How Zulu warriors showed the need to protect military employees from hearing loss
The Zulus were a proud nation steeped in tradition. When faced with a battle, they could march (or even run) 45km and arrive still with the energy to fight.
Yet for all their determination, the Zulu army had one significant detriment: they had no firepower. Their expertise was in hand-to-hand combat. And so, to distract and intimidate their enemies, they implemented ‘Tshilamoya’ – Push the Wind.
‘Tshilamoya’ – Push the wind!
The Zulu army would position themselves out of sight and simultaneously strike their cowhide shields with their knobkerries. It’s said the noise of 6,000-8,000 men hitting their shields at the same time created such a force it blew leaves and branches from trees.
The incredible sound emitted from the practice of Tshilamoya terrified the Zulus’ enemies into retreat. Yet, we now know that the sound from Tshilamoya would cause permanent hearing loss to the Zulu army. It would far exceed the safe noise exposure level.
Noise control options for defence applications
Today, many defence force operations are controlled remotely in office-like environments. This change in directive increases the importance of excellent acoustics in the room. With too much volume or reverberation, important instructions from command to personnel may be misinterpreted. In the case of the defence force – this could lead to a life-or-death mistake.
Some solutions that we may recommend to you are:
Wall and Ceiling Panels – Wall and Ceiling Acoustic Panels are applied to hard surfaces for maximum sound absorption.
Many of the options can also be custom coloured to suit your corporate colour scheme or printed with relevant images and text.
Freestanding dividers – Acoustic dividers combine flexibility, acoustics, and aesthetics into one partition. Light, flexible, and easily transportable, there is a range of styles, heights, widths, and designs.
For more information about any Avenue Interior Systems products, get in touch with the team on 1300 827 177.
