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Allan Quatermain, Ayesha, and Umslopogaas #13
Black Heart and White Heart: A Zulu Idyll
A story of the courtship, trials and final union of a pair of Zulu lovers in the time of King Cetywayo.
Excerpt:
The Zulu warrior at the time of Rorke's Drift was not a professional solider but was a formidable foe nonetheless. The Zulus were a citizen army called up in times of war although all Zulu men were required to do military service when they reached the age of 19 until the age of 40 when they were allowed to marry and went on the Zulu reserve list. The Zulu military organisation was far from primitive with an Army or Impi made up of Regiments called Amabutho made up of men of similar age from all over the kingdom. Each regiment had its own identifying features either jewellery or a particular headdress.They were equipped as Shaka had trained them a generation before with large cowhide shields which were colour coded with younger regiments having mostly black shields and older regiments having more white on the shield. This allowed a Zulu general to identify the different units on the battlefield easily. These shields were owned by the King and not issued to warriors except in time of war probably to help reduce the risk of civil war. Zulus carried a heavy broad bladed stabbing spear with an 18 inch blade nearly 2 inches wide (in some respects a similar to the Roman Gladius) this had a 30 inch wooden shaft and a throwing spear with a 7 inch blade on a 3ft shaft. Despite the popular image the Zulus also used guns, often Napoleonic weapons bought from traders but also Martini Henry rifles looted from the British troops especially after Isandlwana, in fact as many as 60% of Zulu warriors had access to firearms by the time of Rorkes Drift. This said they did lack training and good quality powder for these weapons. The warriors were highly disciplined and organised with each regiments having companies and their own Izinduna or officers and a clear chain of command. With no baggage train unlike an European Army of the time they could travel fast and were highly mobile able to cover around 20 miles in a day and fight at the end of it or twice that distance in an emergency. The Zulus normally used a fighting Buffalo formation or Beasts Horns where a strong central body of troops was supported by two flanks or 'horns' of lighter faster troops who would outflank and surround the enemy cutting off any escape. This formation worked well against their tribal enemies and against the British at Isandhlwana but was limited and dangerous if the Zulus failed to breach the firepower of a European Army. A love story set in the time of the Zulu Wars.
Excerpt:
The Zulu warrior at the time of Rorke's Drift was not a professional solider but was a formidable foe nonetheless. The Zulus were a citizen army called up in times of war although all Zulu men were required to do military service when they reached the age of 19 until the age of 40 when they were allowed to marry and went on the Zulu reserve list. The Zulu military organisation was far from primitive with an Army or Impi made up of Regiments called Amabutho made up of men of similar age from all over the kingdom. Each regiment had its own identifying features either jewellery or a particular headdress.They were equipped as Shaka had trained them a generation before with large cowhide shields which were colour coded with younger regiments having mostly black shields and older regiments having more white on the shield. This allowed a Zulu general to identify the different units on the battlefield easily. These shields were owned by the King and not issued to warriors except in time of war probably to help reduce the risk of civil war. Zulus carried a heavy broad bladed stabbing spear with an 18 inch blade nearly 2 inches wide (in some respects a similar to the Roman Gladius) this had a 30 inch wooden shaft and a throwing spear with a 7 inch blade on a 3ft shaft. Despite the popular image the Zulus also used guns, often Napoleonic weapons bought from traders but also Martini Henry rifles looted from the British troops especially after Isandlwana, in fact as many as 60% of Zulu warriors had access to firearms by the time of Rorkes Drift. This said they did lack training and good quality powder for these weapons. The warriors were highly disciplined and organised with each regiments having companies and their own Izinduna or officers and a clear chain of command. With no baggage train unlike an European Army of the time they could travel fast and were highly mobile able to cover around 20 miles in a day and fight at the end of it or twice that distance in an emergency. The Zulus normally used a fighting Buffalo formation or Beasts Horns where a strong central body of troops was supported by two flanks or 'horns' of lighter faster troops who would outflank and surround the enemy cutting off any escape. This formation worked well against their tribal enemies and against the British at Isandhlwana but was limited and dangerous if the Zulus failed to breach the firepower of a European Army. A love story set in the time of the Zulu Wars.
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1896
About the author
H. Rider Haggard
2,105 books1,133 followersSir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and the creator of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of the scale of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. He was also involved in agricultural reform and improvement in the British Empire.
His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.
Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.
His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.
Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 18, 2018
Another adventurous Haggard tale, pretty short and to the point, I thought the ending would have been a bit different though, but I enjoyed it all the same...
August 31, 2018
শ্বেতাঙ্গ ফিলিপ হ্যাডেন এমন একজন মানুষ যার জিবনে রয়েছে অনেক বিচিত্রতা। আর তাতে এমন কিছু অধ্যায় আছে যা সে তার সবচেয়ে অন্তরঙ্গ বন্ধুদের কাছেও গোপন রেখেছে।
কোন একটি বিপদে পড়ে হ্যাডেন দেশান্তরি হয়ে নাটালে আসে। কিন্তু তার অপ্রীতিকর চরিত্রের কারণে সেখানেও সে থাকতে পারেনি। সে পালিয়ে সীমান্ত পাড় হয়ে ঢুকে পড়ে জুলুল্যান্ডে।
হ্যাডেন পায়ে হেঠে উলুন্ডির পথে রওনা হয় রাজা সেটিওয়েইয়ো-র কাছ থেকে শিকারের অনুমতি নিতে। কিন্তু অনুমতি পেয়েই যেন তার বিপত্তি হল।
শিকারে বেরিয়েছে হ্যাডেন কিন্তু সে যে জুলুদের হাতে এক প্রকার বন্দিই রয়েছে, সেটা তার অজানা নয়।
জুলুদের সেনাপতি নাহুন তার বাগদত্তা নানিয়াকে না পাওয়ার আশঙ্কা জেগে উঠল। পালানো ছাড়া বাগদত্তা নানিয়াকে পাওয়ার আর কোনো সম্ভাবনাই নেই তার সামনে। কিন্তু নানিয়া নাহুনকে পালানোর প্রস্তাব দিলেও নাহুন কোনভাবেই রাজার আদেশ অমান্য করতে চায় না।
অন্যদিকে হ্যাডেন নানিয়াকে পেতে মরিয়া হয়ে উঠেছে। সে বিভিন্ন কৌশলে নানিয়ার মন জয় করতে চেষ্টা চালায়। কিন্তু সব ব্যর্থ হয়। অতঃপর সে সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় নানিয়া,নানিয়ার বাবা আর নাহুনকে নিয়ে পালাবে সে। তার উদ্দেশ্য সীমান্ত রক্ষীদের দ্বারা নানিয়ার বাবা ও নাহুনকে হত্যা করা। এমন ভাবে সে ফাঁদটি পেতেছিল যে নানিয়া তখন হ্যাডেনকেই চাইবে মনেপ্রাণে ।
এক সময় হ্যাডেনের যুক্তিপূর্ণ বুদ্ধিতে নাহুন পালাতে রাজিও হয়।
কিন্তু শেষ পর্যন্ত প্রতারক হ্যাডেনের উদ্দেশ্য কি সফল হয়েছিল?
নাকি নিজের পাতা ফাঁদে নিজেই আটকা পড়েছিল হ্যাডেন?
জানতে হলে পড়তে হবে হেনরি রাইডার হ্যাগার্ড এর এই বইটি।
কোন একটি বিপদে পড়ে হ্যাডেন দেশান্তরি হয়ে নাটালে আসে। কিন্তু তার অপ্রীতিকর চরিত্রের কারণে সেখানেও সে থাকতে পারেনি। সে পালিয়ে সীমান্ত পাড় হয়ে ঢুকে পড়ে জুলুল্যান্ডে।
হ্যাডেন পায়ে হেঠে উলুন্ডির পথে রওনা হয় রাজা সেটিওয়েইয়ো-র কাছ থেকে শিকারের অনুমতি নিতে। কিন্তু অনুমতি পেয়েই যেন তার বিপত্তি হল।
শিকারে বেরিয়েছে হ্যাডেন কিন্তু সে যে জুলুদের হাতে এক প্রকার বন্দিই রয়েছে, সেটা তার অজানা নয়।
জুলুদের সেনাপতি নাহুন তার বাগদত্তা নানিয়াকে না পাওয়ার আশঙ্কা জেগে উঠল। পালানো ছাড়া বাগদত্তা নানিয়াকে পাওয়ার আর কোনো সম্ভাবনাই নেই তার সামনে। কিন্তু নানিয়া নাহুনকে পালানোর প্রস্তাব দিলেও নাহুন কোনভাবেই রাজার আদেশ অমান্য করতে চায় না।
অন্যদিকে হ্যাডেন নানিয়াকে পেতে মরিয়া হয়ে উঠেছে। সে বিভিন্ন কৌশলে নানিয়ার মন জয় করতে চেষ্টা চালায়। কিন্তু সব ব্যর্থ হয়। অতঃপর সে সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় নানিয়া,নানিয়ার বাবা আর নাহুনকে নিয়ে পালাবে সে। তার উদ্দেশ্য সীমান্ত রক্ষীদের দ্বারা নানিয়ার বাবা ও নাহুনকে হত্যা করা। এমন ভাবে সে ফাঁদটি পেতেছিল যে নানিয়া তখন হ্যাডেনকেই চাইবে মনেপ্রাণে ।
এক সময় হ্যাডেনের যুক্তিপূর্ণ বুদ্ধিতে নাহুন পালাতে রাজিও হয়।
কিন্তু শেষ পর্যন্ত প্রতারক হ্যাডেনের উদ্দেশ্য কি সফল হয়েছিল?
নাকি নিজের পাতা ফাঁদে নিজেই আটকা পড়েছিল হ্যাডেন?
জানতে হলে পড়তে হবে হেনরি রাইডার হ্যাগার্ড এর এই বইটি।
June 23, 2021
A wonderful turn of the century historic fiction/fantasy story by H. Rider Haggard. Set in Africa just before the uprising of the Zulus against the British in 1879. It features Philip Hadden, a black-hearted white man who works as a transport-rider and trader. Hadden, a man out for himself, cheats another white man and flees into Zulu territory where he thinks he will lay low until it is safe to return to his former life. Unsurprisingly, it is not good for the white man. He makes a deal with a great chief and begins to plan how he could avoid the reckoning.
The story involves ghosts and a witch called Bee in the midst of the growing rebellion by the Zulus. In these short number of pages, Haggard creates well-developed characters, realistic dialogue and taunt action. This is a fun and good read for an afternoon.
The story involves ghosts and a witch called Bee in the midst of the growing rebellion by the Zulus. In these short number of pages, Haggard creates well-developed characters, realistic dialogue and taunt action. This is a fun and good read for an afternoon.
November 8, 2018
A Favorite Short Story...
The tale of a witch and her foresight (the Bee). Brilliant. An African story told by an English author. But the non-racism of Henry Rider Haggard is on display throughout. The "black heart" is possessed by a white man. He is an anti-hero protagonist but done well. (Not at all like Jack Vance's "Cugel" whom I just never could appreciate.) The contrast with Conrad's Africans is powerful, stunning.
The tale of a witch and her foresight (the Bee). Brilliant. An African story told by an English author. But the non-racism of Henry Rider Haggard is on display throughout. The "black heart" is possessed by a white man. He is an anti-hero protagonist but done well. (Not at all like Jack Vance's "Cugel" whom I just never could appreciate.) The contrast with Conrad's Africans is powerful, stunning.
October 16, 2016
An African adventure featuring British Philip Haddon, a very unsavory character, who leaves a trial of cheating and unsavory behavior behind him in southern Africa who eventually finds himself in Zululand near the outbreak of war. It is also a love story between Zulu's Nahoon and Nanea whose lives are put at risk by Haddon's betrayal of them.
August 10, 2023
Another very short one -- shortish novella at best, maybe actually a novelette.
This time around our protagonist (I'm not going to use the word "hero") is one Philip Hadden, who's been running wagons in Africa for a few years and finds himself suddenly needing to make for the horizon, heading for Ulundi and the court of the Zulu king Cetywayo (whose permission he seeks to do some big game hunting) -- all this takes place in 1878, very shortly before the beginning of the big Zulu war, so Hadden's timing is ... not great.
And in the course of his travel he meets, and is smitten with, one Nanea, a Zulu maiden; and just to make things complicated, Nanea already has a beau, one Nahoon; and Cetywayo finds himself also smitten with Nanea and planning to get Nahoon out of the way, and, well, let's just say that nothing that happens to Hadden as a direct result of his own actions is undeserved, but that's not the case for what happens to at least some of those Hadden pulls into his schemes.
This time around our protagonist (I'm not going to use the word "hero") is one Philip Hadden, who's been running wagons in Africa for a few years and finds himself suddenly needing to make for the horizon, heading for Ulundi and the court of the Zulu king Cetywayo (whose permission he seeks to do some big game hunting) -- all this takes place in 1878, very shortly before the beginning of the big Zulu war, so Hadden's timing is ... not great.
And in the course of his travel he meets, and is smitten with, one Nanea, a Zulu maiden; and just to make things complicated, Nanea already has a beau, one Nahoon; and Cetywayo finds himself also smitten with Nanea and planning to get Nahoon out of the way, and, well, let's just say that nothing that happens to Hadden as a direct result of his own actions is undeserved, but that's not the case for what happens to at least some of those Hadden pulls into his schemes.
October 13, 2018
Нельзя писать одинаково хорошо. Порою случаются неудачные пробы пера. Что с ними делать? Некоторые писатели сжигали. Но профессиональный автор на такой шаг пойти не мог. Неважно, насколько получившийся результат удовлетворял его эстетические чувства. Чаще оказывалось, произведения пишутся из-за желания заработать средства на существование. Хаггард сам о том говорил, для чего допустимо напомнить о “Завещании мистера Мизона”. Писатель ставится перед необходимостью создавать новые истории, иначе ему грозит разорение. Не будет причиной для удивления, если в подобных условиях находился и Райдер. Потому, какой труд он не напиши, – быть ему опубликованным.
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
June 23, 2021
শ্বেতাঙ্গ হ্যাডেন কোনো এক অজ্ঞাত কারণে দেশান্তরী হয়ে নাটালে এসেছিল। আইনের হাত এড়ানোর জন্যে একদিন সে ঢুকে পড়লো জুলুল্যান্ডে। রাজা সেটিওয়েইয়ো-র কাছে তাঁর দেশে শিকারের অনুমতি পেলেও আদতে সে তাদের হাতে বন্দী।রাজার বিচারে বাগদত্তা নানিয়াকে না পেলেও হ্যাডেনকে সতর্ক প্রহরায় রেখেছে নাহুন।নানিয়াকে ভালোবেসে ফেলে সাদা চামড়ার হ্যাডেন।তখনই প্রকাশ পায় তার সাদা চামড়ার ভেতরের কালো মন।অন্যদিকে কালো চামড়ার নাহুন আর নানিয়া নিষ্পাপ মনের অধিকারি দুইজনের ভালোবাসা শেষ পর্যন্ত জয়ী হয়।বুড়ি ওঝা ‘মৌমাছি’র আঙুলে শোভা পায় হ্যাডেনের আংটি।
বইয়ের নামের সার্থকতা নজরে পরে।
বইয়ের নামের সার্থকতা নজরে পরে।
October 7, 2022
It's an amazing afternoon read! It's about a black hearted white man and white hearted black man. This story follows a prophecy given by a witch called bee. The two man, both love a women named nania, but the white man makes various schemes to get her, that's why he is black hearted. On the other hand the black man is a hard working, honest man, thus is white hearted.
Its quite short but a lovely story.
Its quite short but a lovely story.
September 26, 2020
Not all the Haggard book has a ending like this.
April 21, 2022
টিপিক্যাল হ্যাগার্ডের এক ঝলক।
তবে গুডরিডসের কথা অনুযায়ী কোয়াটারমেইন, আয়েশা কিংবা আমস্লোপোগাস নাই।
২.৫
তবে গুডরিডসের কথা অনুযায়ী কোয়াটারমেইন, আয়েশা কিংবা আমস্লোপোগাস নাই।
২.৫
October 23, 2024
Short story about Zulu society, in current-day South Africa, taking place in 1875 - 1880. Written from the perspective of Zulus, with their misconceptions and misguided trust in the colonial powers.
June 15, 2024
I could never get into Haggard's stories because I perceived them as colonialist, then I tried this book, which is about a white British hunter who intrudes on a Zulu tribe, looks down at them, does horrible things to the people around him and then blames them for making him a bad person. It was written before Heart of Darkness, though it was published in its complete form a bit later.
I have an apology form to fill out.
I have an apology form to fill out.
June 27, 2019
An adventurous story. When I read this I was visiting the hearts of the Africans Zulu peoples and the British man. This is much adventurous for me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews