Chapter 954 Sacred Tradition (1/2)

The relationship between the lion hunter and the chief was bad, and there was more to it than that.

However, Li Du did not feel like he could ask more questions. When the lion hunter stopped talking about these matters, he changed the topic.

During this visit to the Zulu tribe, he would attend a dinner party, and there would be a performance of war dance. The next day, the lion hunter would take him to participate in a tribal hunt in the wild.

However, in the evening, the lion hunter went out, came back with a mysterious smile on his face, and said, ”Tomorrow we will not go hunting. It is postponed. Tomorrow you will be able to see a sacred ceremony.”

”What sacred ceremony?” Li Du asked.

The lion hunter did not answer, and said with a smile, ”My guess is that you have never experienced this before. Believe me, tomorrow you will be surprised.”

In the evening, a lot of men and women gathered in an open space belonging to the tribe. They were dressed in bright clothes and were smiling brightly. Once they took over the open space, they sang and danced.

The topless young girls danced in front of the crowd, and when Lu Guan and the others came along, someone pulled them in and made them take part in the dance.

When the sun went down, the moon rose, and a bonfire illuminated the area. A flame dashed into the air, letting out a crackling sound in the wind.

At this point, the people who had been dancing like crazy got out of the way, and dozens of strong young men and women ran out into the open space and began the war dance performance.

During the performance, the young men wore leopard skins. This was not fake fur like they had in urban areas, but the real thing.

Cheetah skin was a chieftain's attire, but it could also be worn by ordinary men during agora dancing, along with leopard- skins and shins with lion manes or other animal furs.

Around the clearing, there were the sounds of drums, howling, stamping and clapping, and the young men made all kinds of combat gestures, following the beat and rhythmic sounds of the drums.

In the beginning, their dancing mainly consisted of agile jumps. After a while, someone gave them knives, guns, and sticks, and they began to wave the weapons around to show their heroic fighting posture.

Looking at the fierce war dance, the Zulu people, including the lion hunter, showed their pride. They raised their heads, stamped their feet and clapped or cheered for the dancers.

At some point, the lion hunter turned back and asked, ”How's that, Li? How's our war dance?”

Li Du clapped hard and said, ”Cool, dude. It's no wonder I heard that the Zulu people are the most courageous warriors in Africa!”

The lion hunter lifted his head proudly and said, ”Of course, we are the bravest and most warlike Africans in the world. We are the only tribe that won against the British.”

He was talking about the Zulu war, which took place in 1879, the same year as Dien Bien Phu, the battle of Malay Peninsula and so on. Among those battles was the one of Isandlwana, in which the British suffered heavy losses.

At Isandlwana, the British faced an attack by Zulus who were many centuries behind them in terms of progress. These nearly naked warriors, armed with primitive hunting spears, defeated invaders armed with the most advanced weapons of the time. They fought under the command of King Cetshwayo.

In the end, the Zulu lost the war, but the battle won them enough pride and confidence.

Later, Mandela led the black independence movement of South Africa, and the Zulu people have been the backbone of it because they were the most confident of the South African people.

To the dismay of Li Du and others, there was no food during the war dance. In order to show respect for the soldiers and focus on the performance, no one was allowed to eat.

The war dance began shortly after sunset and continued well into the night, until the young men and women were exhausted and the cramps in their legs and feet made it impossible to go on.

At that time, they could finally eat, which was a good thing, as Li Du was starving.