Zulu Creation Myths by Credo Mutwa – Ancient Tradition or Mutwa’s Invention?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Podolecka
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Creation Myths ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
National Science ◽  
The Creation

Abstract Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (1921–2020) was one the most famous and controversial sangomas in South Africa. He is the first sangoma who published books about sangomas’ vocation and work, and revealed his version of Zulu myths. This paper first establishes if Mutwa’s tales can be considered myths, then if those stories are cohesive with versions known to academics and contemporary sangomas. The aim of this article is to analyse the creation myths that Mutwa presents, establish if they are original Zulu myths or his creations, and find international mythological motifs that could have influenced him. Mutwa’s myths are compared with myths collected by other researchers. Mutwa’s opinions, gained during a 2013 field visit to his home in Kuruman, South Africa, are also presented. The field studies among contemporary sangomas were financed by the Polish National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki), Poland, project no. 2017/25/N/HS1/02500.

First archaeological investigations of barrows in the Bačka region and the question of the Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age barrows in Vojvodina

2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 350-375
Author(s):  
Jovan Koledin ◽  
Urszula Bugaj ◽  
Paweł Jarosz ◽  
Mario Novak ◽  
Marcin M. Przybyła ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Funeral Ritual ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
National Science ◽  
Steppe Communities ◽  
Burial Mounds ◽  
Two Stages

AbstractIn various prehistoric periods, the territory of Vojvodina became the target of the migration of steppe communities with eastern origins. The oldest of these movements are dated to the late Eneolithic and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. There are at least two stages among them: I – dated to the end of the fourth millennium BC / beginning of the third millennium BC and II – dated from 3000 to 2600 BC and combined with the communities of the classical phase of the Yamnaya culture. The data documenting these processes have been relatively poor so far – in comparison with the neighboring regions of Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. A big drawback was the small number of systematically excavated mounds, providing comprehensive data on the funeral ritual of steppe communities. This poor database has been slightly enriched as a result of the design of the National Science Centre (Cracow, Poland) entitled “Danubian route of the Yamnaya culture”. Its effect was to examine the first two barrows located on the territory of Bačka – the western region of Vojvodina. Currently, these burial mounds are the westernmost points on the map of the cemeteries of the Yamnaya culture complex. Radiocarbon dates obtained for new finds, as well as for archival materials, allow specifying two stages of use of cemeteries of Yamnaya culture: I – around 3000–2900 BC and II – around 2800–2600 BC. Among the finds from Banat, there were also few materials coming probably from the older period, corresponding to the classical phase of Baden – Coţofeni I–II. The enigmatic nature of these discoveries, however, does not allow to specify their dating as well as cultural dependencies.

Modern Prose and Ancient Inhibitions

1980 ◽  
Vol 162 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
J. Mitchell Morse
Keyword(s):  
Human Intelligence ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Creation Myths ◽  
The Creation

Both amateurs and professionals write poor prose; in fact, students and professionals alike are afflicted with a neurotic need to avoid clarity and precision of thought. In the creation myths of all civilized countries, the exercise of human intelligence is displeasing to the gods; the beginning of civilization - which is necessarily at odds with nature - is always associated with sin. The universal difficulty in articulating feeling precedes consciousness because we are born into helpless dependence on our parents, who in order for us to survive and be fit for human society must often thwart our infantile inclinations. We cry out against their efforts to tame us and civilize us. Writing well which is a way of creating our personal uniqueness, is always an act of subconscious rebellion against society. We tend to discourage such rebellion in others and suppress it in our-selves. We prefer to think in cliches, and to demonstrate, through our bad grammar, bad logic, and general sloppiness of diction, that we are socially harmless because intellectually null. The ability to write seems to have declined through a voluntary careless acceptance of slack imprecision, so that our words and processes of thought become confused. A postliterate culture is not inconceivable; we are willmg our literacy gradually away through a voluntary loss of high literary skill The disappearance of literacy may well bring about the wreck of civilization. We must read attentively, and we must teach our students to read. We must rediscover the value of technique. We must take courage from the few brilliant writers among us and develop new literary modes.

scholarly journals Development of wireless vertical bar spinner combat robot

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 759
Author(s):  
Amirul Syafiq Sadun ◽  
Jamaludin Jalani ◽  
Suziana Ahmad ◽  
Amiera Saryati Sadun ◽  
Sumaiya Mashori
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Horizontal Axis ◽  
Robot Design ◽  
Performance Requirement ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
National Science ◽  
And Performance

Recently, combat robot competition has become one of the most famous engineering competitions among schools and universities. The robots are usually built with a destructive weapon, which can immobilize or disable opponent’s robot and win the match. Despite the variety of robot design and concept, the trend has shown that most of the local contestant tend to design a horizontal axis weapon type. In this project, a wireless vertical axis bar spinner combat robot is designed and developed for the 3rd Malaysia Combat Robot Competition which was held at National Science Centre (PSN) in 2017. The robot is controlled using radio control (RC) and powered by a highly discharge 22.2V Lithium Polymer (LiPo) chemical battery. Furthermore, related analysis has been conducted to meet the design and performance requirement of the competition. With the DC brush motor and thick metal bar rotating in vertical axis, the robot has proven to produce high power, torque and speed during the competition.

scholarly journals Three short studies from field studies in marine biology and oceanography

SURG Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-92
Author(s):  
Melanie Barry ◽  
Shannon Ferraro ◽  
Kaitlyn Wagner
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Marine Biology ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Integrative Biology ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
The University

ZOO*4300 (Marine Biology and Oceanography) is a senior-level field course offered by the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph. This two-week course is held at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrew’s New Brunswick, Canada. Students enrolled in the course study various aspects of the ecology, behaviour, physiology, biochemistry and genetics of marine organisms using a variety of oceanographic techniques. The course also includes group exercises to study various intertidal and sub-tidal environments as well as boat cruises to collect plankton, benthic invertebrates, marine fish, and to observe marine mammals. The course provides excellent opportunities for students to familiarize themselves with state-of-the-art techniques involved in various branches of marine biology and oceanography and conduct an individual research project. This feature highlights three individual research projects by University of Guelph students. More information about the field course in marine biology and oceanography is accessible at the following link: http://www.uoguelph.ca/ib/undergrad/fieldcourses_marine.shtml.

Notes on the systematics and nomenclature of Tritonia (Iridaceae: Crocoideae)

Bothalia ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
P. Goldblatt ◽  
J. C. Manning
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Type Specimen ◽  
New Combination ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Tropical Africa ◽  
Western Half

Study of some early types of species now known to belong to the genus  Tritonia Ker Gaw l.. a member of Iridaceae. sub­family Crocoideae, comprising some 28 species of southern and south tropical Africa, has shown the need for some nomen- clatural adjustments. Ixia undulata Burm.f. (1768) is an earlier name for T. crispa (L.f.) Ker Gawl. based on Gladiolus crispus L.f. (1782) and the combination  T. undulata (Burm.f.) Baker must be used for the species, which is native to the western half of Western Cape, South Africa. The variety  T. crispa var. parx iflora is also reduced to synonymy. The type specimen of Ixia gladiolaris Lam. (1789), currently considered a synonym of Tritonia securigera (Aiton) Ker Gawl.. has flowers that lack the characteristic tooth-like ridges on the lower tepals of the latter, and corresponds closely to the eastern southern African  T.  lineata (Salisb.) Ker Gawl., based on Gladiolus lineatus Salisb. (1796). The new combination  T. gladiolaris (Lam.) Goldblatt J.C. Manning is made and  T. lineata is reduced to synonymy.  Montbretia lacerata and  Tritonia lacerata. erroneously regarded as synonyms of T. crispa, are combinations based on Gladiolus laceratus Burm.f., a species that remains unidenti­fied because no type is known and the description is too vague to permit its identification. Lastly, field studies have shown that the cnsped-leaved T. watermeveri is connected by a series of morphological intermediates to typical  T. securigera. which has straight leaves and identical flowers. The new combination  T. securigera subsp. watermeveri (L.Bolus) J.C.Manning Goldblatt is proposed for this taxon.

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