What Do You Rednecks Know About Zulus?

[Subdeacon Joe]

Zulu warrior in full regimental regalia, carrying the large isihlangu war shield. c. 1860. The upper body is covered in cow tails, the kilt is of spotted cat, genet or civet skin and the shins are decorated with cowtails. The elaborate headdress consists of a browband and face-framing flaps of leopard skin with another band of otter skin above. There are multiple ostrich feather plumes and a single upright crane's feather.

 

 

[Gracos Kid]

There were many of them in the old Johnny Weismmuller Tarzan movies....

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

They were defeated in a battle depicted in a 1964 movie with Michael Caine.

[Rip Snorter]

If you want to know more, Like Lions They Fought by Robert B. Edgerton

[J-BAR #18287]

14 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

They were defeated in a battle depicted in a 1964 movie with Michael Caine.

 

Zulu!  Great movie, based on the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

 

From Wiki:

 

"Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders of Rorke's Drift, seven of them to soldiers of the 2nd/24th Foot – the most ever received for a single action by one regiment. "

[Tell Sackett SASS 18436]

28 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

They were defeated in a battle depicted in a 1964 movie with Michael Caine.

Not really!!

[Subdeacon Joe]

34 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

They were defeated in a battle depicted in a 1964 movie with Michael Caine.

 

Which is why they are still part of the Commonwealth.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

The Zulu regalia in "Zulu" is historically accurate, and some of the 'formal' regalia is shown in the spectacular opening dance scene in  the Kraal.

 

Chief Cestwayo was portrayed by Zulu prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who I believe is still alive. (As is Michael Caine, who became a star with the movie).

 

Great movie.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Looks too hot for Arizona.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

This is what I know about Zulu's:

 

"When confronted by a whole tribe of them, its time to re-evaluation your situation".

 

 

..........Widder

 

[Redleg Reilly, SASS #46372]

Also highly recommend the book "Washing of the spears"  by Donald Morris.  Excellent coverage of the history of the Zulu tribe, including the war with England.

[Warden Callaway]

Didn't hold up well against 450/577.

 

 

[Chantry]

The book 'Like Wolves on the Fold: The Defence of Rorke's Drift' by Mike Snook was pretty good.  What surprised me the most was how young most of the soldiers were, many of the NCO's were only in their twenties and Colour Sergeant Bourne was only 23 and short at 5'6".  Private Henry Hook was considered a model soldier and had recently been awarded the Good Conduct medal before the battle. 

[Rip Snorter]

6 minutes ago, Chantry said:

The book 'Like Wolves on the Fold: The Defence of Rorke's Drift' by Mike Snook was pretty good.  What surprised me the most was how young most of the soldiers were, many of the NCO's were only in their twenties and Colour Sergeant Bourne was only 23 and short at 5'6".  Private Henry Hook was considered a model soldier and had recently been awarded the Good Conduct medal before the battle. 

I believe Hook's family successfully sued over his misrepresentation in the movie.  

 

BTW There are two cuts of the film, I have both, and one is significantly better.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Hook's family was upset about his portrayal, and the granddaughters or great-granddaughters or such, walked out of the premier. If they had stayed long enough, they would have seen he was shown as a heroic fighter and recipient of the Victoria Cross for the action. I have my doubts they could have sued back then (Hook had been dead for generations), but I don't know.

 

Dramatic license, pure and simple. One of the best roles in the flick.

[Subdeacon Joe]

57 minutes ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said:

Dramatic license, pure and simple. One of the best roles in the flick.

 

Lots of dramatic license in that movie.  Bromhead wasn't the egotistical martinet as shown, Commissary Dalton wasn't the persnickety poltroon, Chard wasn't as firmly decisive as shown, and there was, I think, something like 3 years difference in when he and Bromhead were commissioned.

 

From some things I've read Chard, Bromhead, Dalton, Reynolds, Bourne, and others got together for a planning session before the attack.

 

Nor was there a dramatic salute by the Zulu, they just walked away.

[Redleg Reilly, SASS #46372]

It's called the movies.  No one said it was a 100% spot on.  Still a great flick.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Michael Caine has commented about Zulu many times, in interviews and in his autobiographies (enjoyable reads). It launched him toward stardom.

 

He says that no British director of the time would have cast him, a notorious Cockney, in the Bromhead role, and he wouldn't have gotten the part. Bu Cy Enfield, an American, only wanted to know if he could do the posh accent, which, of course, he could.

 

I think Caine and Buthelezi are the last surviving members of the cast; at least of any prominent players. It's 60 years on. (No doubt some of the young Zulus would still be alive.)

 

At the 50th anniversary of the movie in the UK (it remains hugely popular in Britain) there were interviews of Prince Buthelezi where he strongly upheld the movie against latter-day 'anti-colonial' criticisms. I was glad to see those, especially these days.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

well it appears , back in the day 

 

  they were TARGETS 

 

   

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

Zulu Dawn, with Burt Lancaster recreates the battle of Isandlwana in which the British troops were defeated by the Zulus, just before the battle at Rorke's Drift.