III. Stars

The Girl of the Early Race, Who Made Stars.*

My mother was the one who told me that the girl arose; she put her hands into the wood ashes; she threw up the wood ashes into the sky. She said to the wood ashes: “The wood ashes which are here, they must altogether become the Milky Way. They must white lie along in the sky, that the stars may stand outside of the Milky Way, while the Milky Way is the Milky Way, while it used to be wood ashes.” They (the ashes) altogether become the Milky Way. The Milky Way must go round with the stars; while the Milky Way feels that, the Milky Way lies going round; while the stars sail along; therefore, the Milky Way, lying, goes along with the Stars. The Milky Way, when the Milky Way stands upon the earth, the Milky Way turns across in front, while the Milky Way means to wait(?), while the Milky Way feels that the Stars are turning back; while the Stars feel that the Sun is the one who has turned back; he is upon his path; the Stars turn back; while they go to fetch the daybreak; that they may lie nicely, while the Milky Way lies nicely. The Stars shall also stand nicely around. They shall sail along upon their footprints, which they, always sailing along, are following. While they feel that, they are the Stars which descend.

The Milky Way lying comes to its place, to which the girl threw up the wood ashes, that it may descend nicely; it had lying gone along, while it felt that it lay upon the sky. It had lying gone round, while it felt that the Stars also turned round. They turning round passed over the sky. The sky lies (still); the Stars are those which go along; while they feel that they sail. They had been setting; they had, again, been coming out; they had, sailing along, been following their footprints. They become white, when the Sun comes out. The Sun sets, they stand around above; while they feel that they did turning follow the Sun.

The darkness comes out; they (the Stars) wax red, while they had at first been white. They feel that they stand brightly around; that they may sail along; while they feel that it is night. Then, the people go by night; while they feel that the ground is made light. While they feel that the Stars shine a little. Darkness is upon the ground. The Milky Way gently glows; while it feels that it is wood ashes. Therefore, it gently glows. While it feels that the girl was the one who said that the Milky Way should give a little light for the people, that they might return home by night, in the middle of the night. For, the earth would not have been a little light, had not the Milky Way been there. It and the Stars.

The girl thought that she would throw up (into the air) roots of the ǃhuiṅ, in order that the ǃhuiṅ roots

she goes out, she looks down upon the ground; and when she should become Stars; therefore, the Stars are red; while they feel that (they) are ǃhuiṅ roots.*

She first gently threw up wood ashes into the sky, that she might presently throw up ǃhuiṅ roots; while she felt that she was angry with her mother, because her mother had not given her many ǃhuiṅ roots, that she might eat abundantly; for, she was in the hut. She did not herself go out to seek food; that she might get (?) ǃhuiṅ for herself; that she might be bringing it (home) for herself; that she might eat; for, she was hungry; while she lay ill in the hut. Her mothers were those who went out. They were those who sought for food. They were bringing home] Awim, that they might eat. She lay in her little hut, which her mother had made for her. Her stick stood there; because she did not yet dig out food. And, she was still in the hut. Her mother was the one who was bringing her food. That she might be eating, lying in the little hut f; while her mother thought that she (the girl) did not eat the young men’s game (i.e. game killed by them). For, she ate the game of her father, who was an old man. While she thought that the hands of the young men would become cool. Then, the arrow would become cool. The arrow head which is at the top, it would be cold; while the arrow head felt that the bow was cold; while the bow felt that his

returns to the hut, she sits and looks down. She does not go far, or walk about at this time. When presently she becomes a ‘big girl’, she is allowed to look about, and to look afar again; being, on the first occasion, allowed to look afar over her mother’s hand. She leaves the small hut, when allowed to look about and around again; and she then walks about like the other women. During the time she is in retreat, she must not look at the springbok, lest they should become wild. (the young man’s) hands were cold. While the girl thought of her saliva, which, eating, she had put into the springbok meat; this saliva would go into the bow, the inside of the bow would become cool; she, in this manner, thought. Therefore, she feared the young men’s game. Her father was the one from whom she alone ate (game). While she felt that she had worked (i.e. treated) her father’s hands; she had worked, taking away her saliva (from them).

The Great Star, ǃGãunu, Which, Singing, Named the Stars

ǃgãunu,* he was formerly a great Star; therefore, his name is] gaunu; while he feels that he was the one who formerly spoke (lit. “called”) the Stars’ names; while he feels that he is a great one. Therefore, he called the Stars’ names. Therefore, the Stars possess their names; while they feel that ǃgãunũ was the one who called their names. He formerly sang, while he uttered the Stars’ names. He said “ǁχwhāi” † to (some) Stars which are very small; they are those of which he made ǁχwhāi; their small, fine ones are those which are ǁχwhāi.

“My (paternal) grandfather, ǀχúgen-ddi, was the one who told me star’s stories.”

Therefore, the porcupine, when these Stars have, sitting, turned back, he will not remain on the hunting ground; for, he knows that it is dawn, when ǁχwhāi has, lying, turned back. He returns home; for, he is used to look at these Stars; they are those which he watches; while he feels that he knows that the dawn’s Stars they are.

What the Stars Say, and a Prayer to a Star

They (the Bushmen) wish, that they may also perceive things.* Therefore, they say that the Star shall take their heart, with which they do not a little hunger; the Star shall give them the Star’s heart,—the Star’s heart,—with which the Star sits in plenty. For the Star is not small; the Star seems as if it had food. Therefore, they say, that the Star shall give them of the Star’s heart, that they may not hunger.

The Stars are wont to call, “Tsau Tsau!” therefore the Bushmen are wont to say, that the Stars curse for them the springboks’ eyes; the Stars say, “Tsaŭ!” they say, “Tsaŭ! Tsaŭ!” I am one who was listening to them. I questioned my grandfather (Tsátsi), what things it could be that spoke thus. My grandfather said to me that the Stars were those who spoke thus. The Stars were those who said, ‘‘Tsau!” while they cursed for the people the springboks’ eyes. Therefore, when I grew up, I was listening to them. The Stars said, “Tsaŭ! Tsaŭ!” Summer is (the time) when they sound.

Because I used to sleep with my grandfather, I was the one who sat with my grandfather, when he sat in the coolness outside. Therefore, I questioned him, about the things which spoke thus. He said, the Stars were those who spoke thus; they cursed for the people the springboks’ eyes.*

My grandfather used to speak to Canopus, when Canopus had newly come out; he said: ‘Thou shalt give me thy heart, with which thou dost sit in plenty, thou shalt take my heart,—my heart,—with which I am desperately hungry. That I might also be full, like thee. For, I hunger. For, thou seemest to be satisfied (with food); hence thou art not small. For, I [am hungry. Thou shalt give me thy stomach, with which thou art satisfied. Thou shalt take my stomach, that thou mayst also hunger. Give thou me also thy arm, thou shalt take my arm, with which I do not kill, For, I miss my aim. Thou shalt give me thy arm. For, my arm which is here, I miss my aim with it.” He desired that the arrow might hit the springbok for him; hence, he wished the Star to give him the Star’s arm, while the Star took his arm, with which he missed his aim.

He shut his mouth, he moved away, he sat down; while he felt that he wished to sit and sharpen

an arrow.

ǃKó-GǃNuiŃ-Tára, Wife of the Dawn’s-Heart Star, Jupiter

They sought for ǃháken,* they were digging out ǃháken. They went about, sifting ǃháken, while they were digging out ǃháken. And, when the larvæ of the] héken were intending to go in (to the earth which was underneath the little hillock), they collected together, they sifted the larvae of the ǃháken on the hunting ground.

And the hyena † took the blackened perspiration of her armpits, she put it into the ǃháken. And they ‡ gave to ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára of the ǃhágen. And ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára exclaimed, she said to her younger sister: ‘Thou shalt leave this ǃháken alone; I will be the one who eats it. For, thou art the one who shalt take care of the child.§ For, this ǃháken, its smell is not nice.”

Therefore, as ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára sat, eating the ǃháken,

are like (those of) “Bushman rice’.] Aaken is a thing to eat; there is nothing as nice as it is, when it is fresh. the ornaments * (i.e., earrings, bracelets, leglets, anklets) of themselves came off.† The kaross (skin cloak) also unloosened (itself), the kaross also sat down. The skin petticoat also unloosened (itself), the skin petticoat sat down. The shoes also unloosened (themselves). Therefore, she sprang up,† she in this manner trotted away. Her younger sister, shrieking, followed her.§ She (ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára) went; she went into the reeds. She went to sit in the reeds.

Her younger sister exclaimed: “O ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára! wilt thou not first allow the child to suck?” And she (the elder sister) said: “Thou shalt bring it, that it may suck; I would altogether talk to thee, while my thinking-strings still stand.” Therefore, she spoke, she said to her younger sister: “Thou must be quickly bringing the child, while I am still conscious; and thou shalt bring the child to-morrow morning.”

Her younger sister returned home, also the hyena, when the hyena had put on the ornaments; they returned home, while the Dawn’s-Heart and the rest‖ were (still) out hunting. The Dawn’s-Heart returned home, as the child cried there, while his younger sister-in-law was the one who had the child.

He came, he exclaimed: “Why is it, that ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára is not attending to the child, while the child cries there?” The hyena did not speak.

seem to have been the jackals’ husbands, and the quaggas, and the wildebeests with the ostriches. ǀχé-ddé-γóë * was soothing the child. She waited; her elder sister’s husband went to hunt; and she took . the child upon her back. She went to her elder sister; she walked, arriving at the reeds. She exclaimed: “O ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára! let the child suck.” And her elder sister sprang out of the reeds; her elder sister, in this manner, came running; her elder sister caught hold of her, she turning (her body on one side) gave her elder sister the child. She said: “I am here!” And her elder sister allowed the child to suck. She said: ‘Thou must quickly bring the child (again), while I am still conscious; for, I feel as if my thinking-strings would fall down.” And her younger sister took the child upon her back, she returned home; while her elder sister went into the reeds.

And, near sunset, she went to her elder sister; while she felt that her elder sister was the one who had thus spoken to her about it; her elder sister said: “Thou must quickly bring the child, for, I feel as if I should forget you, while I feel that I do not know.” And, her younger sister took the child near sunset, she went to her elder sister, she stood. She exclaimed: “O ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára! let the child suck.” Her elder sister sprang out of the reeds; she ran up to her younger sister. And she caught hold of her younger sister. Her younger sister said: “I am here! (I am here!” She allowed the child to suck. She said: ‘Thou must quickly come (again); for, I feel as if I should forget you, (as if) I should not any longer think of you.” Her younger sister returned home, while she went into the reeds.

Her younger sister, on the morrow, she went to her elder sister; she walked, coming, coming, coming, coming, she stood. And she exclaimed: “O ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára! let the child suck.” And her elder sister sprang out of the reeds, she ran up to her younger sister, she caught hold of her younger sister. Her younger sister, springing aside, gave her the child. Her younger sister said: “I am here!” Therefore, she (the elder sister) spoke, she said to her younger sister: “Thou must not continue to come to me; for, I do not any longer feel that I know.” And her younger sister returned home.

And they went to make a Iku * there (at the house). They played. The men played with them, while the women were those who clapped their hands, while the men were those who nodded their heads, while the women were those who clapped their hands for them. Then, the Dawn’s-Heart, nodding his head, went up to his younger sister-in-law,: he laid his hand on his younger sister-in-law (on her shoulder). Then his younger sister-in-law swerved aside. She exclaimed: “Leave me alone! your wives, the old she-hyenas,† may clap their hands for you.”

Then the Dawn’s-Heart ran to the hyena; he took aim (with his assegai),* he pierced the place where the hyena had been sitting,! while the hyena sprang out, she trod, burning herself in the fire, while she sprang away; while the ornaments remained at the place where she had been sitting, and where she had been wearing them. She sprang away, while they remained.

And the Dawn’s-Heart scolded his younger sisterin-law, why was it that his younger sister-in-law had not quickly told him about it; she had concealed from him about the hyena; as if this was not why he had seen that the woman had been sitting with her back towards him, she had not been sitting with her face towards him. She had been sitting with her back towards him; the (i.e. his) wife had been sitting with her face towards him. A different person, she must be the one who was here, she had sat with her back towards him.† And he said that his younger sister-in-law should quickly explain to him about the place where the (his) wife seemed to be. His younger sister-in-law said: “Thou shalt wait, that the place may become light §; for, thou dost seem to think that (thy) wife is still like that which she used to be. We will go to (thy) wife, when the sun has come out.”

Therefore, on the morrow, he said that his younger sister-in-law must quickly allow them to go. Then his younger sister-in-law said: “We ought to drive, taking goats, that we may take goats to (thy) wife.” Therefore, they drove, taking goats. They drove along goats, drove along goats; they took the goats to the reeds. And they drove the goats to a stand.*

ǀχé-ddé-γóë † directed her elder sister’s husband, she said that her elder sister’s husband should stand behind her back, the other people must stand behind her elder sister’s husband’s back, while she must be the one to stand beside the goats. Then she exclaimed: “O ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára! let the child suck.”

Then her elder sister sprang out of the reeds; she, in this manner, she running came. She, when she had run to her younger sister, she perceived the goats, she turned aside to the goats. She caught hold of a goat. The Dawn’s-Heart caught hold of (his) wife, while the wife caught hold of the goat; while his younger sister-in-law, ǀχé-ddé-γóë, also took hold of the wife. All the people altogether caught hold of her. Other people were catching hold of the goats; they cut the goats open, they took out the contents of the stomach, they anointed ǃkó-gǃnuiń-tára with the contents of the stomachs. They, taking hold, rubbed off the hair t (from her skin). Therefore, when she sat down, she said: “Ye must, pulling, leave the hair on the tips of my ears; for, in that manner I shall come to hear; for, I do not feel as if I should hear.’ * Therefore, the man (her husband), pulling off, left the hair on the tips of her ears, that hair which is thus t on the tips of the ears, standing on the top of them.

Therefore, the Dawn’s-Heart used, when he was returning home,† to put an arrow on the bow, he walked, sticking the end of his assegai into the ground, as he returning came. His eyes were large, as he came walking along; they resembled fires. The people were afraid of him as he came, on account of his eyes; while they felt that his eyes resembled fires, as he came walking along. The jackals were afraid of him, as he returning came. Dawn’s-Heart Star, and, when she is grown up, he spits her out again. She then herself becomes another (female) Dawn’s-Heart, and spits out another Dawn’s-Heart-child, which follows the male and female Dawn’s-Heart. The mother of the latter, the first-mentioned Dawn’s-Heart’s wife, was the Lynx, who was then a beautiful woman, with a younger sister who carried her digging-stick after her. The Dawn’s-Heart hid his child under the leaves of an edible root (ǃkúïssi), where he thought that his wife would come and find it. Other animals and birds arrived first, and each proposed herself to the Dawn’s-Heart-child as its mother; but they were mocked at by the child, until at last it recognized its own mother. Among the insulted animals were the Jackal and the Hyena, who, to revenge themselves, bewitched the mother (Lynx) with some poisoned. “Bushman rice” (so-called “ants’ eggs”), by which means she was transformed into a lioness. In the dark, the Hyena tried to take her (the Lynx’s) place in the hut, on the return of the Dawn’s-Heart; but the imposture was made known to him by his sister-in-law. The Dawn’s-Heart tried to stab the Hyena with his assegai, but missed her. She fled, putting her foot into the fire, and burning it severely. The bewitched wife was enticed out of the reeds by her younger sister, and then caught by her brothers, who pulled off the lion skin, so that she became a fair woman again. But, in consequence of having been bewitched by “Bushman rice,” she could no longer eat that, and was changed into a lynx who ate meat.—This myth, which contains many minor, and some beautiful incidents, is partly given in the form of a narrative, and partly in discourses addressed by the Dawn’s-Heart to his daughter, as well as in speeches made by the Hyena and her parents, after her flight home.”