The Abundant Herds: A Celebration of the Cattle of the Zulu People

The Zulu name for this kind of coloured Nguni cow is inala, or 'abundance'. The illustration is from The Abundant Herds: A Celebration of the Nguni Cattle of the Zulu People, written by Marguerite Poland and David Hammond-Tooke and illustrated by Leigh Voigt, republished by Fernwood Press in 2015. A new edition of a stunning coffee table book about one of Africa's livestock treasures-the indigenous Nguni cattle of South Africa-has been published. 'Long the mainstay of traditional Zulu culture, [the Nguni] are possibly the most beautiful cattle in the world, with their variously patterned and multicoloured hides everywhere in demand.' The Abundant Herds: A Celebration of the Nguni Cattle of the Zulu People, first published in 2003, 'is an appreciation of the creative imagination and linguistic versatility of the Zulu people. Written by acclaimed author Marguerite Poland and social anthropologist David Hammond-Tooke, it is an overview of the history of the Nguni cattle and their economic, social, political and spiritual importance to the Zulu people, both past and present. . . . 'With beautiful oil and watercoloor paintings and sepia drawings by artist Leigh Voigt, The Abundant Herds examines the role played by cattle and cattle-related imagery in the oral tradition of the Zulu people-how cattle terminology can form part of the worldview associated with Zulu culture. . . .