#Thursdaydoors – Isandlwana

Uncategorized 2 Minutes

Yes, I know it’s Friday, but Dan said I could post on a Friday and I had a mad day yesterday. Actually, it’s been another crazy week and I am so glad it is Friday evening and the weekend has started.

In Dan’s words: Welcome to Thursday Doors, a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

Over the course of the last two Thursdays I have posted about my family’s visit to Fugitive’s Drift Lodge in Kwa-Zulu Natal and share pictures of doors taken at the guest house and lodge.

Today, I am sharing some pictures of the Isandlwana museum and the battlefield.

The Battle of Isandlwana was the first major encounter between the British troops and the Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu War and took place eleven days after the British invaded Zululand. A force of 25,000 Zulu warriors attacked a portion of the British column comprising of approximately 1360 men who were camped at Isandlwana. Only 55 British soldiers survived the battle and these were all officers who were wearing blue coats. Our Zulu guide said this is because the Zulu King had given instructions that the warriors were to focus on killing men wearing red coats. The attire for officers had changed from red coats to blue, and this fact was the survivors saving grace.

Guard house in the traditional Zulu-hut style with a round rondavel shape and a thatched roof. Every Zulu family has one of these traditional huts which serves as a gathering place for the spirits of their ancestors
Entrance gate to the battlefield
Picture of Isandlwana with the monument to the British troops in front of it. The white mounds of stones are the graves of British soldiers who died in the battle. These white stone markers are found at intervals all along the firing line.
This picture gives you an idea of the quantum of the graves. The white mounds extend into the distance. It was four months before the British were able to return to this site to bury their dead so a lot of the remains could not be identified which is why there are very few markers.
Monument to the Zulu warriors that died in the battle (estimated at 3,000)
In Zulu tradition, a Buffalo thorn tree is planted at a burial site. When someone dies a branch of the thorn tree is broken off the tree and then carried to the deceased’s homestead. The spirit of the deceased can hold on to the thorns of the branch during it’s journey home.
A church opposite the museum

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2021/01/21/cedar-hill-cemetery-thursday-doors/

Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

51 thoughts on “#Thursdaydoors – Isandlwana”

  1. Interesting and very sad history, here, Roberta. The white stone markers add a particularly sad accent to the battle field. I think about battlefields I’ve visited, and they are more like pristine fields today. Maybe a reminder of the soldiers who died is a good thing.

    Thanks for including the information about the customs. I find the Zulu’s reverence for the spirits of the dead somewhat comforting. The regard that we are part of a chain, not just moments in time.

    This has been a very interesting series. Thanks for posting it with Thursday Doors.

    Enjoy your weekend.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Hi Darlene, it is rather overwhelming to visit a place like this. It is a huge graveyard. You can almost feel the spirits of the unfortunates who died here. I have visited Culloden in Scotland, but the tour we had of Isandlwana was much better.

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  15. A terrible battle, Robbie and the white mounds and Zulu monument are poignant. A thorn branch is a natural symbol for grief. We used to live in a house made of rondavel huts around a huge central one. Your photos are lovely.

    I hope you are having a weekend that nurtures you after your hectic week?

    ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I am glad you had a good weekend, Robbie and I hope your niece and sister had lovely birthdays. The house was in the bush, on top of a hill overlooking a small dam. We used to canoe on the dam. Happy days. 💕

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  21. A very informative post Robbie. The story behind the buffalo thorn tree is very interesting – that they believe that the dead will return. It’s nice to know about different cultures. Thank you for sharing this.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Yes, Smitha, ancestors play an important role in native African culture. I really enjoyed this trip and will be sharing about the Rorke’s Drift battle later today. This one was turned into a movie called Zulu and staring Michael Caine.

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  22. Pingback: Sunday Post – 31st January, 2021 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost | Brainfluff

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