262 EEV. FATHER FRANZ MAYR. 



on account of the great noise and the weird gesticulations of 

 the performers. 



At marriages the grown-up girls, with the bride hidden 

 among them, sing the first songs on their arrival at the kraal 

 of the bridegroom. These introductory songs and dances, 

 performed by the bride's party, are called isingeniso, 

 umcanguzo, and inkondhlo. The action in these dances 

 consists of gradual slow movements forward and backward 

 without clapping the hands. Then the bridegroom's party 

 (iketo) follows, and the dances become more and more 

 excited, and after a time complete confusion reigns, and 

 everyone, both male and female, is trying to make the greatest 

 possible noise. 



The regulation time for Zulu marriages is from about 

 1 or 2 p.m. to sunset, when the eating and drinking begins. 

 Late in the evening another noisy dance — umkahlelo — is 

 performed by the young people, accompanied by the beating 

 of a drum — isigubu. The personal friends of the bride and 

 bridegroom are not satisfied with one day's feasting, and they 

 may remain for a second or even third day. The dances on 

 these days are more private in character, and the bride mostly 

 takes the lead — isimekezo. By the way of taking leave 

 from her parting friends, the bride distributes small presents 

 of bead-work among those of her own age. 



Returning to our subject, Music, it must be said that the 

 texts of Zulu songs are mostly without much meaning, 

 and of no poetical value. Like the official court-praisers — 

 izimbongi — the Zulu poets are fond of exaggeration; thus 

 they may speak of a small chief as the conqueror of heaven 

 and earth, who has destroyed great tribes, he is like heaven 

 itself, he is king of kings. 



The melodies have, as a rule, a descending tendency, each 

 musical sentence beginning at a high pitch and descending 

 towards its end. Fourths are intervals very frequently used, 

 also minor keys and mournful cadences, which are strange, 

 difficult and barbarous to ears accustomed to modern music. 

 The harmony of the native tunes, in correspondence with the 



