefs. Both groups use these sacred objects in connection with all-important tribal ceremonies; we are not told specifically if rainmaking is included, but this is almost certainly the case.

Source: "The Bantu Speaking Tribes Of South Africa"

I'll check with my Zulu contacts if I am permitted to post my photo of the Qwabe Inkatha.
Ken

Ken. Are the British absolutely sure the Inkatha kaZulu was destroyed. What I mean were remains identified.

Quote :

I'll check with my Zulu contacts if I am permitted to post my photo of the Qwabe Inkatha.

Ken. Lets hope they agree. If they do send me the photo.

From what I have been able to ascertain, the British were unaware that they had in fact destroyed the backbone of the Nation (ie the Inkatha) until they received confirmation that it had been burnt during the destruction of the amakhanda in the eMakhosini. By that stage, they were 'on a roll' and the acquisition of the Inkatha was no longer an issue.
Incidentally, a new memorial has recently been built overlooking the eMakhosini. It comprises a circle of horns / tusks representing the amakhosi (Kings) and includes a huge beer pot (khamba) resting on an Inkatha. I'll send Admin a couple of photos tp post in this topic.
Regards, Ken

Here are a couple of photos of the eMakhosini (wrt the Zulu National (‘Magic’) Coil).

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Photo's Supplied By Ken Gillings.

hi all.
Ken , thanks for sharing your photo"s , impressive .
cheers 90th.

Incidentally, I meant to add that the ring beneath the khamba (pot) in the middle of the photo is an example of an Inkatha.
Regards,
Ken

The ring is suppose to the snake skin.

No - in this case, it is depicted as a coil of grass, interwoven. King Shaka's Inkatha (the same as during King Cetshwayo's reign) was bound in a Python skin. The Qwabe Inkathas (in fact there are two) were not wrapped and are only tightened coils.
By the way, in referring to Shaka's Inkatha, that means of course that it was passed to to his half-brothers Dingane and Mpande, then of course to Cetshwayo.

Can't thank you enough. Overwhelming response. I think you might have some more members soon. My mates are getting well into the Zulu War. Ken the photos are outstanding.

Neil, could you send a couple of you rifles out here. They look better than, what we’ve been issued.

P.S How about a couple of bayonets.

My mates are well impressed with your knowledge of weapons.


sas1

hi sas1.
Good to see you back on the forum , if your mates sign up , we may have to promote you to
a RECRUITING SGT..Best of British with your ongoing holiday !
cheers 90th.

They believed the snake was the spirit of King Panda.
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