If a native sends a present of meat to his chief, or anyone he respects as far above him, he will generally send the Insonyama, that is, the part of the flesh of a slaughtered bullock or cow which covers the ribs and is separated from them by a moist substance which makes it very easy of removal. This is, in native estimation, the choicest meat, and is always eaten by the head of a family. This is a useful piece of knowledge for those who have to do with native cases which concern disputed inheritance. If an ox is slaughtered which belongs to any other house of the same family, the insonyama is always taken to be eaten in the superior’s hut. If the insonyama is taken as a present to a superior friend, it is always considered a great compliment to cook it beforehand and roll it up nicely in a clean mat (isitebe) ready to be eaten.
About This Book
A collection of sketches and folk narratives records Zulu social customs, ceremonies, and beliefs as observed by a long-term resident. The author presents accounts of marriage rites, the handling of twins, sacrificial offerings to ancestral spirits, diviners and rain-makers, funeral observances, communal feasts, war preparations, and popular etiological tales about death and natural phenomena. Anecdotes and ethnographic commentary illustrate daily practices, songs, and the moral ambiguities surrounding witchcraft and healing, while occasional editorial notes clarify terms and compare local superstitions to wider traditions. The tone aims to convey native perspectives and the social logic behind customs rather than prescribe judgment.