The Zulu Memorial at Isandlwana & other pic's

Taken in September this year. I have more but am still trying to work out how to post an image (fingers crossed.)

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Here is another view of the memorial. You can clearly see, set into the stone-clad perimeter wall of the base there are four unique bronze headrests representing the four Zulu regiments deployed in the battle.

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A few other views of the battlefield

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You done ok. Great Photo. How long did you spend at Isandlwana, did you go to anyother Battlefields.

impi wrote:

You done ok. Great Photo. How long did you spend at Isandlwana, did you go to anyother Battlefields.

Cheers Impi, I did Rorke’s Drift on the same day. Absolutely knackering but it was a case of ‘living the dream’ and it had to be done! As a matter of interest, can you post more than one image in a post?

Hi Tocino

Welcome to the forum :)

To answer your question, yes you can post more than one photo in a post

1879graves wrote:

Hi Tocino

Welcome to the forum :)

To answer your question, yes you can post more than one photo in a post

Many thanks. At the risk of repeating myself, what a great site.

Hi Tocino.
Welcome aboard and a damn fine job you have done posting the photo . Looking forward to what else you will post .
cheers 90th.

90th wrote:

Hi Tocino.
Welcome aboard and a damn fine job you have done posting the photo . Looking forward to what else you will post .
cheers 90th.

Hi 90th,

You will see that I have added another pic of the Zulu Memorial. If it is OK, I can do more of the same on this thread.

Toc

Hi Toc.
Good stuff , post as many things as you wish . We all like checking out the photos .
cheers 90th.

You may not be aware of the symbolism of the Zulu memorial. If you are, forgive me to subjecting you to it again, but in case other members of the Forum aren't, you may wish to note it.
The memorial was produced by the South African sculptor, Gert Swart and his intention is for visitors to engage with it. It is in the form of an Isiqu - a carved necklace that was awarded to warriors who excelled in battle. The recipient would be required to carve it for himself and the preferred wood was the Cape Ash. The Isiqu consisted of interlocking pieces of wood, but Swart has included five lion claws which is symbolic of Zulu royalty. The memorial faces in the direction of the Zulu attack on the British camp and the lions' claws represent the chest of the Zulu army. The two sides represent the 'horns' and the right side replicates the attack by the right horn around the side of Isandlwana.
On the other hand, the left 'horn' is slightly offset towards the centre, enabling one to walk past it to the centre of the memorial. The reason for this is to get 'engage' with the memorial, as mentioned above. The claws and the thorns are intended to give on the feeling of the belligerence mixed with apprehension as the warriors approached the camp. Once inside, one feels protected and because the sides are not concentric, the visitor has a feeling of calmness and peace.
While the memorial was cast at Swart's foundry in Lidgetton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, local people made the plinth and did the stonework. The monument was paid for by Zulu people from the sale of cattle by their amakhosi.
The base is surrounded by replicas of Zulu 'pillows' that incorporate, inter alia, several inxothas, another symbol for bravery in the form an armulet that was introduced during the time of King Dingane kaSenzangakhona.
The memorial is complemented by an Mphafa or uLahlankosi Tree (Ziziphus Mucronata) or Buffalo Thorn, which plays a vital role in Zulu tradition in that its twigs are used to gather the spirits of the dead. The thorns face forward and backward, representing the way forward and the past. There is another such tree within the Zulu memorial at Rorke's Drift.
Regards, Ken

Hi Ken,

Many thanks for that informative post. I knew what the memorial symbolised but not the information about the sculptor and his intentions. I see from the internet, the memorial has been vandalized by scrap metal thieves at least twice!

Here is a pic of the Thorn Bush that I took at the same time.

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Cheers,

Toc