Publications

Publication details [#11867]

Biyela, N. G. . 2014. Animal Metaphors Representing Human Images: A Case Study on King Shaka, the Founder of the Zulu Nation in South Africa. Anthropologist 2 (18) : 639–646. 8 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English
Keywords

Abstract

Due to the traditional close relationship between Zulu’s nation and wildlife, the use of animal metaphors is commonly accepted in the creation of new meanings mapping the animal field to human relationships. Previous research has focused mainly in the relationship between the animal and the human domains. However, few researches have been published regarding animal social behaviour. In contrast with previous researches, based only on library sources, this article contains information from interviews in order to analyse how King Shaka’s image is represented through the social behaviour of animals during the amalgamation of Nguni clans. The source data come from Shaka’s praise poems where the author depicts different features of Shaka’s physical and personal characteristics by means of animal metaphors in the Zulu socio cultural context in which the risen status of the king is shown through the increase of the Zulu nation.