In the Zulu creation myth, the creator of the Earth was neither male or female, but a seed - Uthlanga is the source of all things, and man came from one of several reeds, sprouting into a man, Unkulunkulu. Once he grew into the First Man, he broke off from the reed and wandered to Earth. Breaking off other reeds growing from the earth, he formed the other men and women of society from them. In this case, the creation myth has the source of mankind coming from the earth and from nature; man, however, is the one to harness that nature and facilitate the growth of man. This allows Zulu culture to understand how life and death works, as well as where their world came from. Destruction in Zulu culture comes from the myth of Unkulunkulu sending out a lizard to the world to tell humanity it would never die; however, when he grew impatient at the first lizard's slowness, a second, faster lizard was sent out to tell everyone that Death would arrive. As it showed up to humanity first, Death became a fixture in mankind, as well as in Zulu culture. This myth seems very similar to Hindu creation myths, as it does not come strictly from an omnipotent being, but a creature born of nature; this ties in the creation of the world with an interdependent universe as opposed to a strict hierarchy of god and servant. The Uthlanga myth demonstrates that the Zulu values nature above all else, as well as an understanding of dying when it is your time.
Works Cited
Uthlanga. The Zulu Pantheon.
