Word: assagai
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...quickly degenerated from a political brawl to old-fashioned warfare. Throughout the native quarters of Bacongo and Poto-Poto, Balali tribesmen, loyal to the abbé, and the M'Boshi went after each other with everything from broken bottles to the deadly assagai-the short spear used by Chaka, the "Black Napoleon," to conquer his 19th century Zulu empire. At first the M'Boshi in their white headdresses proved more adept at carving up their enemies just as their ancestors used to do, but the Balalis, wearing leaves in their hair, retaliated by setting whole blocks...
...embarrassed bride knelt before the Gaika elders to pay homage, and was almost tumbled to the ground by an overenthusiastic camera bug. Then, draping a leopard skin about her shoulders, she picked up an assagai (spear) to fling it into the Royal Kraal gatepost-the traditional demand for admission to the Gaika tribe. The jam of whites spoiled her aim: she missed. Bridegroom Anthorpe, in a long leopard skin, gave up in disgust and returned to his dressing room. Not for another hour did Anthorpe confront his bride. At an open-air altar, flanked by the mayors of nearby cities...