Very old ? Zulu Assegai

[Ron Anderson]

Effectively, the assegai was a 19th century phenomenon. Extremely formidable in its day, largely because no on other ethnic groups were using it. It was a technological advantage of note. But it wasn't used before the 19th century, and it's since become obsolete. The knobkerrie is still widely used and carried, as both a weapon and a mace/symbol of authority. However, by far the most common and effective traditional weapon in the region is the AK47.

[TimW]

I recently obtained a similar spear. I'll try to post some pictures - the shaft of my spear is complete and ends with a knob.

[katana]

Thank you for all your replies

Hi Ron ,
personally I still feel that the short stabbing spear negated the use of the sword in Zulu culture. According to several historical sources the Iklwa spear was used to stab and slash.
A number of Polynesian cultures did have a sword type weapon in their arsenal, Due to the unavailability of metal ore most older weapons were manufactured from wood, stone, shells and animal teeth/bone. Often sharpened shells, shark teeth, knapped rock (and similar) would be tied/bonded to flatten clubs to create a serrated cutting edge.

Hi Wayne
thanks for your input, Shaka's tactics were certainly 'Romanesque', and very effective too.

Hi Tim,
yes, please post some pictures


I have read that the Zulu had 20 named types of spear (Pitt Rivers Museum)

The Iklwa (Shaka's 'brainchild') is accepted as the name of the 'stabbing spear'....however the blade has a distinctive shape with a long tapering point ...said to be around 12" long, with a shaft of around 24". (interestingly these are often shown being held mid point of the shaft ....further evidence that around 24" used as it 'working length' ??? )

Many 'stabbing spears' with provenance to the Anglo-Zulu war period have the same blade as my own posted. The question is ....are all stabbing spears Iklwa or is there another name for those with differing blade shapes ???

Also strange is the fact that Shaka's portrait (this, apparently is the only one), shows him holding an 'ordinary' spear

"Only known drawing of King Shaka standing with the long throwing assegai and the heavy shield in 1824 - four years before his death"

Kind Regards David



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[Ron Anderson]

Hi David

Thanks for your reply. As I said, I'm no expert in this area. However, I have a bit of a background in South African history, which was my academic discipline.

I guess the thing that I find puzzling is that there really was no significant Zulu culture before Shaka.

The Zulu nation was essentially created by Shaka. Before that,Zulu were a small insignificant group within the wide Nguni grouping. It was all very loose. So the fact that there were no swords used broadly at that time among any of the tribes in the region suggests that it simply wasn't in the mindset of those cultures.

In a sense, I suppose the assegai was created to fill that void. Rather than the assegai negating the need for swords, it was probably the opposite – the absence of swords at that time created the need to invent something like the assegai.

Regards
Ron

PS. I do take your point about the variety of sword-type weapons among Polynesians.

[Ron Anderson]

The fact that that area has not got its own clearly identifiable type of sword is odd. The sword is so universal one would expect to find it everywhere. And it is common elsewhere in Africa.

However, the fact remains that tribal groups in South Africa seemed to buck that trend. Unless I'm wrong and someone can point to the kinds of swords that were carried in South African areas at the time.

Just a little to the north, the Shona have their own swords and daggers, instantly recognisable.

But I suspect the assegai was quite possibly the first hand-to-hand type edged weapon used among the Nguni.

As I understand it, life before Shaka was considerably less violent. While there were wars, differences were settled with comparatively little bloodshed. Shaka effectively changed that and ushered in a period of extreme violence throughout the region (a kind of holocaust known as the difaqane). The assegai played a very big part in that, as did Shaka's complete social re-engineering of the tribes who fell under his influence.

He wasn't simply a military strategist. Under him, society was completely re-structured to support his wars. It was a revolution, and changed everything in Nguni society - from marriage contracts to wealth alotment. And it transformed the entire sub-continent.

In this respect, he truly was a 'Black Napoleon'. South Africa would never be the same again. There is still a 7 million strong 'Zulu' nation there, and such a group never really existed before Shaka.

[Tim Simmons]

Ron thanks for the clear thought. This link has the only "ZulU" sword I have ever seen. Ron's information is very helpful. The sword in the link is an exception and really a royal piece. It is interesting that it does not take the form of Shona swords. Also it is hard to see European infuence?

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...+zulu+interest

[katana]

Hi Ron,
thank you for 'expanding' the topic , I was thinking Shaka 'onwards' ....when thinking Zulu. I did not consider the use of swords in SA pre-Shaka. So thanks for clarifying this. I have read, as you have stated, that inter tribal conflict (pre-Shaka) had 'guide-lines' by which the victors were fairly quickly known, limiting 'blood shed' to a minimum.

I also read that Shaka's earliest battles were won extremely easily because he had disregarded the 'rules' and completely 'overwhelmed' his opponents with the savagery of his troops. He literaly had changed the 'protocols' of war without his 'enemy' knowing the new rules.....almost 'shock and awe'....

Perhaps, then, you are right, that the knobkerrie was the short range weapon of choice in these earlier conflicts .....maybe the sword was considered too deadly . An interesting parallel was the use of the throwing knife in the Congo. In the 17th C the then King of the Kuba tribe banned its use as it was too savage.

The Iklwa was often described as having a 'sword-like' blade and the link Tim posted (thanks Tim ) is extremely interesting.
The sword shown has an Iklwa shaped/profiled blade on, effectively, a very short shaft. I am not suggesting that this is a cut down Iklwa though, as the handle has a flared 'pommel end'. But, this does demonstrate that the Zulu were 'aware' that the Iklwa could be utilised/modified into a short sword...but choose not to. I can only assume that as a spear it better suited the skill, tactics and function required by the tribesmen.

The blade on this sword seems to be approx. 18" long .....I believe the medal above is the standard 1 1/4" diameter and have used this to 'scale' the blade

Kind Regards David


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