"A Christmas to Remember pt. 4..."

Finally, Mike's time to remember!  For everyone who knows Mike, he is a bit of a history buff.  He loves to look at historic battles, tactics, and strategies.  So, for his once in a life time adventure, we went to two of the most famous battlefields in the area-Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.

Both of these battles happened on 22 January of 1879.  The British forces were fighting against Zulu forces.  One battle was a complete massacre the other was a remarkable victory.

At Isandlwana-about 20 000 Zulu forces completely overwhelmed the 2 000 British Forces and it became an absolute massacre.  After being able to see the terrain that the British had to conquer and how they implemented some of their strategies, it is not too surprising that the Zulu overwhelmed them.  For Mike, to be able to stand on the battlefield and have the events of  22 January described to him, it was a very overwhelming experience.  It made all his reading and discussions over the years come to life.

The Zulu warrior and the British uniform.  Now remember, that it is summer in January in South Africa.  The temperatures can get into the High 30'sC/90'sF.  It also had been raining at night, so during the day there was high humidity.  The ground is rocky and rough terrain.  The Zulu fighters knew the area and were prepared whereas the British were not. 

The Zulu tactics were to have one group attack from the front and then two other groups attack from the sides thus surrounding the British forces not leaving any British standing.

The area is scattered with piles of white stones.  These stones are a memorial to the fallen British forces.

A memorial to the fallen Zulu warriors.  It is a Zulu Bravery Necklace.

Mike and I standing at the base of Isandlwana.

On the other side of the hills, at Rorke's Drift, they had no idea what was happening at Isandlwana.  They were preparing for their own battle.  In the late afternoon of the 22 January 1879, about 4 500 Zulu attacked the hospital and re-supply post at Rorke's Drift.  There were about 139 men, of which 36 were patients in the hospital.  These 139 men were able to hold off the Zulu forces for 12 hours, when the Zulu finally retreated in the early hours of the morning on 23 January.  11 Victoria Crosses were earned that day at Rorke's Drift.

The hospital at Rorke's Drift.

The church and kraal area (under the trees to the left) where the British held off the Zulu.

Replication of the area of the battle.

Zulu Bravery Necklace

The kids sitting along a stone wall.

The family next to a Buffalo Bush, which is a small, spiky, shiny-leaved bush of great cultural and medicinal significance to the Zulus who, among other names, call it umphafa or isiLahla meaning 'that which buries'.  For the Zulu's the tradition is quite clear: should a person die in a place that is not their imuzi or homestead, they believe that their spirit will be unsettled until someone from the village arrives with a branch of isiLahla.  The messenger should go to the exact spot where their compatriot died and ask the person's spirit to enter the branch (the tree's straight thorns direct the spirit onto the branch; the curved hooks ensure it doesn't fall off) whereupon it's taken back to the homestead to allow the spirit to finally rest and join the revered ranks of the ancestors.

Overall it was an incredibly memorable Christmas, with expereinces we will never forget.  May this New Year be full of love, joy, and peace-with each step of your life being lead by God.