Kraal

A kraal (or Kral, afrikaans, of port. curral for, Viehpferch ') was originally a circular settlement with a strictly regulated social structure. Kraals were primarily in southern Africa. They were usually surrounded by a palisade -like thorn wall.

Today is called the Kraal only the cattle enclosure which was formerly in the middle of the settlement. However, one finds the word now and still in place names in South Africa.

Southern Africa

The social structure within a kraal was a strictly patriarchal, that is such a settlement was led by the father of a family. His wives and their children lived each have their own hut, which were mostly located around the cattle kraal. This arrangement was so common especially among the Zulu in Natal. With the kraal and other relatives could live, who had to assume the leadership of the head of the family, whose authority was backed by tradition. The importance of a kraal was dependent on the status of the head ( see below).

This structure can be seen as a former cornerstone of social and economic order. Several kraals were under a chief a loose confederation. Several such combinations were subject to a high chief, above the then chief or another senior, was in the heyday of an African tribe, even the king.

Königskraal

In contrast to the purely civilian settlements a Königskraal was a military installation for the protection of the sovereign.

Such kraals were mostly oval and surrounded by a palisade of strong piles. On the conflict between the indigenous peoples and the white immigrants they had hardly strategic influence. They were all the more important, however, in the discharge of tribal feuds.

Königskraale were mainly common in the Zulu and Matabele.

Fischkraal

Another use is the word as a term for an efficient method of fishing Tsonga. This is a kind of reuse, but with larger dimensions. Using branches, a channel is built, at the end there is a basket with a valve-like input. In this basket fish can indeed into it, but no longer swim out.

This type of fishing is found in the Kosi Bay.

East Africa

In the nomadic Maasai is also denoted by Kraal a small collection of huts. However, this need not be so, as in southern Africa be a fixed settlement, but the village can easily consist of more or less assembled and disassembled huts.

In a kraal one extended family lives together, headed by a senior male family head. To the family in addition to women of the Father includes the married sons. The women take care of the construction of huts and also the necessary repairs. Every woman has her own hut here also.

Asia

In Sri Lanka, India and Thailand also enclosures for elephants are called kraals.

Other countries

In the old spelling Kral, the news magazine Der Spiegel in 1965 designated by the race riots in New York 's Harlem district as "the greatest Negro Kral in the world". The use of the word in this context suggests a pejorative connotation meant.