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Isithwalandwe: the Wearing of the Crane Feather

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Isithwalandwe: the Wearing of the Crane Feather Isithwalandwe: The wearing of the crane feather by Adrian Koopman AMES Saunders King’s picture Note that not only does she say ’chosen of Shaka kaSenzangakhona wear- by King Shaka’, but also refers to a sin- Jing a single blue crane feather has gle ‘head-feather’. In addition, a group been published countless times and is of ten Zulu-speaking bird experts, gath- certainly the most well-known picture ered for a workshop on Zulu bird lore of the Zulu king.1 This picture has led in June 2017 and at which this author to an indelible association of the Blue was present, were unanimous in saying Crane (Grus paradisea, Zulu indwa that only the present king had the right or indwe2) with Shaka in the popular to wear the crane feather today. Cur- mind, always as a single feather of the rent pictures of Zulu King Zwelithini bird, not as images where Shaka and the kaBhekuzulu show him (when he is whole bird are shown. not wearing red turaco feathers) wear- Biyela, for example, in a paper on ing a single crane feather. Zwelithini Zulu bird lore, states that certain birds is known for reviving traditions of the are Shakan era, and it is likely that this is of historical or national significance, one of them. for example, the Indwa, (Blue Crane), The association of the single feather which is now the South African na- with Shaka, and later with Zwelithini, tional bird, and in the past was chosen has led to a commonly held belief that by King Shaka who used its plumage only Zulu royalty were allowed to wear for his head-feather.3 Natalia 47 (2017), pp. 43– 46 43 Natalia 47 (2017) Copyright © Natal Society Foundation 2017 Isithwalandwe: The wearing of the crane feather the feather of this bird. In this note I explore other sources which make it clear that this was not so, that the crane feather, or indeed feathers, was worn by regimental sol- diers, especially notable war- riors, and because of this the wearing of the single crane feather has become the basis of an African National Con- gress (ANC) special award to ‘warriors of the struggle’. The plumage of the blue crane featured in both Xhosa and Zulu culture: Godfrey is talking of the Xhosa people when he says of the blue crane that ‘it was in the olden days distinctively a warrior’s bird, whose feathers adorned the heads of the fighting men during drill or war’.4 Bryant is talking about Zulu traditions when he says ‘This James Saunders King’s well-known illustration feather was presented to a of Shaka kaSenzangakhona wearing a single blue full-grown man by the king crane feather and was a preliminary sign that ‘T’shaka … wore a bunch of loury that the recipient was about to be called feathers’.8 However, Cetshwayo kaM- to the honour of the headring.’ 5 pande is mentioned: ‘Cetshwayo … had Samuelson emphasises that the feath- on his head a band of otter skin, with ers were a specific gift of the king when tassels of blue monkey skin, and a crane he says ‘This bird was one of the Zulu feather’9 and there is an interesting story royal birds whose plumes were used by about Dingiswayo kaJobe, king of the those to whom they [i.e. the feathers] Mthethwa clan: had been specially gifted by the king.’ 6 [Dingiswayo] ordered his war finery The six volumes of The James Stu- 7 to be brought out. His crane feather art Archive between them have much was brought … While he was busy, a to say about the wearing of feathers number of locusts suddenly settled on and other head and body ornamenta- the feather which he had put on. The tion in the Zulu military tradition of izinduna cried, ‘Hau, Nkosi, what are the nineteenth century. But there is no those things on the feather?’ Others reference to Shaka kaSenzangakhona exclaimed, ‘They are locusts’ … The wearing blue crane feathers. In fact the feather came loose and fell on the single reference to Shaka and feather ground.10 ornamentation in the six volumes says According to various sources recorded 44 Natalia 47 (2017) CC-BY-NC CC Natal Society Foundation 2017 Isithwalandwe: The wearing of the crane feather in the James Stuart Archives, the fol- Dukuza or Bulawayo. She dressed as lowing regiments wore crane feathers a man and came into the semi-circle as part of their military identification: …had on a skin skirt (isidwaba), not the amaMboza and Ndhlondhlo11, 12, the covered with black powder (umsizi) like others [worn by women], but left Tulwana and Dhlokwe,13 the Ndabaka- ruddy and simply covered with scent wombe, Bulawayo, Siklebe, Dukuza, [??]. Over this she wore umqubula18 14 Ngwegwe and Mbelebele, and the of genet and blue monkey. She also iziMpohlo.15 Another source echoes had imiklezo,19 i.e. amashoba. When Bryant, quoted above, as saying: ‘Crane dressed, her identity could not be feathers were distributed to a regiment detected. She had a band of otter skin that had put on the headring’.16 Another on her head, she had also amabeqe of monkey skin. She had also imin- source gives an account of how the 20 ‘great men of Mpande’, immediately yakanya of the widow-bird, also [a] long crane feather. 21 prior to an encounter with the Boers, exchanged clothing with commoners Godfrey was quoted above as saying of [At the time of the Boers coming to the blue crane that it was in the olden Maqongqo]: days distinctively a warrior’s bird. It is interesting to note that this notion A man who was there at Maqongqo, one of Mpande’s men – his name was still has life in South Africa today. The Konjwayo of the Embo people – said box below gives information on an that the next day the great men of award made by the ANC ruling party Mpande’s side took their headbands for ‘warriors’ in the struggle against (imiqele) and their amabeqe of mon- apartheid. Awards are still being made key-skin, together with their crane in the twenty-first century: feathers, and made their ordinary men The ANC website SA History Online23 (abafokazana) put them on (qilisa) … For their part they took the garb of the lsitwalandwe/Seaparankwe Award ordinary men and put it on, and took the shields of the ordinary men.17 Isitwalandwe/Seaparankwe is the highest honour awarded by the people In one unusual case, a single crane of South Africa, through the African feather featured in the ceremonial National Congress, to those who have dress of a woman, not a warrior who made an outstanding contribution and was about to receive the honour of sacrifice to the liberation struggle. the headring: after the assassination of Isitwalandwe, literally translated, means ‘the one who wears the plumes of Shaka in 1828, Mnkabayi, the daughter 22 of Jama and aunt of Shaka, and a power- the rare bird’ and was traditionally bestowed only on the bravest warriors of ful political figure in the Zulu kingdom, the people, on those who distinguished helped to decide on who the next king themselves in the eyes of all the people of the Zulus would be. A woman, yes, for exceptional qualities of leadership but she ’dressed like a man’. The de- and heroism. scription of her outfit on this occasion Chief Albert Luthuli, Dr Yusuf Dadoo is given in full, so as to give an idea of and Father Trevor Huddleston were the how a politically powerful man might first to be proclaimed Isitwalandwe/ be dressed at the time: Seaparankwe.This was at the Congress of the People in 1955. Since then many [Mnkabayi] was summoned either to outstanding leaders have been honoured. 45 Natalia 47 (2017) CC-BY-NC CC Natal Society Foundation 2017 Isithwalandwe: The wearing of the crane feather from which this information was ob- 6 Samuelson, R.C.A., The King Cetywayo Zulu tained, gives a full list of all people Dictionary (Durban, Commercial Printing Company, 1923) p. 89. awarded this honour ‘by all the people 7 Webb, C. de B. and Wright, J., The James of South Africa’ [sic]. The blue crane Stuart Archive of Oral Evidence Relating to feather was first awarded to the war- the Zulu and Neighbouring Peoples. Vols I riors Chief Albert Luthuli, Dr Yusuf to VI (Pietermaritzburg, University of Natal Press and University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, Dadoo and Father Trevor Huddleston 1976–2014). in 1955. In 1992, a number of struggle 8 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol heroes were honoured with the crane III, p. 72. feather, including Nelson Mandela, 9 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol II, p. 223. Govan Mbeki, Oliver Tambo, Walter 10 Ibid. p. 186. Sisulu and Helen Joseph. Then came a 11 Stuart’s original spelling has been retained lull before Ray Alexander Simons was here and in the following names. so honoured in 2004, and since then it 12 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol II , p. 223. appears that the award of the blue crane 13 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol feather has fallen into abeyance. III, p. 318. The Isitwalandwe Award illustrates 14 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol one way in which the Shakan-era tra- IV, p. 119. 15 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol dition of wearing the crane feather is VI, p. 291. manifested in modern South Africa. 16 Webb and Wright, James Stuart Archive, Vol Whether the wearing of this feather by IV, p.
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