#24 The Afrikaner origin story - Ernst van Zyl

How the Battle of Blood River and the Vow of 1838 shaped the Afrikaner way of thinking

In this week’s episode of the Pioneer Podcast, I spoke with Ernst van Zyl, Head of Public Relations at AfriForum about the origin story of the Afrikaner people. Obviously, it would be an oversimplification to claim that a nation could trace its origin back to only one event. The Afrikaner people – with our unique language, culture and traditions – have been shaped by a variety of events that could collectively be described as the historical experience that shaped our nation. There is however one event in particular that had such a significant impact on the Afrikaner way of thinking that it is celebrated to this very day.

Every year on 16 December, Afrikaners gather at hundreds of events not just in South Africa, but all over the world to celebrate the vow of 1838. In Afrikaans, we call this day Geloftedag (The Day of the Vow). This is because a group of 470 Afrikaners (at the time known as the Voortrekkers) were surrounded and attacked by a Zulu force of about 12 000 soldiers in December 1838. In the run-up to the battle, the Afrikaners made a vow to God that if He were to protect us in the looming battle, that we would commemorate this day in future as a day of thanksgiving like a Sabbath – a tradition held to this very day.

Watch my discussion with Ernst van Zyl about the significance of this event, and also why the celebration of the Day of the Vow has become increasingly popular among the Afrikaner people over the last few decades.