Izithakazelo: Zulu and Ndebele Clan Names and Praises
In isiZulu an isibongo is a clan name that also serves as a surname. It is shared by the people who trace their descent from the same ancestor in the male line, and it was usually that ancestor's name. [1]
Izithakazelo are the praises that belong to the clan. Noleen Turner's overview of Zulu oral tradition names the praises of clans, izithakazelo kanye nezibongo, as one of the four kinds of izibongo, beside the praises of ordinary people, of things, and of kings and great people. The clan name usually forms the opening words of the praise. [2] [1]
The amaNdebele of South Africa and of Matabeleland carry clan names and praises of their own. The record keeps the two apart, as its sources do, and names the praise in each one's own word: iinanazelo among the Southern Ndebele, and izibongo or izithakazelo in Matabeleland. [3]
Every clan below has its own page with the praise names as they were recorded and the sources they were read from. The material is community compiled, so where two lists differ, both readings are shown and neither is chosen. [3]
Izithakazelo · isiZulu · A–Z
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Izithakazelo · isiNdebele (Northern Ndebele) · A–Z
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Izithakazelo · isiNdebele (Southern Ndebele) · A–Z
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Questions About Izithakazelo
What are izithakazelo?
Izithakazelo are Zulu clan praises: the praise names that belong to a clan name, or isibongo. Studies of Zulu oral tradition treat the praises of clans as one of the main kinds of izibongo.
What is the difference between an isibongo and izithakazelo?
The isibongo is the clan name itself, which also works as a surname. Izithakazelo are the praise names that follow it. The clan name usually forms the opening words of the praise.
Are Ndebele clan names izithakazelo too?
The record lists them here because its sources group them with the Zulu material, but it keeps each people's own word: iinanazelo among the Southern Ndebele, and izibongo or izithakazelo in Matabeleland.
How do I find my family's izithakazelo?
Look up your surname in the A to Z index on this page. Each clan has its own page with the praise names as recorded and where they came from. If your family says its praises differently, you can add what your family holds.
If your family holds more than the record does, add what your family holds.