Unkulunkulu

Zulu deity

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About this deity

In Zulu tradition, Unkulunkulu was the supreme deity who created everything; and, he was the first man.

Also known as

Unkulunkulu (normalized)"The Ancient One"

Parent belief system

  • Zulu Culture · Polytheistic · 1 myth
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    Zulu religion refers to the belief system of people native to the eastern portion of South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal.
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Top myths

Zulu Genesis
Creation myth
Unknown author
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In the Zulu belief system, Unkulunkulu was the supreme deity who created everything and everyone. He was also the first man.[1] Different versions of the legend indicate that instead of breaking off from a reed alone, there was a woman who followed him out.[2]

Notes

1.
🡩Leeming, Creation Myths, 296-297.
2.
🡩Ibid., 297.

Mythological stories including Unkulunkulu

  • Zulu Genesis Creation myth

    Nuthsell

    Unkulunkulu was the first supreme deity and the first man. He grew from a large seed into a reed that broke away from the plant. After he was born, he watched other men and women born in the same fashion. He created everything from land, animals, and other men. In short, he broke away from the source and there was nothing before him.

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Cite this page

MLA Modern Language Association (8th ed.)

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Unkulunkulu." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 18 Jun. 2020, omnika.org/stable/641. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.

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APA American Psychological Association (6th ed.)

OMNIKA (2020, June 18). Unkulunkulu. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/641

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CMS Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)

OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Unkulunkulu." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created June 18, 2020. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://omnika.org/stable/641.

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Bibliography

Leeming, David A. Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia. 2nd edition. Vol. 1 [Parts I-II]. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010.
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Fast facts

Basics
Zulu Belief system
location_city Uhlanga Cult city

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