Baden-Powell was once called M’hlala panzi by the Zulus – he who lies down (to shoot). He earned this nickname by developing a peculiar way of firing a rifle from between his legs while lying on his back.
During the Ashanti expedition he was called Katankye – the man with the big hat.
But his most famous African nickname came from the Matabele: Impeesa – the wolf. It was also translated as `the beast that does not sleep, but walks about at night’. The nickname became famous at Mafeking, where it was translated into English as `The wolf that never sleeps’ – a tribute to his reputation as a watchful military scout. At Mafeking, a cannon built during the siege was called `The Wolf’ in his honour.
The origin of `Impeesa’ is a strange story, however. There are no wolves in Africa, and `Impeesa’ means a hyena. It is possible that Baden-Powell misunderstood the word, because to be called a hyena is not a compliment.
But whatever the origins, the nickname of Impeesa, the Wolf, became a great tradition in Scouting, and Baden-Powell used it with pride.
