Shakaland ... this sounds Disney-like and it is a bit true since it is the set built for the mini-series SHAKA ZULU of 1986; you can find several episodes on Youtube.
We heard the place was rather commercial but still interesting, so we decided to give it a try without expecting too much. Well, we learned a lot about the habits, the traditions, the way of life, the history and king Shaka himself. He was born around 1787 and died in 1828; he is considered a great king and stratege, even compared with Napoleon. He united the several Zulu tribes into one empire. http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/king-shaka-zulu
Qui se souvient du feuilleton ShakaZulu de 1986? "Shakaland" est en fait le decor construit a cette occasion qui represente un village Zulu du siecle dernier, un Bokrijk version Zulu. Une jeune fille nous a donne plein d'explications. Ce meme apres-midi, en roulant paisiblement sur une "departementale", nous avons traverse un village ou tout le monde dansait. Nous nous sommes evidemment arretes et avons eu la grande chance d'assister a une fete traditionnelle ou nous avons vu et reconnus ce que nous avions appris en matinee. Quelle experience interessante.
histoire du roi SHAKA : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka_Zulu_(série_télévisée)
histoire des Zulus : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoulous
When we left we actually did not know how much is true. Well, that afternoon, along the road, we saw a group of men dancing, then a group of women .... so we stopped the car, of course, and had a closer look. What we saw corresponded with what we had learned the same morning, the girls were dressed like our guide, some guys were dressed like the "chief", the 11 cows to be paid by a man to his family-in-law when he wants to marry is not an invented story but a tradition still respected in 2014 (as confirmed to us by a man who was still paying those cows). We spent about an hour in the village witnessing this traditional event, which we enjoyed a lot.
We arrived at dawn at our destination which was even smaller then we thought ... and this is how we spent Christmas eve in Mtubatuba, an uninteresting place, eating at Nando's - a well-known and excellent south-african fast food chain - 10 minutes before closing time (8pm) and going to bed early since we had to get up at 5.30 next morning to arrive early at the Hluhluwe-Imfolosi National Park.
We heard the place was rather commercial but still interesting, so we decided to give it a try without expecting too much. Well, we learned a lot about the habits, the traditions, the way of life, the history and king Shaka himself. He was born around 1787 and died in 1828; he is considered a great king and stratege, even compared with Napoleon. He united the several Zulu tribes into one empire. http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/king-shaka-zulu
Qui se souvient du feuilleton ShakaZulu de 1986? "Shakaland" est en fait le decor construit a cette occasion qui represente un village Zulu du siecle dernier, un Bokrijk version Zulu. Une jeune fille nous a donne plein d'explications. Ce meme apres-midi, en roulant paisiblement sur une "departementale", nous avons traverse un village ou tout le monde dansait. Nous nous sommes evidemment arretes et avons eu la grande chance d'assister a une fete traditionnelle ou nous avons vu et reconnus ce que nous avions appris en matinee. Quelle experience interessante.
histoire du roi SHAKA : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka_Zulu_(série_télévisée)
histoire des Zulus : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoulous
Maquette of a tradtitional Zulu village in Shaka's time.
Our guide.
When we left we actually did not know how much is true. Well, that afternoon, along the road, we saw a group of men dancing, then a group of women .... so we stopped the car, of course, and had a closer look. What we saw corresponded with what we had learned the same morning, the girls were dressed like our guide, some guys were dressed like the "chief", the 11 cows to be paid by a man to his family-in-law when he wants to marry is not an invented story but a tradition still respected in 2014 (as confirmed to us by a man who was still paying those cows). We spent about an hour in the village witnessing this traditional event, which we enjoyed a lot.
We arrived at dawn at our destination which was even smaller then we thought ... and this is how we spent Christmas eve in Mtubatuba, an uninteresting place, eating at Nando's - a well-known and excellent south-african fast food chain - 10 minutes before closing time (8pm) and going to bed early since we had to get up at 5.30 next morning to arrive early at the Hluhluwe-Imfolosi National Park.
Some young guys with the traditional costume.
The men carry the warrior spear and shield (but a smaller version).
