ABSTRACT
The White man's God and the White man's gold have influenced and changed Zulu belief and behaviour to a very considerable extent. In order to make clear the influence of the African heritage, this chapter discusses some of the main points in the system of myth, ritual and magic which makes up traditional Zulu belief. The belief in uuthakathi is of fundamental importance to pagan Zulus. Medicine, magic and religion are closely connected in Zulu pagan beliefs. The royal ancestors kept in touch with the Zulu tribe largely through the king, one of whose principal functions was to be the priest in various ancestral rites. In 1860 a "Native Home Missionary Society" was organized by and for the Zulus for the support of Zulu workers, and in 1870 the first Zulu pastor was ordained. The "Witwatersrand" became not only the gravitation point of African labour but also an important centre for missionary activity.
