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Chaka
Chaka is a genuine masterpiece that represents one of the earliest major contributions from black Africa to the corpus of modern world literature. Mofolo's fictionalized life-story account of Chaka (Shaka), translated from Sesotho by D. P. Kunene, begins with the future Zulu king's birth followed by the unwarranted taunts and abuse he receives during childhood and adolescence.
The author manipulates events leading to Chaka's status of great Zulu warrior, conqueror, and king to emphasize classic tragedy's psychological themes of ambition and power, cruelty, and ultimate ruin. Mofolo's clever nods to the supernatural add symbolic value.
Kunene's fine translation renders the dramatic and tragic tensions in Mofolo's tale palpable, while the richness of the author's own culture is revealed.
The author manipulates events leading to Chaka's status of great Zulu warrior, conqueror, and king to emphasize classic tragedy's psychological themes of ambition and power, cruelty, and ultimate ruin. Mofolo's clever nods to the supernatural add symbolic value.
Kunene's fine translation renders the dramatic and tragic tensions in Mofolo's tale palpable, while the richness of the author's own culture is revealed.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1925
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2465 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Mofolo
5 books16 followersThomas Mokopu Mofolo (22 December 1876 – 8 September 1948) is considered to be the greatest Basotho author. He wrote mostly in the Sesotho language, but his most popular book, Chaka, has been translated into English and other languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 23, 2024
I was curious to read this novel because, as it says in the blurb, it is “one of the earliest significant contributions from black Africa to the body of modern world literature…” The author, Thomas Mofolo, was born in the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1875. The novel was written in the Sesotho language so this is a translation. For whatever reason, the translator chose to render spoken dialogue using the old-fashioned formal style of address in English, that had pretty much disappeared by the 19th century, so for example he uses “Why didst thou…” rather than “Why did you…” Modern speakers of English rarely encounter this outside of Shakespeare’s plays or the King James Bible. I had both hammered into me at school so am relaxed enough with the style. Also, this isn’t a dialogue-driven novel.
I read the Kindle version and, whatever method was used to create it (AI?), has left the edition littered with typing errors. You can tell from the context what the word is supposed to be, so the typos are more an irritation than anything else. There are a lot of them, though!
The novel itself is a fictionalised re-telling of the life of Chaka, the Zulu king of the early 19th century, generally regarded as the person who oversaw the creation of the Zulu Empire. He’s more commonly known in English as Shaka, but in this review I will use the form that features in the book.
Thomas Mofolo was educated in a mission school and his novels were said to be influenced by his Christian beliefs. You can see that to an extent in this one, but traditional African beliefs actually feature much more strongly. Chaka’s rise to power is guided by a Svengali-like sorcerer and his acolytes, who use Chaka for their own unspecified purposes. (Mofolo says that ordinary people cannot know the ways of sorcerers, and their motivations for acting as they do). Throughout the book they use spells and potions to allow Chaka to achieve his aims.
The novel is about how an individual becomes corrupted by overweening ambition and autocratic power. Chaka is born as the son of a chief but is considered illegitimate, and in his youth suffers persecution. His personality gradually changes for the worse as the book progresses and he gains more power and influence.
Although this is a work of fiction, it does incorporate a fair bit of history. It’s quite difficult to bring that off in a novel, and up until about 40 pages from the end (200 pages in total) I thought this was heading for a 3-star rating, with its main merit being its unusual perspective. I really quite enjoyed the last section though. That pushed it up to about a 3.5, which I have rounded up.
I read the Kindle version and, whatever method was used to create it (AI?), has left the edition littered with typing errors. You can tell from the context what the word is supposed to be, so the typos are more an irritation than anything else. There are a lot of them, though!
The novel itself is a fictionalised re-telling of the life of Chaka, the Zulu king of the early 19th century, generally regarded as the person who oversaw the creation of the Zulu Empire. He’s more commonly known in English as Shaka, but in this review I will use the form that features in the book.
Thomas Mofolo was educated in a mission school and his novels were said to be influenced by his Christian beliefs. You can see that to an extent in this one, but traditional African beliefs actually feature much more strongly. Chaka’s rise to power is guided by a Svengali-like sorcerer and his acolytes, who use Chaka for their own unspecified purposes. (Mofolo says that ordinary people cannot know the ways of sorcerers, and their motivations for acting as they do). Throughout the book they use spells and potions to allow Chaka to achieve his aims.
The novel is about how an individual becomes corrupted by overweening ambition and autocratic power. Chaka is born as the son of a chief but is considered illegitimate, and in his youth suffers persecution. His personality gradually changes for the worse as the book progresses and he gains more power and influence.
Although this is a work of fiction, it does incorporate a fair bit of history. It’s quite difficult to bring that off in a novel, and up until about 40 pages from the end (200 pages in total) I thought this was heading for a 3-star rating, with its main merit being its unusual perspective. I really quite enjoyed the last section though. That pushed it up to about a 3.5, which I have rounded up.
March 14, 2023
*I am coming back and adding to this review:
Ndlebe understands Chaka's true nature, and the heart that he has---the complexity in that heart. And Chaka is in self-denial. He is more than just militaristic and power hungry.
By chapter the end of the novel, I couldn't help but compare Chaka to Esteban Trueba in the novel The House of The Spirits by Isabel Allende. Both Chaka and Esteban Trueba were power hungry, their subjects loved them and then grew to detest them, and they both died from a profound weakness in their hearts and bodies. But one of the most striking parallels I see from Chaka and Esteban Trueba requires me to include chapter 17, pg. 109. The narrator writes, "he ate the young fruit of other men's daughters, picking the very flower of their youth, and then when they became too worn out to please him, he would pass them on to his councillors, if they were still alive." I interpret this line to be a metaphor that Chaka raped these women. In The House of The Spirits, Trueba rapes a woman as well, and doesn't face consequences for his actions until decades later. Similarly, Chaka loses his one true love, Nowila, through his evil spirit, and the spirit's corruption of his mind. Trueba loses his one true love, Clara, through Clara's unbridled spirit, and her decision to distance herself from Trueba. Except the parallel lives split in chapter twenty-two, The Death of Nandi. Here, long after Chaka murders Nowila, he still rapes men's daughters, and then kills them and their child (if Chaka is the father). Thus, although Chaka resembles the evil, power hungry, greedy man who becomes sickened towards the end of the novel, Chaka also parts from any resemblance to this type of character. This parting from resemblance occurs not necessarily because Chaka is extreme (there have been characters in other novels who are just as extreme), but because Chaka's evil practices are extensively drawn out. The narrator writes so that the reader may envision not just time passing by, but also events of great magnitude passing by. This narration makes for an engrossing feeling in the last chapters, but I believe it also makes the reader set Chaka apart in both time and space. The level of breadth to which Chaka's killings, judgements, and practices of power are drawn out does leave the reader grasping what Isanusi said: that there will be more of Chaka's warriors than stars in the sky.
And yet, even after all the atrocities that Chaka created, I found myself having sympathy for Chaka as he was restless in his troubled thoughts. How could this be, I wondered. And I think it is because the breadth to which Chaka's cruelty is described is suddenly halted. Even when Chaka does kill many people, such as during the feast, the killings from Chaka felt different. Meaning, I don't think Chaka had the same 'calibre' (as Isanusi says), in him as he killed. He himself seemed confused. I can imagine Chaka thinking: Do I kill the silent ones? The off-tune ones? The teary-eyed ones? The killings from here on out feel disjointed and uncertain. Chaka's character is disjointed and uncertain. I think I had sympathy for Chaka because I saw how much he had lost within himself. I saw that he began to recognize the irreversible damage he caused.
Finally, Chaka isn't the white man, but the white man is Chaka!
The questions I have are:
1. On page 160, horses are mentioned, in an effort to compare Chaka's turmoil to that of an ill horse. Are there horses here now? Is this an indicator that some colonization has come?
2. Why didn't Ndlebe and Malunga come to aid Chaka when Chaka left the royal city? Were they plotting against him?
Ndlebe understands Chaka's true nature, and the heart that he has---the complexity in that heart. And Chaka is in self-denial. He is more than just militaristic and power hungry.
By chapter the end of the novel, I couldn't help but compare Chaka to Esteban Trueba in the novel The House of The Spirits by Isabel Allende. Both Chaka and Esteban Trueba were power hungry, their subjects loved them and then grew to detest them, and they both died from a profound weakness in their hearts and bodies. But one of the most striking parallels I see from Chaka and Esteban Trueba requires me to include chapter 17, pg. 109. The narrator writes, "he ate the young fruit of other men's daughters, picking the very flower of their youth, and then when they became too worn out to please him, he would pass them on to his councillors, if they were still alive." I interpret this line to be a metaphor that Chaka raped these women. In The House of The Spirits, Trueba rapes a woman as well, and doesn't face consequences for his actions until decades later. Similarly, Chaka loses his one true love, Nowila, through his evil spirit, and the spirit's corruption of his mind. Trueba loses his one true love, Clara, through Clara's unbridled spirit, and her decision to distance herself from Trueba. Except the parallel lives split in chapter twenty-two, The Death of Nandi. Here, long after Chaka murders Nowila, he still rapes men's daughters, and then kills them and their child (if Chaka is the father). Thus, although Chaka resembles the evil, power hungry, greedy man who becomes sickened towards the end of the novel, Chaka also parts from any resemblance to this type of character. This parting from resemblance occurs not necessarily because Chaka is extreme (there have been characters in other novels who are just as extreme), but because Chaka's evil practices are extensively drawn out. The narrator writes so that the reader may envision not just time passing by, but also events of great magnitude passing by. This narration makes for an engrossing feeling in the last chapters, but I believe it also makes the reader set Chaka apart in both time and space. The level of breadth to which Chaka's killings, judgements, and practices of power are drawn out does leave the reader grasping what Isanusi said: that there will be more of Chaka's warriors than stars in the sky.
And yet, even after all the atrocities that Chaka created, I found myself having sympathy for Chaka as he was restless in his troubled thoughts. How could this be, I wondered. And I think it is because the breadth to which Chaka's cruelty is described is suddenly halted. Even when Chaka does kill many people, such as during the feast, the killings from Chaka felt different. Meaning, I don't think Chaka had the same 'calibre' (as Isanusi says), in him as he killed. He himself seemed confused. I can imagine Chaka thinking: Do I kill the silent ones? The off-tune ones? The teary-eyed ones? The killings from here on out feel disjointed and uncertain. Chaka's character is disjointed and uncertain. I think I had sympathy for Chaka because I saw how much he had lost within himself. I saw that he began to recognize the irreversible damage he caused.
Finally, Chaka isn't the white man, but the white man is Chaka!
The questions I have are:
1. On page 160, horses are mentioned, in an effort to compare Chaka's turmoil to that of an ill horse. Are there horses here now? Is this an indicator that some colonization has come?
2. Why didn't Ndlebe and Malunga come to aid Chaka when Chaka left the royal city? Were they plotting against him?
February 13, 2022
A very different and interesting read.
November 30, 2009
Chaka is a fictionalised account of the life of the C19th Zulu king Shaka. It’s unusually early for an African novel, originally published in 1925 but existing in manuscript in some form as early as 1910.
I wasn’t entirely looking forward to reading it. It has started to really bother me when those who rose to power and built empires through force are presented as Great Men, as admirable or heroic. Qin Shi Huang, Alexander the Great, Napoleon: these men were ruthless megalomaniacs who glorified themselves through the misery of others. But we are fascinated by power, and there’s never a shortage of people who are willing to read history through rose-tinted bifocals. Hell, the Russians are even doing their best to rehabilitate Stalin.
I assumed that Chaka would do the same; but part of the reason I enjoyed it so much is that, on the contrary, its portrayal of Shaka is absolutely excoriating. He is presented as a handsome man of great courage and physical and military prowess; but also as capricious, cruel, violent and terrifyingly, unswervingly power-hungry. In fact the scale of his violence, against his own people as well as his enemies, would seem ridiculously exaggerated, if you’d never heard of Stalin, or Mao, or Idi Amin.
Which isn’t to say that the novel is historically accurate. It doesn’t even pretend to be; it’s told very much in a mythic, folkloric style rather than a historically realist one, and it takes substantial liberties with the history for the sake of telling a good story, to the point of inventing major characters — including Chaka’s love interest and a sorcerer who provides him with his power. His life story is tweaked and manipulated to bring out the themes of ambition and power, and present him with decisions which are loaded with symbolic resonance. I would normally shy away from comparing a writer to Shakespeare — just too much baggage — but as a piece of myth-making based freely on a historical source, it really reminds me of Macbeth or King Lear.
I wasn’t immediately gripped by it, but as the action ramped up and Chaka developed into a more and more extreme character, I thought it was electrifying.
I wasn’t entirely looking forward to reading it. It has started to really bother me when those who rose to power and built empires through force are presented as Great Men, as admirable or heroic. Qin Shi Huang, Alexander the Great, Napoleon: these men were ruthless megalomaniacs who glorified themselves through the misery of others. But we are fascinated by power, and there’s never a shortage of people who are willing to read history through rose-tinted bifocals. Hell, the Russians are even doing their best to rehabilitate Stalin.
I assumed that Chaka would do the same; but part of the reason I enjoyed it so much is that, on the contrary, its portrayal of Shaka is absolutely excoriating. He is presented as a handsome man of great courage and physical and military prowess; but also as capricious, cruel, violent and terrifyingly, unswervingly power-hungry. In fact the scale of his violence, against his own people as well as his enemies, would seem ridiculously exaggerated, if you’d never heard of Stalin, or Mao, or Idi Amin.
Which isn’t to say that the novel is historically accurate. It doesn’t even pretend to be; it’s told very much in a mythic, folkloric style rather than a historically realist one, and it takes substantial liberties with the history for the sake of telling a good story, to the point of inventing major characters — including Chaka’s love interest and a sorcerer who provides him with his power. His life story is tweaked and manipulated to bring out the themes of ambition and power, and present him with decisions which are loaded with symbolic resonance. I would normally shy away from comparing a writer to Shakespeare — just too much baggage — but as a piece of myth-making based freely on a historical source, it really reminds me of Macbeth or King Lear.
I wasn’t immediately gripped by it, but as the action ramped up and Chaka developed into a more and more extreme character, I thought it was electrifying.
October 17, 2021
3 stars for the story, rounded up to 4 for the excellent translation. There are not many books translated from African indigenous languages and this one was written in 1910, published and translated in the 1920's. This is a new translation with an excellent introduction. The story itself is that of Chaka, the king who is credited with forming the Zulu nation and who was a brilliant strategist and fighter, but cruel and capricious as a person. It is not an quick read, but an easy read overall.
October 23, 2025
Mein erster afrikanischer Klassiker fand seinen Weg zu mir in einer wohl durch die europäischen Herausgeber jener Zeit gekürzten Edition, was meine Bewertung nun freilich auch entsprechend beeinflusst. Meine historischen Kenntnisse südafrikanischer Begebenheiten vor der britischen Kolonisation waren und sind auch jetzt noch äußerst spärlich, gleichwohl stört dieser Umstand das Lesen dieses Romans nur sehr wenig.
Der Roman behandelt den großen Zulu-König Chaka, dessen Person und Taten so manchem bekannt sein dürften, in einer geradezu epischen Art; die deutsche Übersetzung dieses Werks gibt so glaube ich die angewendete, sesothische Prosa so gut als möglich wieder. Die Schriftsprache kommt schlicht, doch durchaus solide komponiert rüber und führt dem Leser Bilder legendenhafter Natur zu Gemüte. Wir erleben Chaka's Kindheit, Jugendzeit und das Leben als Tyrann verstärkt durch zahlreiche Erläuterungen seines Innenlebens gemeinsam mit ihm. Herr Mofolo war nun kein tiefgründiger Psychologe, doch sehr intelligent und gebildet genug um einen Charakter zu zeichnen der zwar ein wenig schablonenhaft und doch lebendig wirkt.
Ich wage zu dem jetzigen Zeitpunkt gewiß kein Urteil über die afrikanische Herangehensweise zu fällen wie sie einen Roman erzählen, doch glaube ich hier indessen durchaus Aspekte davon erkannt zu haben die ich folgendermaßen kurz erläutern möchte; Thomas Mofolo war zeitgemäß durch und durch europäisch geprägt worden, soll heißen er wurde auf europäische Art gebildet und beeinflusst, doch behalten seine afrikanischen, individuellen Wurzeln genug Substanz, um dem Leser ein flüchtiges Gefühl afrikanischer Erzählweise zu vermitteln.
Ich empfand gerade diese süd-afrikanische Erzählweise durchaus angenehm; es ist eine natürliche Freiheit von allem Erzwungenen und Affektierten zu spüren. Herr Mofolo schreibt so wie man im Alltag zu seiner Zeit wohl redet, doch stets bedacht und frei von allen unnötigen Bildern. Keine Spur von Überheblichkeit und erzwungener Moralpredigt ist zu vernehmen, obgleich ich doch einen leichten Einfluss der Bibel vernommen zu haben glaube. Doch stört dies keineswegs.
Aufschlussreich empfand ich erneut die Tatsache wie ähnlich sich Menschen ganz unterschiedlichster kultureller Beeinflussung und Wurzeln in ihrer Art die Dinge zu beurteilen zeigen. Die Figuren in diesem Roman weisen obzwar spezifisch-afrikanische doch kaum unterschiedliche Merkmale zu uns Europäern diesbezüglich vor, dass man mal wieder genötigt ist die niedrigen Schwächen der Menschheit gang generell für Bekanntheit und Ruhm zu rügen. Chaka dominiert natürlich gerade diese beiden Neigungen.
Seine Entwicklung ist für uns nicht neu, überrascht aber lediglich vielleicht durch die Feststellung dass solcherlei Vorgang auch in Afrika vor der Kolonisation vorhanden war. Chaka dürfte wohl der afrikanische Hitler gewesen sein, bedenkt man wieviele Männer, Frauen und Kinder er brutal hat hinrichten lassen. Die linksliberalen Pseudo-intellektuellen dürften gerade diesen Vergleich kaum aushalten, doch die Wirklichkeit schert sich bekanntlich nicht um politische Ideale.
Man kann es lesen, man lernt durchaus ein wenig dabei, doch nichts weltbewegendes.
Der Roman behandelt den großen Zulu-König Chaka, dessen Person und Taten so manchem bekannt sein dürften, in einer geradezu epischen Art; die deutsche Übersetzung dieses Werks gibt so glaube ich die angewendete, sesothische Prosa so gut als möglich wieder. Die Schriftsprache kommt schlicht, doch durchaus solide komponiert rüber und führt dem Leser Bilder legendenhafter Natur zu Gemüte. Wir erleben Chaka's Kindheit, Jugendzeit und das Leben als Tyrann verstärkt durch zahlreiche Erläuterungen seines Innenlebens gemeinsam mit ihm. Herr Mofolo war nun kein tiefgründiger Psychologe, doch sehr intelligent und gebildet genug um einen Charakter zu zeichnen der zwar ein wenig schablonenhaft und doch lebendig wirkt.
Ich wage zu dem jetzigen Zeitpunkt gewiß kein Urteil über die afrikanische Herangehensweise zu fällen wie sie einen Roman erzählen, doch glaube ich hier indessen durchaus Aspekte davon erkannt zu haben die ich folgendermaßen kurz erläutern möchte; Thomas Mofolo war zeitgemäß durch und durch europäisch geprägt worden, soll heißen er wurde auf europäische Art gebildet und beeinflusst, doch behalten seine afrikanischen, individuellen Wurzeln genug Substanz, um dem Leser ein flüchtiges Gefühl afrikanischer Erzählweise zu vermitteln.
Ich empfand gerade diese süd-afrikanische Erzählweise durchaus angenehm; es ist eine natürliche Freiheit von allem Erzwungenen und Affektierten zu spüren. Herr Mofolo schreibt so wie man im Alltag zu seiner Zeit wohl redet, doch stets bedacht und frei von allen unnötigen Bildern. Keine Spur von Überheblichkeit und erzwungener Moralpredigt ist zu vernehmen, obgleich ich doch einen leichten Einfluss der Bibel vernommen zu haben glaube. Doch stört dies keineswegs.
Aufschlussreich empfand ich erneut die Tatsache wie ähnlich sich Menschen ganz unterschiedlichster kultureller Beeinflussung und Wurzeln in ihrer Art die Dinge zu beurteilen zeigen. Die Figuren in diesem Roman weisen obzwar spezifisch-afrikanische doch kaum unterschiedliche Merkmale zu uns Europäern diesbezüglich vor, dass man mal wieder genötigt ist die niedrigen Schwächen der Menschheit gang generell für Bekanntheit und Ruhm zu rügen. Chaka dominiert natürlich gerade diese beiden Neigungen.
Seine Entwicklung ist für uns nicht neu, überrascht aber lediglich vielleicht durch die Feststellung dass solcherlei Vorgang auch in Afrika vor der Kolonisation vorhanden war. Chaka dürfte wohl der afrikanische Hitler gewesen sein, bedenkt man wieviele Männer, Frauen und Kinder er brutal hat hinrichten lassen. Die linksliberalen Pseudo-intellektuellen dürften gerade diesen Vergleich kaum aushalten, doch die Wirklichkeit schert sich bekanntlich nicht um politische Ideale.
Man kann es lesen, man lernt durchaus ein wenig dabei, doch nichts weltbewegendes.
May 23, 2015
Chaka was one of the first of Africa's significant contribution to classic world literature. This novel gives a highly fictionalised account of the great Shaka, from the circumstances surrounding his death, to his rise to never before seen power and culminating in the prophetic claim of the coming of the white man in his death.
Chaka is a classic tragedy - there's the flawed character, Chaka; supernatural occurrences in the form of the sorcerer, Isanusi; and the tragic end of this bloodthirsty anti-hero (according to the novel).
What this novel, which the translator, Daniel Kunene, tries to highlight the African form of storytelling with, does is to spark an interest in the real historical figure of Chaka.
In writing this novel, Thomas Mofolo has given as an enduring example of the African tragedy, written in his traditional language of Sesotho, about an empire that existed before colonialism and Christianity.
Chaka is a classic tragedy - there's the flawed character, Chaka; supernatural occurrences in the form of the sorcerer, Isanusi; and the tragic end of this bloodthirsty anti-hero (according to the novel).
What this novel, which the translator, Daniel Kunene, tries to highlight the African form of storytelling with, does is to spark an interest in the real historical figure of Chaka.
In writing this novel, Thomas Mofolo has given as an enduring example of the African tragedy, written in his traditional language of Sesotho, about an empire that existed before colonialism and Christianity.
January 4, 2020
“I shall simply kill whomever I wish to kill, whether he is guilty or not, because that is the law of this world. I will never have mercy on a person simply because of his pleadings. Indeed Chaka returns with no human feeling left in him, his sole aim being to kill, resolved that he will settle every dispute and every quarrel with his stick by killing both the accuser and the accused.”
This is a fictionalised biography of King Shaka (spelled Chaka in book). It was first written in1909 in Sesotho. The first English translation was in 1931 and the version I am reviewing is a 1981 English translation.
The book tells the story of Chaka, from birth to death and all the hell he raised in the southern Africa during his time. It sounds like the story is set before the White Settlement in South Africa, though this might not be historically accurate, I guess historical accuracy in a fictional tale is a moot point. The reason I am inclined to believe this timing is because Chaka prophesized, with his dying breath, the coming of the white men.
“You are killing me in the hope that you will be kings when I am dead, whereas you are wrong, that is not the way it will be because umlungu, the white man, is coming, and it is he who will rule you, and you will be his servants.”
This book reads more like a historical paranormal fiction with the writing style of the bible. The reason for this analogy is because it was difficult at times to understand what the text was trying to say, and I realised that this is because it’s a translation. Somethings that would have made perfect sense in the original language sounded ridiculous in English, especially where the translator tried to keep word for word of the original phrase. And trying to explain some actual customs without changing or adding on to the explanation, just made the explanation more confusing. There was also the issue of somethings, places, events and even customs referred to in the story and the author assumed general knowledge of the reader, and this assumed knowledge actually being important to what was being narrated. Which means, if as the reader, one doesn’t have that knowledge then that part of the story is lost. Again, this might be because the original book was written for a localised audience, and the translator also did not take broader audience into consideration and decided to stick to the word for word translation.
This book is a classic and I was surprised that though it came from a country that not many know about, at the time the writers’ race was not expected to achieve much in the ways of the Western, the story can hold its own against the nowadays paranormal and fantasy novels. I am not sure if a translator of a book is allowed to add more explanation or even translate in the way that gives the intended meaning rather than literal translation, because this would help the reader get more from the book. On the other hand, that might be like reading Shakespeare written in today’s language, which I have read and actually didn’t like because while easily understandable, the richness of the language is lost.
Our MC, Chaka, was an outcast from birth. His father was a king with several wives but none of his wives could bear him any sons. The king propositioned a young lady, Nandi, to lay with him, out of wedlock, even though he knew that the law was that the penalty for out of marriage sex was death for the guilty parties and all their age mates (fiction). This was because everyone in that age group would be considered rotten and would have to be purged. So, when they discovered that they were pregnant they got married before Nandi started showing. The problem was that Chaka was born earlier than 9 months after marriage but because he was the only son to the king, this did not become an issue. Soon after his birth, some of the first wives also had sons, three, and succession became an issue. The wives demanded that the king should uphold the law and kill Nandi and his son. Because the king loved his youngest wife and his son, he opted for banishing them to Nandi’s home village to never come back.
Because of his origin, Chaka was abused and ridiculed by everyone, his peers and adults alike, except for his mother. He grew up angry, ambitious and bitter and all he wanted was to be a king after his father. And not just a king, the greatest king his world had ever seen. Through the help of a witch doctor and its disciples, he achieved this, but in the process, he lost his humanity. Because of his upbringing and through guidance of his witch doctor he became the cruellest ruler and the most insatiable killer.
“I believe that you have, in a small way, seen the affairs of this world, that people live by favouritism and bias, by hatred and by strength; and now you too must part with mercy from this very day, because mercy devours its owner.”
For him to maintain his success and achieve the greatness that he wanted, the only requirement from his doctor was that his spear must never be without blood.
“One important matter which I want you to understand well is that the great king who once visited you at the river is a person who loves war; if you do not spill blood, he will not be pleased with you. Also, the medicine with which I have vaccinated you is a medicine of blood; if you do not spill much blood, it will turn against you and kill you instead. Your sole purpose should be to kill without mercy, and thus clear the path that leads to the glory of your kingship.”
“It is extremely evil, but it is also extremely good. Choose!”
And so Chaka choose greatness over mercy and the demanded price for this was for him to sacrifice his greatest love, “his wife” and he never married after that. The book details some of the atrocities that he committed in his quest for greatness and the results of such on most of the southern Africa. Chaka conquered many tribes and his practice was that, from the conquered tribes, only young men not yet set in their ways and women of childbearing age should be kept, everyone else was killed. This led to difaqane (crushing, scattering, forced dispersal, forced migration).
“It was through Chaka that the difaqane came into existence, the time when people ate each other, and stole or took by force what belonged to others; it was also the time of the homeless wanderer, something that had not been known before. It was through him that cannibalism first came into being, this thing which is uglier and more despicable than all others, when people hunted each other like animals for the sole purpose of eating each other.”
Difaqane and what this passage is referring to is a historical fact. The death toll is estimated between 1 and 2 million.
His killings did not only extend to the conquered but to his people also and because of this, where he started as a beloved king, soon his commanders were plotting against him. His loyalties were only to himself and his ambitions. He hated to see his commanders rise in ranks and would devise ways for them to get killed or come up with some of the craziest reasons to kill them.
He returns determined to fight a war that has no end, by means of which he will kill both his enemies and his own people and friends in a clandestine manner. The frightening vengeance of his heart is indeed about to drive him mad.
This is what led to his downfall and eventual death.
I really enjoyed this book, scary and unfortunate as may be that a character of this kind once walked the earth. Good or bad, he was one of the great sons of Africa and his nation still exist to this day.
This is a fictionalised biography of King Shaka (spelled Chaka in book). It was first written in1909 in Sesotho. The first English translation was in 1931 and the version I am reviewing is a 1981 English translation.
The book tells the story of Chaka, from birth to death and all the hell he raised in the southern Africa during his time. It sounds like the story is set before the White Settlement in South Africa, though this might not be historically accurate, I guess historical accuracy in a fictional tale is a moot point. The reason I am inclined to believe this timing is because Chaka prophesized, with his dying breath, the coming of the white men.
“You are killing me in the hope that you will be kings when I am dead, whereas you are wrong, that is not the way it will be because umlungu, the white man, is coming, and it is he who will rule you, and you will be his servants.”
This book reads more like a historical paranormal fiction with the writing style of the bible. The reason for this analogy is because it was difficult at times to understand what the text was trying to say, and I realised that this is because it’s a translation. Somethings that would have made perfect sense in the original language sounded ridiculous in English, especially where the translator tried to keep word for word of the original phrase. And trying to explain some actual customs without changing or adding on to the explanation, just made the explanation more confusing. There was also the issue of somethings, places, events and even customs referred to in the story and the author assumed general knowledge of the reader, and this assumed knowledge actually being important to what was being narrated. Which means, if as the reader, one doesn’t have that knowledge then that part of the story is lost. Again, this might be because the original book was written for a localised audience, and the translator also did not take broader audience into consideration and decided to stick to the word for word translation.
This book is a classic and I was surprised that though it came from a country that not many know about, at the time the writers’ race was not expected to achieve much in the ways of the Western, the story can hold its own against the nowadays paranormal and fantasy novels. I am not sure if a translator of a book is allowed to add more explanation or even translate in the way that gives the intended meaning rather than literal translation, because this would help the reader get more from the book. On the other hand, that might be like reading Shakespeare written in today’s language, which I have read and actually didn’t like because while easily understandable, the richness of the language is lost.
Our MC, Chaka, was an outcast from birth. His father was a king with several wives but none of his wives could bear him any sons. The king propositioned a young lady, Nandi, to lay with him, out of wedlock, even though he knew that the law was that the penalty for out of marriage sex was death for the guilty parties and all their age mates (fiction). This was because everyone in that age group would be considered rotten and would have to be purged. So, when they discovered that they were pregnant they got married before Nandi started showing. The problem was that Chaka was born earlier than 9 months after marriage but because he was the only son to the king, this did not become an issue. Soon after his birth, some of the first wives also had sons, three, and succession became an issue. The wives demanded that the king should uphold the law and kill Nandi and his son. Because the king loved his youngest wife and his son, he opted for banishing them to Nandi’s home village to never come back.
Because of his origin, Chaka was abused and ridiculed by everyone, his peers and adults alike, except for his mother. He grew up angry, ambitious and bitter and all he wanted was to be a king after his father. And not just a king, the greatest king his world had ever seen. Through the help of a witch doctor and its disciples, he achieved this, but in the process, he lost his humanity. Because of his upbringing and through guidance of his witch doctor he became the cruellest ruler and the most insatiable killer.
“I believe that you have, in a small way, seen the affairs of this world, that people live by favouritism and bias, by hatred and by strength; and now you too must part with mercy from this very day, because mercy devours its owner.”
For him to maintain his success and achieve the greatness that he wanted, the only requirement from his doctor was that his spear must never be without blood.
“One important matter which I want you to understand well is that the great king who once visited you at the river is a person who loves war; if you do not spill blood, he will not be pleased with you. Also, the medicine with which I have vaccinated you is a medicine of blood; if you do not spill much blood, it will turn against you and kill you instead. Your sole purpose should be to kill without mercy, and thus clear the path that leads to the glory of your kingship.”
“It is extremely evil, but it is also extremely good. Choose!”
And so Chaka choose greatness over mercy and the demanded price for this was for him to sacrifice his greatest love, “his wife” and he never married after that. The book details some of the atrocities that he committed in his quest for greatness and the results of such on most of the southern Africa. Chaka conquered many tribes and his practice was that, from the conquered tribes, only young men not yet set in their ways and women of childbearing age should be kept, everyone else was killed. This led to difaqane (crushing, scattering, forced dispersal, forced migration).
“It was through Chaka that the difaqane came into existence, the time when people ate each other, and stole or took by force what belonged to others; it was also the time of the homeless wanderer, something that had not been known before. It was through him that cannibalism first came into being, this thing which is uglier and more despicable than all others, when people hunted each other like animals for the sole purpose of eating each other.”
Difaqane and what this passage is referring to is a historical fact. The death toll is estimated between 1 and 2 million.
His killings did not only extend to the conquered but to his people also and because of this, where he started as a beloved king, soon his commanders were plotting against him. His loyalties were only to himself and his ambitions. He hated to see his commanders rise in ranks and would devise ways for them to get killed or come up with some of the craziest reasons to kill them.
He returns determined to fight a war that has no end, by means of which he will kill both his enemies and his own people and friends in a clandestine manner. The frightening vengeance of his heart is indeed about to drive him mad.
This is what led to his downfall and eventual death.
I really enjoyed this book, scary and unfortunate as may be that a character of this kind once walked the earth. Good or bad, he was one of the great sons of Africa and his nation still exist to this day.
September 30, 2023
Around the World Reading Challenge: LESOTHO
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Interesting book that provides a fictionalized, almost fable-like account of Chaka/Shaka, one of the infamous Zulu kings, reigning in the early 1800s. He's depicted here as a cruel, capricious, and power-hungry king, who slowly sheds all traces of humanity as he chases more and more power. It gets quite brutal in places, and the legend-like recounting here occasionally left me wanting a bit more detail and context, but on the whole I enjoyed this more than expected--books about megalomaniacs are rarely my bag.
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Interesting book that provides a fictionalized, almost fable-like account of Chaka/Shaka, one of the infamous Zulu kings, reigning in the early 1800s. He's depicted here as a cruel, capricious, and power-hungry king, who slowly sheds all traces of humanity as he chases more and more power. It gets quite brutal in places, and the legend-like recounting here occasionally left me wanting a bit more detail and context, but on the whole I enjoyed this more than expected--books about megalomaniacs are rarely my bag.
January 25, 2026
E’ da un po’ che in quei “momenti in cui vuoi spegnere le sinapsi” dedico qualche minuto ad Angry Birds. Sì, esattamente, quel giochino in cui scagli uno stormo di uccelli con caratteristiche distruttive differenti per colpire degli insensati maiali verdi. Non facciamoci troppe domande, ho giocato di peggio.
Come son passato a pensare ad Angry Birds dopo aver terminato Chaka Zulu, testo del 1910 (pubblicato nel 1925) di Thomas Mofolo, che mi consente di spuntare il Lesotho nel giro del mondo letterario e di marcare un +1 (insperato) pure nella lista dei 1001 da leggere?
E’ che Angry Birds è un gioco di traiettorie paraboliche, e nel racconto che Mofolo intesse della vicenda umana e storica del fondatore e primo sovrano dell’impero Zulu, che nel XIX secolo si sviluppo in quello che oggi chiamiamo Sudafrica. E quella di Chaka (in altre fonti Shaka) Zulu è, a tutti gli effetti, una parabola.
Come tutte le parabole, nasce dal punto più basso. Mofolo, in un romanzo breve che è intessuto di elementi sovrannaturali e di moniti morali, lo racconta come figlio illegittimo cresciuto fra violenze e scarsa considerazione, al punto da chiudere il cuore alla pietà. La crescita si avvia attraverso l’incontro con Isanusi, metà stratega e metà stregone, che lo affianca nella presa del potere e nelle infinite (e cruenti) battaglie contro tribù vicine, fino all’apogeo del suo regno. Da lì, come nei rosoni medievali, l’inevitabile caduta, condita da paranoie e ossessioni e dall’inevitabile profezia in punto di morte.
Non esattamente la mia tazza di the, anche per una certa sincope costruttiva, ma comunque un testo con un certo grado di fascino, ottimo punto di partenza per una esplorazione della storia africana, magari soprassedendo un po’ sulle derive più magiche che non rispondono molto al mio (personalissimo!) gusto letterario.
Come son passato a pensare ad Angry Birds dopo aver terminato Chaka Zulu, testo del 1910 (pubblicato nel 1925) di Thomas Mofolo, che mi consente di spuntare il Lesotho nel giro del mondo letterario e di marcare un +1 (insperato) pure nella lista dei 1001 da leggere?
E’ che Angry Birds è un gioco di traiettorie paraboliche, e nel racconto che Mofolo intesse della vicenda umana e storica del fondatore e primo sovrano dell’impero Zulu, che nel XIX secolo si sviluppo in quello che oggi chiamiamo Sudafrica. E quella di Chaka (in altre fonti Shaka) Zulu è, a tutti gli effetti, una parabola.
Come tutte le parabole, nasce dal punto più basso. Mofolo, in un romanzo breve che è intessuto di elementi sovrannaturali e di moniti morali, lo racconta come figlio illegittimo cresciuto fra violenze e scarsa considerazione, al punto da chiudere il cuore alla pietà. La crescita si avvia attraverso l’incontro con Isanusi, metà stratega e metà stregone, che lo affianca nella presa del potere e nelle infinite (e cruenti) battaglie contro tribù vicine, fino all’apogeo del suo regno. Da lì, come nei rosoni medievali, l’inevitabile caduta, condita da paranoie e ossessioni e dall’inevitabile profezia in punto di morte.
Non esattamente la mia tazza di the, anche per una certa sincope costruttiva, ma comunque un testo con un certo grado di fascino, ottimo punto di partenza per una esplorazione della storia africana, magari soprassedendo un po’ sulle derive più magiche che non rispondono molto al mio (personalissimo!) gusto letterario.
May 23, 2018
Ik heb nu best wat teksten over Shaka gelezen en waarom vinden zoveel auteurs het nodig om een vrouwelijk personage erbij te verzinnen die alleen maar als plot device en ter versterking van Shaka's karakter wordt ingezet??
October 7, 2021
3.5 stars The strange historical fiction about the king of the Zulu tribe circa 1800 in what is now Lesotho. Apparently much of the history is accurate though not all. The writing style reminded me of folk-art paintings by an untrained but talented artist.
January 12, 2022
I had expressed my personal observation elsewhere already that books included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list may be divided into two major categories: one, those which were brilliantly written and got their spots mainly because of their excellent prose; and two, those which had been included because of their importance (historical or otherwise). I think this book belong to the latter category, but of course I am not sure. Prose-wise, I was not enamoured by it. But then again, the translator himself (Daniel P. Kunene) had disclosed the difficulty of translating this work from its original Sesotho (African) language to English, encountering barriers like Sesotho words or idioms not having any equivalent in English and similar stuff. Nevertheless, this is said to be a famous novel (maybe in Africa at least) so I defer to the possibility that much had really been lost in the translation.
Chaka, apparently, was a real Zulu king but this is not a straight out biography. More like a historical fiction with generous embellishments. In the beginning, it looked like that his rise to power was supernaturally ordained, but once he became the king of his nation he turned into a bloodthirsty tyrant in the mold of Stalin and Mao. He began killing whimsically and it is only out of respect to those who have not read this and may want to read it in the future that I consciously refrain to mention here those Chaka had killed by his own hands.
Somewhere near the end of this novel, the king Chaka already has trouble getting sleep, bothered perhaps by his conscience or visited by the nightmares of his own creation. Here, I sort of whispered to myself that this stressed-out, sleepless vampire might seek relief in more killings and true enough I later came to this paragraph:
“Chaka was very angry when he saw other people sleeping while he was unable to sleep, and he killed nine men on that same night stabbing them fatally so that they died in their sleep right there on the ground where they lay,”
But this was among the fiction part of the novel. Some pieces of the possibly real, historical Chaka are mentioned in the book’s Introduction and I quote here the part I find the most intriguing:
“Senzangakhona’s (Chaka’s father-king) meeting with Nandi (Chaka’s mother) is remembered differently in other accounts. According to A. T. Bryant in his ‘Olden Times in Zululand and Natal,’ Senzangakhona was travelling when he saw Nandi bathing in a stream, was attracted to her, and asked for ‘amahlay’ endlela’ (the fun of the road), but he lost his head and, instead of the customary external intercourse called ‘ukuhlobonga’, he destroyed her virginity. R.R.R. Dhlomo, a Zulu author and historian, states that Nandi herself, having heard about Senzangakhona and his handsomeness and tall stature, went to find him and declare her love for him.”
What the hell is this “fun of the road” or this “customary external intercourse”???
Chaka, apparently, was a real Zulu king but this is not a straight out biography. More like a historical fiction with generous embellishments. In the beginning, it looked like that his rise to power was supernaturally ordained, but once he became the king of his nation he turned into a bloodthirsty tyrant in the mold of Stalin and Mao. He began killing whimsically and it is only out of respect to those who have not read this and may want to read it in the future that I consciously refrain to mention here those Chaka had killed by his own hands.
Somewhere near the end of this novel, the king Chaka already has trouble getting sleep, bothered perhaps by his conscience or visited by the nightmares of his own creation. Here, I sort of whispered to myself that this stressed-out, sleepless vampire might seek relief in more killings and true enough I later came to this paragraph:
“Chaka was very angry when he saw other people sleeping while he was unable to sleep, and he killed nine men on that same night stabbing them fatally so that they died in their sleep right there on the ground where they lay,”
But this was among the fiction part of the novel. Some pieces of the possibly real, historical Chaka are mentioned in the book’s Introduction and I quote here the part I find the most intriguing:
“Senzangakhona’s (Chaka’s father-king) meeting with Nandi (Chaka’s mother) is remembered differently in other accounts. According to A. T. Bryant in his ‘Olden Times in Zululand and Natal,’ Senzangakhona was travelling when he saw Nandi bathing in a stream, was attracted to her, and asked for ‘amahlay’ endlela’ (the fun of the road), but he lost his head and, instead of the customary external intercourse called ‘ukuhlobonga’, he destroyed her virginity. R.R.R. Dhlomo, a Zulu author and historian, states that Nandi herself, having heard about Senzangakhona and his handsomeness and tall stature, went to find him and declare her love for him.”
What the hell is this “fun of the road” or this “customary external intercourse”???
Read
July 21, 2024Reading a Century Project 1925
July 17, 2021
«Чака» Томаса Мофоло однозначно попадает для меня в лучшие книги 2021-го года. Здесь сцены кровавых битв, по сравнению с которыми битва Джона Сноу и Рамси Болтона в «Игре Престолов» — просто детский утренник. Африканские колдуны и чёрная магия. Все каноны героического эпоса: волшебство, чтобы сделать главного героя неуязвимым, и изъян в нём. Многочисленные подвиги и сражения. Мифический громадный змей, которого Чака встречает в озере, прекрасная дева. Только без хэппи энда. Здесь всё жёстко.
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Кровавые жертвы, которые необходимо будет принести Чаке, чтобы убить в себе все человеческие чувства и эмоции — и стать Великим Зулусским Королём. Абзацы в книге, которые хочется разобрать на цитаты. Кинематографичность текста — в моей голове разыгрывалось нереально красочное действо.
⠀
Тотальная война, террор, массовые убийства и репрессии. Запустение земель, каннибализм. Идею армии «Безупречных» Джордж Мартин взял тоже отсюда, из реальной истории Чаки — своим воинам Чака запрещал жениться, так как считал, что те из них, у кого есть жена и дети, в страхе бегут с поля боя. А те, у кого нет, бесстрашно бьются насмерть. Молодые девушки становились рабынями и обслуживали — только хозяйственно — армии Чаки. Все «связи» карались смертью. Брак разрешался только как награда за особые военные заслуги.
⠀
Ну и по традиции, стареющий Зулусский Король Чака постепенно сходил с ума от подозрительности и от осознания ужасов собственных деяний. Умирали его близкие. Деспотизм Чаки и массовые казни в конце концов подорвали терпение его народа. Чака никак не думал, что его убьют во сне в его собственной кровати, подкравшись тихо, как шакалы. Но так и было, и продолжился террор ...
⠀
Реальная история Чаки и так была похожа на блокбастер. Со временем она обросла легендами и домыслами и превратилась в нечто уж совсем феерическое. И поспособствовала этому во многом шикарная книга Томаса Мофоло. Переводчики, переводите скорее.
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Кровавые жертвы, которые необходимо будет принести Чаке, чтобы убить в себе все человеческие чувства и эмоции — и стать Великим Зулусским Королём. Абзацы в книге, которые хочется разобрать на цитаты. Кинематографичность текста — в моей голове разыгрывалось нереально красочное действо.
⠀
Тотальная война, террор, массовые убийства и репрессии. Запустение земель, каннибализм. Идею армии «Безупречных» Джордж Мартин взял тоже отсюда, из реальной истории Чаки — своим воинам Чака запрещал жениться, так как считал, что те из них, у кого есть жена и дети, в страхе бегут с поля боя. А те, у кого нет, бесстрашно бьются насмерть. Молодые девушки становились рабынями и обслуживали — только хозяйственно — армии Чаки. Все «связи» карались смертью. Брак разрешался только как награда за особые военные заслуги.
⠀
Ну и по традиции, стареющий Зулусский Король Чака постепенно сходил с ума от подозрительности и от осознания ужасов собственных деяний. Умирали его близкие. Деспотизм Чаки и массовые казни в конце концов подорвали терпение его народа. Чака никак не думал, что его убьют во сне в его собственной кровати, подкравшись тихо, как шакалы. Но так и было, и продолжился террор ...
⠀
Реальная история Чаки и так была похожа на блокбастер. Со временем она обросла легендами и домыслами и превратилась в нечто уж совсем феерическое. И поспособствовала этому во многом шикарная книга Томаса Мофоло. Переводчики, переводите скорее.
January 9, 2017
Ke ratile mokgwa oo Ntate Mokopu a nqoqetseng pale ena ka teng. Ke rata mokgwa oo a ngotseng puo yeso ka teng. Ke lakatsa e ka ho ne ho sa ka ha fetolwa mokgwa oo re ngolang Sesotho ka mona ka Aforika Borwa.
Ena ke pale e utlwisang bohloko e bile e kwatisa. E fana ka tlhahisoleseding hore na bophelo bo ne bo le jwang ka nako tseo. Hore ho tlileng jwang hore difaqane di be teng le hore madimo a bakuwe ke eng.
Ke iketletse yona pale ena hobane e ne e nkama maikutlo ka mokgwa o etsang hore ke batle ho phomola, nke ke lebale ka diketsahalo tseo ke seng ke badile ka tsona.
Sesotho se monate se ngotsweng mona.
Ena ke pale e utlwisang bohloko e bile e kwatisa. E fana ka tlhahisoleseding hore na bophelo bo ne bo le jwang ka nako tseo. Hore ho tlileng jwang hore difaqane di be teng le hore madimo a bakuwe ke eng.
Ke iketletse yona pale ena hobane e ne e nkama maikutlo ka mokgwa o etsang hore ke batle ho phomola, nke ke lebale ka diketsahalo tseo ke seng ke badile ka tsona.
Sesotho se monate se ngotsweng mona.
July 27, 2025
If Beowulf is an aspirational tale, this is a cautionary one.
A thought-provoking book. It would be tempting to call this the “African Beowulf,” regardless of the fact that the story takes place in the 19th century: the book reads like a myth, folk tale, or parable. Whether Beowulf ever was a “real person” is not what I’m going to talk about — but Shaka Zulu was, in fact, a real person.
Maybe if hundreds of years had gone by, it would be debatable what’s true and what’s not. If it had happened hundreds and hundreds of years earlier, perhaps he would be compared to Beowulf and the details would be fuzzier. Regardless, the story includes the fantastical (don’t most good epics?), it is a tragedy, and there are other similarities with Beowulf — including how Beowulf likely had Christian elements added later, just as this story is likely influenced by Mofolo’s conversion to Christianity.
However, some critics at the time of publication said he was too favorable to traditional African beliefs — while the opposite has been said as well. The complications deepen when you consider that Mofolo was Basotho: he was not even Zulu. Once again, similar to Beowulf, there are questions of religious influence and authorship.
In the spirit of those “complications,” one thing that bugs me — in a good way: there’s a real tension in this book. Is everything truly Shaka’s own doing? Or are the isanusi and his followers the real architects of his rise? The story definitely seems to lean toward the latter, but it’s debatable. Perhaps Shaka’s belief in their sorcery acts as a kind of placebo, giving him the confidence to become what he desires. Or perhaps not.
There’s a steady descent into darkness in this book — one fed by childhood rejection, pride, and a hunger for power. Later on, paranoia. Sadly, it’s a pattern that feels all too familiar in history. It is disturbing; and some of the world’s worst dictators sound like Shaka. My immediate thought to an African one was Idi Amin.
Ultimately, I respect Beowulf (Christian and non-Christian elements and all), and I feel the same toward this book. If Beowulf is about what an ideal, self-sacrificing hero-king could and should be, Chaka is about what happens when the hero-king doesn’t just sacrifice Himself.
A thought-provoking book. It would be tempting to call this the “African Beowulf,” regardless of the fact that the story takes place in the 19th century: the book reads like a myth, folk tale, or parable. Whether Beowulf ever was a “real person” is not what I’m going to talk about — but Shaka Zulu was, in fact, a real person.
Maybe if hundreds of years had gone by, it would be debatable what’s true and what’s not. If it had happened hundreds and hundreds of years earlier, perhaps he would be compared to Beowulf and the details would be fuzzier. Regardless, the story includes the fantastical (don’t most good epics?), it is a tragedy, and there are other similarities with Beowulf — including how Beowulf likely had Christian elements added later, just as this story is likely influenced by Mofolo’s conversion to Christianity.
However, some critics at the time of publication said he was too favorable to traditional African beliefs — while the opposite has been said as well. The complications deepen when you consider that Mofolo was Basotho: he was not even Zulu. Once again, similar to Beowulf, there are questions of religious influence and authorship.
In the spirit of those “complications,” one thing that bugs me — in a good way: there’s a real tension in this book. Is everything truly Shaka’s own doing? Or are the isanusi and his followers the real architects of his rise? The story definitely seems to lean toward the latter, but it’s debatable. Perhaps Shaka’s belief in their sorcery acts as a kind of placebo, giving him the confidence to become what he desires. Or perhaps not.
There’s a steady descent into darkness in this book — one fed by childhood rejection, pride, and a hunger for power. Later on, paranoia. Sadly, it’s a pattern that feels all too familiar in history. It is disturbing; and some of the world’s worst dictators sound like Shaka. My immediate thought to an African one was Idi Amin.
Ultimately, I respect Beowulf (Christian and non-Christian elements and all), and I feel the same toward this book. If Beowulf is about what an ideal, self-sacrificing hero-king could and should be, Chaka is about what happens when the hero-king doesn’t just sacrifice Himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2022
3.5 stars. An interesting, engaging, eventful novel about the life of a great Zulu leader, Chaka, set in South Africa during the 1800s. Chaka is a fearless fighter, learning his skills as a boy who is continuously picked on. Chaka becomes a skilful warrior and the king’s second in command. When Chaka becomes king, he is aided by a medicine man, Isanusi. Chaka becomes a ruthless, cruel, unjust, overly ambitious leader.
This book was first published in 1925.
This book was first published in 1925.
September 16, 2013
A fascinating telling of the tale of Chaka, Zulu king and mass murderer. At first, it seems like a history of a great leader and ambitious creator of the Zulu people. Then, the story becomes increasingly horrific as Chaka devolves from a strong and charismatic young warrior to a vengeful and evil murderer. Even as he obtains the kingships he wishes for, his bloodlust becomes more and more uncontrolled, leading him to execute broad swaths of his own people as well as waging war against all neighboring peoples. Throughout, I was compelled to keep reading to see where the story would lead even though it was clear early on that the tale could only end in tremendous violence and horror. Extremely powerful writing.
October 29, 2021
an underappreciated epic.
really enjoyed this book, far more than I expected. Written like a greek tragedy, it plays on the mythology and wonder of Africa, and digs deep into a culture struggling through tribal war and tyrannical order. I loved the idea of the witchdoctor playing a major role in Chaka's ascension as well the character development of chaka himself. I perhaps wish some other side characters like nandi or noliwe could have had some more attention, however the main focus is Chaka and I understand this. Learning about his leadership and fall from grace gave a sense of poetic justice as well as human sorrow especially considering Chaka early torment. It gives two sides to one life and made this book all the more tragic.
really enjoyed this book, far more than I expected. Written like a greek tragedy, it plays on the mythology and wonder of Africa, and digs deep into a culture struggling through tribal war and tyrannical order. I loved the idea of the witchdoctor playing a major role in Chaka's ascension as well the character development of chaka himself. I perhaps wish some other side characters like nandi or noliwe could have had some more attention, however the main focus is Chaka and I understand this. Learning about his leadership and fall from grace gave a sense of poetic justice as well as human sorrow especially considering Chaka early torment. It gives two sides to one life and made this book all the more tragic.
January 10, 2018
A tragic tale of the rise and fall of one of the greatest military minds in Africa Shaka. Despite the book containing minor typos, it was an enjoyable read. I love how the author first introduces us to our protagonist and the circumstances surrounding his upbringing which draws us in into Shaka's world - his rise, attainment of power, amassing great wealth and his ultimate downfall. Some great scenes in the book with some loopholes as can be expected of such an account but overall a good read.
September 26, 2016
Had no understanding of why Chaka was such a great figure in African history. By the end of the atory, regardless if some information was fact or fiction, I couldn't stand to read about Chaka and the atrocities he had committed.
January 28, 2022
An extraordinarily interesting novel. Don't come to it for an accurate account of the rise and fall of King Shaka. This novel is somewhere between myth and morality tale and addresses the psychology of power.
August 7, 2018
An epic, mythical tale of Chaka's rise and life as a king (in the early 19th century). Even if straightforward in style, Mofolo's novel can be a little hard to pinpoint. It starts off partly educational, partly a psychological portrait, as the author introduces us to the historical context and to the character of Chaka in his youth. Then, he moves on to explaining that only exceptional causes could lead a man to such a destiny, moving to a moral meditation on greatness and on what has to be traded for it. The last part ends on a nightmarish and bloody portrayal of Chaka's late rule.
Mofolo largely follows what we know of the historical figure, but he exaggerates here and there for dramatic effect. I think the best finding of the book, which makes it entertaining, is the trio Isanusi - Ndlebe - Malunga, the three doctors who appear midway and who account for the supernatural character of Chaka's destiny: his talent to impress, lead and rule stroke as lightning in a feudal society made of villages and small trade. If anything more than about Chaka, at a deeper level the book is about war and change. To Mofolo, Chaka's exclusive fascination for power is closely linked to his readiness to break up the traditional social organization of the Bantu, to the use of subjugation and the birth of a personality cult, and to a society entirely dedicated to war (and more: virility for one). I suspect Mofolo to have a Christian reading: Chaka's warmongering and hunger for fame is a road of increasing murders and folly. Which I can get behind, I suppose the shocking string of massacres in the book can't be far off from reality.
Overall a strong epic, if brutal and a little linear, that does not render Shaka any less mysterious. Easy to read too. Less political than the excellent 80s mini-series that focus on his access to the rule after Senzangakhona, but an interesting reading by a Sotho writer at the time when "Umlungu" had arrived.
Mofolo largely follows what we know of the historical figure, but he exaggerates here and there for dramatic effect. I think the best finding of the book, which makes it entertaining, is the trio Isanusi - Ndlebe - Malunga, the three doctors who appear midway and who account for the supernatural character of Chaka's destiny: his talent to impress, lead and rule stroke as lightning in a feudal society made of villages and small trade. If anything more than about Chaka, at a deeper level the book is about war and change. To Mofolo, Chaka's exclusive fascination for power is closely linked to his readiness to break up the traditional social organization of the Bantu, to the use of subjugation and the birth of a personality cult, and to a society entirely dedicated to war (and more: virility for one). I suspect Mofolo to have a Christian reading: Chaka's warmongering and hunger for fame is a road of increasing murders and folly. Which I can get behind, I suppose the shocking string of massacres in the book can't be far off from reality.
Overall a strong epic, if brutal and a little linear, that does not render Shaka any less mysterious. Easy to read too. Less political than the excellent 80s mini-series that focus on his access to the rule after Senzangakhona, but an interesting reading by a Sotho writer at the time when "Umlungu" had arrived.
September 6, 2022
Thomas Mofolo’s Chaka is a fictionalized—possibly even ‘mythologized’, so to say? —account of the life of ‘Chaka’ or ‘Shaka’ Zulu, the man who brought the Zulus under one unified umbrella. Chaka founded the Zulu Empire, and was its ruler from 1816 to 1828, a period during which he reformed the Zulu warriors, instituting various changes to make the Zulus a formidable fighting force.
This aspect of Chaka’s life does form part of the narrative of Chaka, but on the whole, what predominates in this novel is the character of Chaka himself: how, because his mother Nandi became pregnant before she married his father Senzangakonda, Chaka was ostracized as being illegitimate. Deprived of what should have been the chieftainship of his tribe (Senzangakonda was the chief and as his eldest Chaka ought to have inherited the position), Chaka had to work his way up to the top... in Mofolo’s version, with the help of a witch doctor and his two somewhat supernaturally endowed assistants.
What this becomes, therefore, is not a factual biography of an ambitious king, but a somewhat mystical, eventually distressing tale of a man whose lust for power is so profound that it leaves him thirsting for blood—a thirst so intense, he will stop at nothing. Nothing at all.
Chaka is almost Biblical in its style; besides the fact that it uses an almost KJV-like language, there’s the unsettling parallel (I couldn’t help seeing it as a parallel) to the story of Dr Faustus, selling his soul to the Devil (yes, not the Bible, I know; but still: the Bible too has mention of the concept of a deal with the devil). The way the narrative flows, with repeated massacres; with repeated instances of sated vultures and jackals; with the descriptions of Chaka’s capital, and how all must behave in his presence: this reminded me very strongly indeed of the Bible, in particular the Old Testament.
An interesting story, almost poetic at times, and—all said and done—informative. I must admit I hadn’t known about Chaka before I read this book.
This aspect of Chaka’s life does form part of the narrative of Chaka, but on the whole, what predominates in this novel is the character of Chaka himself: how, because his mother Nandi became pregnant before she married his father Senzangakonda, Chaka was ostracized as being illegitimate. Deprived of what should have been the chieftainship of his tribe (Senzangakonda was the chief and as his eldest Chaka ought to have inherited the position), Chaka had to work his way up to the top... in Mofolo’s version, with the help of a witch doctor and his two somewhat supernaturally endowed assistants.
What this becomes, therefore, is not a factual biography of an ambitious king, but a somewhat mystical, eventually distressing tale of a man whose lust for power is so profound that it leaves him thirsting for blood—a thirst so intense, he will stop at nothing. Nothing at all.
Chaka is almost Biblical in its style; besides the fact that it uses an almost KJV-like language, there’s the unsettling parallel (I couldn’t help seeing it as a parallel) to the story of Dr Faustus, selling his soul to the Devil (yes, not the Bible, I know; but still: the Bible too has mention of the concept of a deal with the devil). The way the narrative flows, with repeated massacres; with repeated instances of sated vultures and jackals; with the descriptions of Chaka’s capital, and how all must behave in his presence: this reminded me very strongly indeed of the Bible, in particular the Old Testament.
An interesting story, almost poetic at times, and—all said and done—informative. I must admit I hadn’t known about Chaka before I read this book.
August 13, 2018
This is a true horror novel. The story of a mass murderer, a blood thirsty King satiated, only, by endless killing.
Mofolo writes with a near Roman Histories sort of pithiness. Yet describes the violence and gore with a modern flair. The novelization of Chaka's life adds magical interventions into the purpose and cruelty of the Zulu nation building. Mofolo, possibly in order to justify his focus on the merciless slaughter, invents a demonic witch doctor who blesses Chaka's life with medicines and blessings.
Mofolo's Chaka is a dispassionate psychopath - who can only be comforted by murder, death, and the spilling of blood. All in his eternal quest to be the one true King. His only two goals in life were to kill and rule. And mass murder is the order of the last 80 pages. Once Chaka comes to power, he murders everyone. If they sing too well, if they sing off key, if they don't sing at all - Chaka has his people killed.
War is eternal...
Mofolo writes with a near Roman Histories sort of pithiness. Yet describes the violence and gore with a modern flair. The novelization of Chaka's life adds magical interventions into the purpose and cruelty of the Zulu nation building. Mofolo, possibly in order to justify his focus on the merciless slaughter, invents a demonic witch doctor who blesses Chaka's life with medicines and blessings.
Mofolo's Chaka is a dispassionate psychopath - who can only be comforted by murder, death, and the spilling of blood. All in his eternal quest to be the one true King. His only two goals in life were to kill and rule. And mass murder is the order of the last 80 pages. Once Chaka comes to power, he murders everyone. If they sing too well, if they sing off key, if they don't sing at all - Chaka has his people killed.
War is eternal...
June 1, 2019
This is a novel of quite extraordinary interest. Of course, the historical material is subordinated to the novelist’s art: when we read of the giant serpent emerging from the river and winding itself around Chaka whilst caressing him with its flickering forked tongues, we know we are in the mythic realm. And what a realm it is!
This novel is successful on many different levels. As a study of the corrosive effects of absolute power and the corrupting consequences of deliberately making dark choices to gain power, it is masterful. At the same time it conveys a very clear sense of time and place. And what a time and what a place! I don’t mean to sound facetious, but - how could anyone resist ostrich feather plumes and leopardskin accessories? Wonderful and unjustly underrated, as indeed Mr Mofolo was in his own lifetime.
This novel is successful on many different levels. As a study of the corrosive effects of absolute power and the corrupting consequences of deliberately making dark choices to gain power, it is masterful. At the same time it conveys a very clear sense of time and place. And what a time and what a place! I don’t mean to sound facetious, but - how could anyone resist ostrich feather plumes and leopardskin accessories? Wonderful and unjustly underrated, as indeed Mr Mofolo was in his own lifetime.
January 1, 2025
Soooooo I finished reading books from every country in Africa with this.
This is the story of the warrior king Chaka (Shaka) - and it starts out as a classic myth - the only son of the last wife of his father the chief - who then gets more male heirs (women are only present in this story to be abused sexually, killed (mostly both) or as the mother of our hero Chaka).
The poor boy is harassed and beaten by later brothers (of the other wifes) and must fight to survive. With the help of witchcraft he becomes a great warrior - and then his deal with the devil(s) aka. witchdoctors seems to go off the rails... Driven by the desire to be the greatest chief ever he kills everyone, wages war on everyone to feed his bloodlust and as is popular among many great emperors starts killing everyone in his own armies and empire for sport. It is quite the bloodcurdling story of mass murders and killing every loved one! Welcome to classic literature from the early 20the century!
This is the story of the warrior king Chaka (Shaka) - and it starts out as a classic myth - the only son of the last wife of his father the chief - who then gets more male heirs (women are only present in this story to be abused sexually, killed (mostly both) or as the mother of our hero Chaka).
The poor boy is harassed and beaten by later brothers (of the other wifes) and must fight to survive. With the help of witchcraft he becomes a great warrior - and then his deal with the devil(s) aka. witchdoctors seems to go off the rails... Driven by the desire to be the greatest chief ever he kills everyone, wages war on everyone to feed his bloodlust and as is popular among many great emperors starts killing everyone in his own armies and empire for sport. It is quite the bloodcurdling story of mass murders and killing every loved one! Welcome to classic literature from the early 20the century!
December 8, 2024
Una historia del mejor guerrero de todos corrompido por la avaricia.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o calificaría esta novela como una genuinamente africana. En general me gustó bastante. Se alarga por momentos, pero en veces im a simple man, batallas, guerreros poderosos, cool.
No sé qué más agregar. Es una trama muy simple. Si nos queremos poner eurocéntricos, es una Eneida Zulu. Y así de simple.
Que está cool, ok?
Youtube
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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o calificaría esta novela como una genuinamente africana. En general me gustó bastante. Se alarga por momentos, pero en veces im a simple man, batallas, guerreros poderosos, cool.
No sé qué más agregar. Es una trama muy simple. Si nos queremos poner eurocéntricos, es una Eneida Zulu. Y así de simple.
Que está cool, ok?
Youtube
December 14, 2023
is this a shit story or do i just not want to write this essay on it.. I can't tell anymore
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