The Story of the Blood Drenched Field of Isandlwana |
John Young
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Harold,
It is a short story in a magazine, I've seen the magazine listed on book search somewhere. The author had a military rank I believe. John |
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Harold Raugh
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Hi John,
Many thanks for your helpful message. Another learned colleague has a copy of this item, , written by Capt. H. Wilkins, J.P., and apparently published by the British Empire Service League. It is a 12-page booklet published for the 60th anniversary commemoration events of the AZW (1939), and includes the order of service for this commemoration, a brief history of the Battle of Isandlwana, ands two pages on "Some Zulu Reminiscences of the Battle" by the Bishop of Zululand (Lee). Thank you very much. All the best, Harold |
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Peter Ewart
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Harold/John
I've also come across references to this title (and probably still have them somewhere in my files but a quick search hasn't unearthed them). I had a notion that it had already been mentiond in the forum about a year or so ago, but no luck in a search. At the back of my mind I thought I'd seen it discussed or included in a bibliography by either Ian Kight, John Laband or Julian Whybra, but can't see anything from a brief look. Lee's account of Zulu reminiscences of the battle depended heavily on his conversations with Mehlokazulu, Matshana kaMondisa and, of course, with Hlubi, as well as a few others. In his own autobiography (Once Dark Country, 1949) he devotes chapter 10 to an account of the battle, but it is of the fairly typically muddled type common among those who weren't there but close to the general overview understood at that time by many Europeans. Nevertheless, it is interesting in parts. Mehlokazulu told Lee that, as the Ngobamakosi swept down from the hills as part of the left horn, the "regimental poet" composed and chanted a little song, which was immediately taken up by them all and roared out all the time they were charging: Mbane, mbane wezulu, kuyacwazimula; Langa, langa lamazulu, lyashisa konke. The punning allusion being in the first line to the lightning of the White men's guns, which shines but does not kill, whereas in the second line the sun of the sons of Heaven burns everything up. Lee also mentions an RSM not being able to find that notorious screwdriver, as well as the refusal of ammunition to a runner for lack of the equally notorious requisition (a la Smith-Dorrien, but in Lee's story the runner had been sent by Younghusband). He is also incredulous that this incident was years afterwards applauded by military men visiting the battlefield as an example of discipline in the midst of a fight. Here, he is clearly referring to his contact with the large contingent (who weren't the SWBs) which took part in the commemoration of the 24th's memorial at Isandlwana in 1914, in which Lee played a prominent part and met many officers, as well as Zulu who recalled their part in the battle. I'd presume, Harold, that Lee's account in his own book is not dissimilar to that included in Blood Drenched Field? I suspect Lee was also invoved in the 1939 commemoration service, although he doesn't refer to it. Peter |
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Harold Raugh
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Hi Peter,
Thank you very much for your detailed and insightful comments. I have not personally seen either item (yet), and when I do, I will be able to make an informed assessment! Thanks again. All the best, Harold |
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Paul Bryant-Quinn
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Peter
I've been interested in the story of that verse since I first heard of it - wonder how it fits in with other accounts of the impi advancing generally quietly at Isandlwana? Could it have been a song that ibutho sang in the aftermath of the victory, and which Mehlokazulu retrospectively puts into an account of the battle (or maybe not: translations can be deceptive ...)? And, more generally, I'd be very interested to know if Zulu amabutho had appointed 'poets'. |
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Peter Ewart
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Paul
Among the 20,000 or so involved, I'd assume there would have been a fair smattering of praise singers (Lee using the term "poet") but whether each regiment had one I don't know. Lee's account is the only one in which I've heard the story of this song/poem. I do enjoy Lee's style (as a raconteur rather than as a historian!) but, even though he had regular access to Hlubi and fairly frequent contact with Mehlokazulu and Matshana, he was as liable as anyone to be less than accurate on historical events which took place in Africa when he was a baby in Nottingham (by my reckoning he was exactly 6 months old on the day of the battle). On the face of it, the story of the song doesn't fit in with Smith Dorrien's "swarm of bees" but he was in the camp whereas the Ngobamakosi were in action way out on the plain at first. No doubt there was plenty of screaming and shouting at times as well! I suppose none of these noises can be discounted. Lee knew Mehlo fairly well when stationed at Isandlwana & Hlazakazi - but it was a very brief period, as Lee didn't arrive until 1903 and Mehlo was killed in June 1906 at Mome Gorge, by which time Hlubi himself was becoming "gaga." Lee eventually spoke perfect idiomatic Zulu but in the first year or so he struggled, so I suspect English was spoken, although no doubt Mehlo explained the pun. Lee undoubtedly picked up a lot of his "knowledge" of the battle from his archdeacon of the time, Charles Johnson, who had known Mehlo since 1880 & Hlubi since 1873 and who would have been in one of the invasion columns himself had he not had moral/pacifist doubts (unlike Smith & Robertson!!!) at the eleventh hour. I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that many of Lee's anecdotes sourced to Hlubi or Mehlokazulu before his arrival in 1903 had actually passed through Johnson first. He then had close access to Johnson until 1927, writing the latter's biography in 1930, and also knew Matshana well into that chief's old age. Peter |
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The Story of the Blood Drenched Field of Isandlwana |
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