Song of the Stars: The Lore of a Zulu Shaman

by Credo Vusa'mazulu Mutwa

a memoir of prophecies, dreams and mythology

Genres: Spirituality, Africa, Religion, Mythology, Folklore, Fiction, Mysticism

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was lent to me by a friend who is heavily into other religions and mysticism. I surprised that this book took me down a religious path. First, the fact that a shaman is a keeper of folklore, knowledge of medicine and tribal history. There is a difference between a witchdoctor, who heels and who later becomes a sangoma and a sorcerer, who casts spells.

Credo arrived at his calling in a lengthy manner and in manner that seems no different than some of the so-called Christian faith healers.

It seems that every faith has its theory of creation and who God is. The Zulus have theirs as do other tribes of Africa. Bhuddism, Hindi, Shintu and Islam, all believe in higher beings. The author has told many stories passed through folklore. Many of these stories are about the battles between good and evil.

I will say this about the attempted suppression of Zulu beliefs by European nations, Credo said the same thing that Winnie Mandela did --- Europeans arrived in South Africa with a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other.

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booked seemed so familiar, i felt at home while reading it and I have never been to the continent of Africa in this lifetime.

I thank everyone that was a part of making this book a reality and I am so grateful that Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa released his fear and shared his reality and folklore with the world. This is one book I will treasure.

[Sobukhosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngiyakubonga baba Mutwa ngokusipha isipho sogwalo lolu.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zulu Shaman is one of the easier books to find by the lovely and brilliant Credo Mutwa. Though not nearly as esteemed as his work Indaba, My Children, it is still a good example of his story telling and magnetism.

[Refilwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I will always refer to in my life. I have read twice already> There are just too many gems about our history told by us for us. It's a book I want to pass onto my children.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volim mitove, volim priče naroda koje je bijeli čovjek ugnjetavao i njihove istine proglasio lažima, takvima da su i sami povjerovali da su to laži. Sada desetljećima i stoljećima nakon toga, njihovi šamani progovaraju o stvarima koje je znanost dokazala, a oni su ih znali i bez znanstvenih dokaza. Fascinira me činjenica da su im šamani pripremljeni za dolazak bića iz svemira, da su upoznati kroz povijest o njihovim dolascima, te da poznaju i nekoliko različitih skupina bića iz svemira. Zaista, svijet afričkog čovjeka tek trebamo upoznati.

[Carmen Lemos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in years. Spoke to my soul. More people should know the Truth and embrace the songs of the stars.

[JahUniverse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading until page 157, then it degrades unfortunately.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers an intimate portal into the life of a Zulu sangoma, blending autobiography, mythology, and esoteric wisdom against the turbulent backdrop of post-colonial South Africa. Published in 1996, the book chronicles Mutwa's transformation from a Western-educated Christian schoolteacher to a reluctant healer following a divine calling inherited from his grandfather, a revered storyteller and custodian of tribal lore. Through raw first-person narration, Mutwa unveils guarded Zulu practices like dream interpretation, oracle consultations, and herbal healing, while weaving in 14 ancestral myths that illuminate the Zulu cosmos from creation to encounters with "fiery visitors" interpreted as extraterrestrial beings.

Mutwa's journey begins with personal turmoil, marked by his mixed heritage—born to a Zulu mother and white father in 1921 Natal—and the societal rejection that propelled him toward spiritual initiation amid apartheid's cultural suppression. He describes vivid visions from the "Hidden Lake" of universal knowledge, where sangomas access past, present, and future insights, transforming fear into perceptual power that bridges the material and spirit worlds. Myths of the trickster god Kintu, the origin of evil, and star-being interventions parallel global archetypes yet assert Zulu primacy, critiquing technological hubris and advocating harmony through ancestral reverence.

The text's power lies in its defiant preservation of indigenous knowledge, revealing psychic potentials like prophecy and energy manipulation once veiled by tradition to evade colonial scorn. Mutwa shares healing rites involving muti (medicinal plants) and spirit invocation, positioning the sangoma as a cosmic mediator who cures not just bodies but societal fractures.

[Hankyeol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa - his storytelling, his wisdom, his incredible art and his powerful insight into life and healing as a sanusi.
For all those who are looking for a lighter entry into the monumental 'Indaba, My Children', 'Zulu Shaman' is short, condensed and written in a more intimate, conversational style. Some of the stories are pulled directly from 'Indaba', while others are newer additions.
Mutwa, one of the greatest storytellers in South Africa, re-tells these lost tales. He stuns you with the incredible, intricate creation myths of the Bantu people - more palpable and exciting than the latest fantasy novels. He leaves you in awe and wonder with every tale.
To be a shaman is to be a storyteller, and to have the responsibility of shaping the narrative of history, of humanity, and the ways we understand ourselves in relation to this world. Mutwa's power is really felt throughout this book.

[Elan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the stories and myths that are retold, the shamanistic journey the author went through, the similarities across the world of many words and phrases but then it takes a turn into prophecies and other types of fantasy spiritual discussion which I did enjoy.

[Merve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zulu'lar hakkında daha fazla şey öğrenmek isterdim ama daha kısa tutulmuş bence orta kararın bile altında kalmış 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Joseph]

Nicebook

[Muzi Manana · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a great book