Zulu traditional religion consists of the beliefs and spiritual practices of the Zulu people of southern Africa . It contains numerous deities commonly associated with animals or general classes of natural phenomena. Unkulunkulu is known to be the Supreme Creator .
9-446: In Nguni mythology , Tikoloshe , Tikolosh , Tonkolosh, Tonkolosi, Tokoloshe , Tokolotshe , Thokolosi , or Hili is a dwarf -like water spirit . It is a mischievous and evil spirit that can become invisible by drinking water or swallowing a stone. Tokoloshes are called upon by malevolent people to cause trouble for others. At its least harmful, a tokoloshe can be used to scare children, but its power extends to causing illness or even
18-436: Is heavier than pure air and sinks to the bottom. Eventually it was realized that anyone who happened to be sleeping in an elevated position escaped the deadly curse of Tokoloshe , which was described as a short man about hip high who randomly stole one's life in the night unless they were lifted to the height of their bed. "Some Zulu people (and other southern African tribes) are still superstitious when it comes to things like
27-662: Is uSomandla, the ultimate source of all existence. European settlers used the word Unkulunkulu in order to try to explain their belief in the God of the bible to the people of Zululand. According to Irvin Hexham (1981), "there is no evidence of belief in a heavenly deity or sky god in Zulu religion before the advent of Europeans". However, other scholars such as Eileen Jensen Krige , Isaac Schapera , Axel-Ivar Berglund (1976), Hammond-Took, and John Mbiti disagree with Hexham's analysis. They argue that
36-585: The Ultimate Reality .” Unkulunkulu is sometimes conflated with the sky god Umvelinqangi (meaning "he who was in the very beginning"), the god of thunder , earthquake whose other name is Unsondo, and is the son of Unkulunkulu, the Father, and Nomkhubulwane , the Mother. The word nomkhubulwane means the one who shapeshifts into any form of an animal. Another name given for the supreme being Umkhuluwomkhulu
45-534: The client's loved one for weeks, months, or maybe years later. Zulu mythology Similar to some other Bantu religions, Adherents of Zulu traditional religion believe in honoring ancestors ( Amadlozi ). Unkulunkulu is the highest god and is the creator of humanity. UmkhuluwoMkhulu ("the greatest one") was created in Uhlanga , a huge swamp of reeds, before he came to Earth . Individuals base their morality or behavior ethics on his judgment or “apprehension of
54-411: The death of the victim. Protection against them includes traditional methods such as raising beds off the ground and interventions by spiritual figures like pastors with an apostolic calling or traditional healers ( sangomas ), who are seen to possess the power to banish them. The Tikoloshe is often referenced satirically to critique the influence of superstitions on behaviour and society. The advent of
63-428: The phantom Tokoloshe came about through Bantu folklore to explain why people inexplicably died while sleeping in their rondavels at night. Traditionally, these people slept on the floor on grass mats encircling a wood fire that kept them warm during sub-freezing cold winter nights on the highveld in the rarefied air. They never realized the fire was depleting the oxygen levels, leaving noxious carbon monoxide , which
72-454: The soul of a loved one, but cannot choose who, as the Tikoloshe will choose the soul it decides to take. The witch doctor locates a dead body to be possessed, piercing the eye sockets and brain with a hot iron rod so that it cannot think for itself, and sprinkling it with a special powder, shrinking the body. The Tikoloshe is then let loose to terrorise its target, taking its payment of the soul of
81-460: The supposedly fictional tokoloshe—a hairy creature created by a witch doctor to harm his enemies (also … known to bite off sleeping people's toes)." According to legend, the only way to keep the Tokoloshe away at night is to put a few bricks beneath each leg of one's bed. The client – usually a jealous person – will approach an evil witch doctor to take vengeance on someone. The client has to promise
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