Despite the many threats that birds in Africa face today, the connection between people and birds remains strong, as it has been for centuries. This paper examines how birds continue to hold deep social and spiritual meaning for communities through totemism, folklore and cosmology. It was written by a DSI-HSRC intern during her training at the HSRC as part of her master’s dissertation at the University of Pretoria.

Birds are often overlooked by researchers in the study of human-animal relationships in Southern African archaeology. Evidence from international case studies in Europe has shown that in the past people were interested in birds for both material and non-material reasons. The relationships between humans and birds were complex, with birds often playing a significant role in symbolic ideologies. Sculptures, art and physical remains from across the globe and throughout history showcase their symbolic representation.

The relationship between humans and birds remains multifaceted and needs more attention to enrich our understanding of past communities in Southern Africa. Only a few studies have been published on the identification and interpretation of bird figurines from the Iron Age in Southern Africa. Bird remains have long been known to occur in archaeological deposits. However, it was only with the rise of zooarchaeology in the 20^th century that archaeologists began to use bird remains to answer archaeological questions. Despite the long history of zooarchaeological research, bird studies in Southern Africa remain rare. Those that have been conducted typically focus on forager and hunter-gatherer communities of the Stone Age. In contrast, this study brings attention to bird-human relationships during the Iron Age.

While archaeological evidence highlights material remains, ethnographic studies reveal how birds held—and continue to hold—deep social and spiritual significance across Southern African communities.

Symbolic and ethnographic representations of birds in Southern Africa

Ethnographic studies based on the beliefs and traditions of indigenous communities in northern South Africa, southern Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana – particularly among Northern Sotho-Tswana- (Pedi and Lobedu), Tswana-, Venda- and Shona-speaking groups – show that birds played similar roles across these cultures. Birds were deeply embedded in spiritual, ritual and social practices, shaping how people understood and interacted with world beliefs.

Certain bird species are commonly found across these cultural groups and are incorporated into various aspects of belief systems, such as taboos, totems, initiation rites, rain-making rituals, and traditional medicine. Interestingly, most of these are either water birds (e.g. storks and cranes) or birds of prey (e.g. eagles and vultures). Housed at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria, the bird figurine cache from Schroda in the Limpopo Valley consists of 61 complete and fragmented clay depictions of birds. These figurines are considered stylistic rather than realistic depictions. The figurines appear to depict three broadly identified ecological groups: water birds, owls and birds of prey. Figure 1 shows the location of Schroda in the Limpopo Valley, while Figure 2 shows an image of a Schroda figurine of a water bird.

Schroda

Source: Michelle van Aswegen

The most iconic example of bird symbolism in Southern Africa is that of the Great Zimbabwe birds. Great Zimbabwe was the capital of a major precolonial state in the Southern African interior, which existed between the 12th and 15th centuries AD. Eight soapstone bird figures were found in the building known as the Sacred Enclosure, and in the Shona ethnography of the region around Great Zimbabwe, certain bird species are regarded as symbolic messengers and totems. Eagles in particular hold a prominent place in Shona cosmology and belief systems. The Great Zimbabwe birds are stylised depictions of natural bird species that combine both human and avian features. Drawing on ethnographic sources, Matenga suggests that the Great Zimbabwe birds represent Bateleur eagles (Terathopius ecuadatus) (Figure 3). Within Shona cosmology, the Bateleur is highly revered as a divine messenger, believed to intercede between Mwari (God) and the ancestors of the living world.

Figure 3: The Great Zimbabwe birds

Source: Matenga, 2011

Beyond general symbolic meanings, specific bird species were associated with gendered roles and rites of passage, offering insight into social structures and cultural values.

Birds and gender

The symbolic role of the Schroda bird figurines has previously been interpreted through a gendered lens, offering a fresh perspective on these enigmatic depictions. Some scholars argue that the water birds represented in the figurines symbolise womanhood or the notion thereof, and may have been associated with initiation rites marking the transition of young girls into adulthood. Their research suggests that birds served as metaphors for gender identity: ‘sky birds’ such as eagles and vultures symbolise masculine authority and leadership, while ‘water birds’ such as storks and ibises embody femininity and fertility. These interpretations are grounded in the contemporary oral histories, folk tales and indigenous knowledge systems of descendant communities, which continue to shape cultural identities in the region.

The symbolic meanings attributed to birds in historical contexts continue to resonate in contemporary cultures, illustrating a remarkable continuity of human-bird relationships across centuries.

Continuity of bird symbolism in modern contexts

Based on the discussion above about how past communities entangled birds in their worldview and world-making, this phenomenon has persisted since ancient times. While the archaeological evidence from Schroda and Great Zimbabwe reveals historical relationships between birds and humans, these connections continue to thrive in contemporary South African cultures. In Zulu culture, the blue crane (indwa) is regarded as a prestigious bird in the royal house, and its feathers form part of the Zulu king’s royal regalia. The blue crane is also famously known as South Africa’s national bird and was engraved on the five-cent coin. 

Inyoni ishayelwa abakhulu – Zulu proverb

[A bird is killed for the superiors]

Traditional folk tales and proverbs often feature bird characters and are viewed as revelations of violations of taboos and omens. In the Xhosa culture, many villagers still believe that birds act as intermediaries between the living and the ancestors. For example, some bird species, such as the Cape vulture, are seen as messengers from the ancestors. In Limpopo Province, mythical bird characters known as Domba and the Byali of the Lobedu feature prominently in traditional Venda initiation rites.  

Understanding these enduring symbolic relationships provides a framework for appreciating both cultural heritage and the ecological significance of birds today.

Impact

This study contributes to existing knowledge about the symbolic and spiritual value of birds in both past and present cultures of Southern Africa. By foregrounding bird-human relationships documented in the archaeological record and relating them to contemporary cultural practices, it highlights the often-overlooked non-material elements of African heritage. Through this research, we provide an in-depth narrative that increases public awareness of the dynamic interplay between humans and the natural world, fostering cultural pride, ecological consciousness, and a renewed respect for indigenous knowledge systems. For descendant communities these insights illuminate how traditional practices preserved in folklore, rituals, and proverbs remain relevant today. In heritage spaces, education, and policymaking such findings can help reshape the narrative through which African stories are told—moving away from reductive, materialist accounts towards more holistic symbolic representations that resonate with contemporary lived experiences.

Research contacts and acknowledgements

This article was written by Kegomoditswe Mamabolo (KMamabolo@hsrc.ac.za) and Fubah Alubafi (MAlubafi@hsrc.ac.za) with inputs from Jessie-Lee Smith (JSmith@hsrc.ac.za). It was based on Mamabolo’s master’s dissertation submitted to the University of Pretoria. For more information about this work, contact Mamabolo at KMamabolo@hsrc.ac.za.

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