Blood River · The River’s Other Name

In 1838 Boer settlers and the Zulu kingdom fought a decisive battle beside a river. The Boers held their line with a laager of wagons, and the Zulu regiments were cut down in waves by firearms on open ground.

The river has been called “Blood River” since then, because the water was said to be reddened after the battle. The anniversary is still a holiday to some and a wound to others.

A stone marker and a laager monument stand by the river. The water is very shallow now; the name is what keeps the battle.

Historical Mysteries / KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa / 1838