IX. Customs and Superstitions

Cutting Off the Top of the Little Finger, and Piercing Ears and Nose

A little boy has this hand cut.* A female child has this hand cut,† because she is a little girl, therefore, she has the hand of her female arm cut; because this is her female hand. ‘The little boy feels that he is a little boy, therefore, he has this hand cut, his male arm, for, they shoot with this hand. Another boy does not have his hand cut; another girl does not have her hand cut.

Thus, the boy has this arm cut, with which they intend him to shoot; therefore, he turns this (the right) hand, when he grasps the arrow, he turns this (the left) hand, when he grasps the bow.

Another man has this (the right) ear pierced; he also has that (the left) ear pierced. Another woman has this (the left) ear pierced, because she feels that her female arm is here (i.e. on this side); she also has this (the right) ear pierced, because she feels that her male arm is here; she also has her nose pierced.

Another woman does not have her nose pierced, because the other woman is ugly; the other woman who has had her nose pierced, is handsome.

Cutting Off the Top of the Little Finger. Second Account

Her father, ǀkwaíγãu, was the one who cut off the upper joint of his daughter Kauëten-ań’s little finger.*

My husband was the one who cut off (the upper joint of) ǃkábbe-tŭ’s (“Willem Streep’s”) finger.

Bushman Presentiments.†

The Bushmen’s letters † are in their bodies. They (the letters) speak, they move, they make their (the Bushmen’s) bodies move. They (the Bushmen) order the others to be silent; a man is altogether still, when he feels that his body is tapping (inside). A dream speaks falsely, it is (a thing) which deceives. The presentiment is that which speaks the truth; it is that by means of which the Bushman gets (or perceives) meat, when it has tapped.

The beatings tell those who understand them, which way they are not to go, and which arrow they had better not use, and also warn them, when many people are coming to the house on a wagon. They inform people where they can find the person of whom they are in search,i.e., which way they must go to seek him successfully.” (“A Brief Account of Bushman Folk-lore and other Texts.” By W.H. I. Bleek, Ph.D. Cape Town, 1875. pp. 17 and 18.) The Bushmen perceive people coming by means of it. The Bushmen feel a tapping (when) other people are * coming.

With regard to an old wound, a Bushman feels a tapping at the wound’s place, while the tapping feels that the man (who has the old wound) walks, moving his body. The one man feels the other man who comes; he says to the children: “Look ye around, for grandfather, for grandfather seems to be coming; this is why I feel the place of his body’s old wound.” The children look around; the children perceive the man coming. They say to their father: “A man is coming yonder.” Their father says to them: ‘Grandfather (his own father) comes yonder; he would come to me; he was the one whose coming I felt at the place of his old wound. I wanted you to see that he is really coming. For ye contradict my presentiment, which speaks truly.”

He feels a tapping (at) his ribs; he says to the children: ‘The springbok seem to be coming, for I feel the black hair (on the sides of the springbok). Climb ye the Brinkkop standing yonder, that ye may look around at all the places. For I feel the springbok sensation.” The other man agrees with him: “I think (that) the children (should) do so; for the springbok come in the sun; for the Brinkkop standing yonder is high; they shall look down upon the ground. And then they can see the whole ground. They can therefore (?) look inside the trees; for the springbok are wont to go hidden inside the trees. For the trees are numerous. The little river beds are also there. They are those to which the springbok are wont, to come (in order) to eat in them. For, the little river beds have become green.* For I am wont to feel thus, I feel a sensation in the calves of my legs when the springbok’s blood is going to run down them. For I always feel blood, when I am about to kill springbok. For I sit feeling a sensation behind my back, which the blood is wont to run down, when I am carrying a springbok. The springbok hair lies behind my back.’ The other agrees with him (saying): “Yes, my brother.”

Therefore, we are wont to wait (quietly); when the sensation is like this, when we are feeling the things come, while the things come near the house. We have a sensation in our feet, as we feel the rustling of the feet of the springbok with which the springbok come, making the bushes rustle. We feel in this manner, we have a sensation in our heads, when we are about to chop the springbok’s horns. We have a sensation in our face, on account of the blackness of the stripe on the face of the springbok; † we feel a sensation in our eyes, on account of the black marks on the eyes of the springbok. The ostrich is one, for whom we feel the sensation of a louse; * as it walks, scratching the louse; when it is spring,† when the sun feels thus, it is warm.

Then it is that the things go from us. They go along, passing opposite to the hut. Therefore, we early cross the things’ spoor, when we early go to hunt. For, the things which are numerous are used to come first, when we are lying in the shade of the hut; because they think that we are probably lying asleep in the noonday’s sleep. For we really lie down to sleep the noonday’s sleep. But we do not lie sleeping at noon, when we feel this sensation. For we are used to feel like this when the things are walking; when we have felt the things coming, as they walk, moving their legs. We feel a sensation in the hollows under our knees, upon which blood drops, as we go along, carrying (the game). Therefore, we feel this sensation there.

Therefore, the little boys do not lie in the shade inside the hut; they lie in the shade above yonder, so that they may beckon to us, when they have perceived the things, when the things walk at that place. They will beckon, making us see; for we are wont, sitting at a distance, to watch them, as they sit above yonder. Therefore, we say to each other, that the children appear to have seen things. For, they beckon. They point to that place, while they point to the place towards (?) which the things are walking, where the Brinkkop mountains lie thus spread out (?). So we may quickly chase the things at the hill which lies across, to which the things are walking. The things walk, putting themselves in front of it;* we will quickly pass behind it, while it still lies away (from the springbok). We will stand nicely (ready) for the things, that we may not steal up abreast † of the things, (but) that we may steal up in front of the things, at the place ‡ to which the leader goes.

Doings and Prayers When Canopus and Sirius Come Out

The Bushmen perceive Canopus, they say to a - child: “Give me yonder piece of wood, that I may put (the end of) it (in the fire), that I may point (it) burning (towards) grandmother, for, grandmother carries Bushman rice; grandmother shall make a little warmth for us; for she coldly comes out; the sun § shall warm grandmother’s eye for us.”

Sirius comes out; the people call out to one another: “Sirius comes yonder;” they say to one another: ‘Ye must burn (a stick) for us (towards) Sirius.” They say to one another: “Who was it who saw Sirius?” One man says to the other: ‘Our brother saw Sirius.” The other man says to him: “I saw Sirius.” * The other man says to him: “I wish thee to burn (a stick) for us (towards) Sirius; that the sun may shining come out for us; that Sirius may not coldly come out.” The other man (the one who saw Sirius) says to his son: “Bring me’ the (small) piece of wood yonder, that I may put (the end of) it (in the fire), that I may burn (it) towards grandmother; that grandmother may ascend the sky, like the other one, Canopus.”

The child brings him the piece of wood, he (the father) holds (the end of) it in (the fire). He points (it) burning towards Sirius; he says that Sirius shall twinkle like Canopus. He sings; he sings (about) Canopus, he sings (about) Sirius; he points to them with fire,† that they may twinkle like each other. He throws fire at them. He covers himself up entirely (including his head) in (his) kaross and lies down.

He arises, he sits down; while he does not again lie down; because he feels that he has worked, putting Sirius into the sun’s warmth; so that Sirius may warmly come out.

The women go out early to seek for Bushman rice; they walk, sunning their shoulder blades.

The Making of Clay Pots

The women dig, removing the earth which lies above, lifting it away; and they only dig out the earth * which is inside there. And they scoop it out; they put it into the bag. And they sling it (the earth) over their [left] shoulder, they take it home.

And, as they return, they go along plucking grass, they only pluck the male grass; they bind it together. And they take it to the hut.

And they pound the pot (clay),† pound (it), making it soft.† And they pound the grass, they also pound, making the grass soft. And they put the grass into the earth; and they make the earth wet. And they make the earth wet, and they make the earth very nice indeed, and they mould § the earth. And, when they have made the lower part of the pot, they, holding, break off the clay, they rub the clay between their hands. They put the clay down (in a circle). And they smooth * the clay very nicely indeed; they moulding, raise (the sides of) the pot. And they smooth it, smooth it, smooth it, make it very nice indeed, they set it down to dry (in the sun).† And they make a little pot which is small, beautiful beyond comparison. They anoint the pot with fat, while they wish the pot not to split. Therefore, they anoint the pot with fat, while the pot is still damp, when the pot has just newly dried, the pot’s inner part (the inner layers, not the inside) being still damp; because they wish the pot to dry when it has fat upon it (inside and out). And they set the pot (in the sun) to dry; they make a little pot; they make it very nicely indeed. They set the little pot to dry (in the sun) by the side of the large pot; and they take the other part of the clay; they make it also wet. They mould it; they mould it very nicely indeed; they set it down. They also make another little pot, a little pot which is larger (it. “grown”). And they set it to dry (in the sun). When the pot dries, they also prepare gum;‡ they pound it (between stones); they pound it, they pound, making it fine. They take it up in their hand (and) put it into the pot; and they pour in water [into the new pot]. It [the gum] boils, while they feel that gum is that which adheres,* it resembles ǀkwāïë.

And, if springbok are at hand, a man kills a springbok, they pour the springbok’s blood into (its) stomach, and the man brings back the blood; he takes the blood home.

And the wife goes to pour the blood into the new pot. And she boils the blood; and, when the blood is cooked, she takes the pot off the fire, she takes the blood out of the pot (with a springbok horn spoon), and she sets the pot down; because she wishes the blood [i.e., the blood remaining in the pot] to dry.

And she † again takes the pot, and she pours water into (it), she boils meat.

And, also, they do not strike with a stone,† when a new pot is on the fire, because they wish it not to split.

spoon, made from springbok horn, with which they stir the gum which is boiling inside], while they wish this gum to adhere to the outside of the pot. t† A man works at springbok’s arrows, making them straight. A woman moulds pots. ǀhańǂkass’ō further stated that his wife, Ssuóbba-ǁkèn, had been taught to make pots by Kkoë-ań (an elder sister of her mother, ǀkuábba-ań), and also by ǀχŭ-ań (another elder female relative on the maternal side).

The Bushman Soup Spoon.*†

The hair of the Proteles is here, that part of the hair which is on the top of its back.† The roots of the hair are here, those which stick into the skin.

I do not know whether it is springbok’s paxwax § [which binds the hair on the stick]. This is the (wood of the) “Driedoorn”; it (the ‘Driedoorn”) is a bush.

We scratch the fire together with it (i.e., with the handle of the brush). Therefore, the fire burns, blackening this part of it. It becomes black.

The Shaped Rib Bone.‖

A bone (it) is; a rib (it) is; a Bushman is the one who makes it.‡ He works it; he shapes it with a knife.

“Kambro” is that which we eat (with) it.

The Bushman Drum and Dancing Rattles.*

They tie, putting the bag over the pot’s (drum’s) mouth.† Then they tie on the sinew. And they pull the drum’s surface tight ; for they wish that the drum may sound, when they beat the drum.

The men will tie springbok ears upon their feet; ‡ they will dance, while the springbok ears sound, as springbok ears are wont to do, like what we call dancing rattles. Springbok ears (they) are; we call them dancing rattles. They sound well, when we have tied (them) on to our feet. They sound well, when we have tied (them) on to our feet. They sound well, they rattle as we dance, when we have tied (them) on to our feet. The drum which the women beat sounds well. Therefore, the men dance well on account of it, while they feel that the drum, which the women beat, sounds well. The dancing rattles which the men tie upon their feet sound well, because a woman who works nicely is the one who has worked them. Therefore, they sound nicely, because they are good. Therefore, they sound nicely, because they are good.

prepared and filled, are tied, in fours or fives, on to the top of each foot (on the instep), letting the men’s toes appear below them.

A woman takes off the skin * of the springbok’s ear; and then, she sews the inner skin of the springbok’s ear, when she has laid aside the (hairy) skin of the springbok’s ear; for it is the inner skin of its ear which she sews. And she sews it, and she scoops up with her hand, putting soft earth into it. And they dig, lading in earth, because they wish that the springbok ears may dry; that they may put in ǁkérri † berries when they have taken out the earth. And then they tie on a small piece of sinew at the tip of the springbok ear, which was open, while they tie shutting in the ǁkérri berries, so that the ǁkérri berries may not come out of the springbok ear. And they pierce through the springbok ears; and they put in little threads, which the men are to tie, fastening the springbok ears on their feet.†

The Use of the ǃGŌÏnǃGŌÏn, Followed by an Account of a Bushman Dance

The people beat the ǃgōïnǃgōïn, (in order) that the bees may become abundant § for the people, (in order) that the bees may go into the other people’s places, that the people may eat honey. Therefore, the people beat the ǃgōïnǃgōïn, when they desire that the people’s bees may go into the other people’s places, so that the people may cut honey, that they may put honey away into bags.

And the people carry honey. And the people, carrying, bring the honey home. And the people take honey to the women at home. For, the women are dying of hunger, at home. Therefore, the men take honey to the women at home; that the women may go to eat, for they feel that the women have been hungry at home; while they wish that the women may make* a drum for them, so that they may dance, when the women are satisfied with food. For they do not frolic when they are hungry.

And they dance, when the women have made a drum for them. Therefore, the women make a drum for them; they dance. The men are those who dance, while the women sit down, because they clap their hands for the men when the men are those who dance; while one woman is the one who beats the drum; while many women are those who clap their hands for the men; because they feel that many men are dancing.

Then, the sun rises, while they are dancing there, while they feel that they are satisfied with food. Then, the sun rises, while they are dancing there, while they feel that the women are satisfied with food. Therefore, the sun shines upon the backs of their heads; * while the women get the dust of the drum. Then the men are covered (?) with dust, while the dust of the drum lies upon the women’s faces, because the women are accustomed to sit down there; therefore, the dust of the drum lies upon the women’s faces. Because they (the men) do not dance a little, for they dance very much. Therefore, their foot’s dust covers the women’s faces; because they have danced strongly. Therefore, they get their foot’s dust, which rises up from their feet, it rises up among them, as they stand dancing. They dance, standing around, while the women are those who sit down, while the men are those who dance, standing around.

Therefore they sleep, letting the sun set; † because they are tired when they have been dancing there; while the women leave off drumming. Therefore they sleep, letting the sun set; because they are tired when they have been dancing there. Therefore, they sleep, letting the sun set; because they are tired when they have been dancing there. The place becomes dark, as they sleep there, because they are tired, when they have danced there.

Therefore, morning is (the time) when they send the children to the water, that the children may dip up (water) for them, that they may drink; for they are thirsty. Therefore, the children go early to dip up (water) for them, at the break of day, so that they may come to drink. For they are thirsty. They are aware that they are tired. Therefore, it does not seem as if they will be those to send the children to the water; for they feel at first that they are still tired. Therefore, it does not seem as if they will be those to send the children to the water. Because they are still sleeping there for a while; because they are still tired. Therefore, they do not seem as if they will be those to send the children to the water. Therefore, when they awake, they send the children to the water; when they feel that they have had their sleep out. Therefore, they awake. And then they send the children to the water. They speak to the children, they thus say to the children, that the children must quickly bring them water, that they may quickly come to drink. For they are thirsty.

Preparation of the Feather Brushes Used in Springbok Hunting.*

They roll the feather brushes, binding the ostrich feathers (the body feathers) upon the “Driedoorn” stick. They become numerous; and they (the Bushmen) pound red stones,† they paint ‡ the feather brush sticks. And they make ready the (dried) skin of a springbok’s chest; they thread little thongs§ into (it); and they put away the feather brushes. They put away the feather brushes; they dig up ǁkuáin,* they roast (the stem of) the ǁkuáin, they lay the feather brushes over the ǁkuáin’s smoke, while the ǁkuáin’s smoke ascends into the feather brushes.

First, they dig † [with a stick pointed with horn], making a little hole; they put live coals into it. And they put ǁkuáin upon the live coals, while they wish that the ǁkuáin may smoke quietly, and not flame up; for the ǁkuáin would set the feather brushes on fire, if the fire were to flame up, if they (the stems) flamed up, when roasted.

They (the Bushmen) put the springbok skin ‡ over (the fire); they put a stone upon the place where the feather brush sticks are, for they intend that the smoke should only go out through the ostrich feathers.

The Marking of Arrows

The Bushmen are those who mark arrows,§ while they wish that they may recognize the arrows, when they are shooting springbok at one place. And, when they are following the springbok spoor, when they are going along picking up the arrows they recognize the arrows. They say: “Thy arrow it seems to be, for, their mark is like this.” Another man says: “Yes, my arrow is yonder.” They again go to pick up this arrow. The other man says: “My arrow seems to be yonder; for their mark is like this.”

ǃkwāĕ* is that with which they make the marks. They put ttò into (it), and they pound the ttò together with the ǃkwāĕ; and the ǃkwāĕ becomes red on account of it; then, they mark the arrows with it.

The Adhesive Substance Used by the Bushmen in Making Arrows

It is ǃkwāĕ †; it is ǁkuárri juice. It is like a pumpkin, it is round. Its juice is white; it is like water. Its juice is not a little white; its whiteness resembles milk. It is poison.

We make an incision (?) (and) set it (the Wkudrri) down; and then we hold a tortoise (shell) underneath it; because we wish its juice to be upon the tortoise (shell), that we may make ǃkwāĕ of it. And we warm (it) by the fire, making it hot; and we beat (?) it, when it is hot. Then, we beat(?), cooling it. And we take it up in this manner,‡ with a “Driedoorn” stick; we do in this manner to it, with the “Driedoorn” stick, as we make it round; while we think that we intend to make little springbok arrows.

Mode of Getting Rid of the Evil Influence of Bad Dreams

My mother used to do in this manner, when she intended to go out to seek for food, when she was about to start, she took a stone; (and) as she plunged the stone into the ashes of the fire, she exclaimed: Eider yonder!” while she wished that the evil things, about which she had been dreaming, should altogether remain in the fire; instead of going out with her. For, if she did not act in this manner, they would go out with her. That place to which she went would not be nice; while she knew that she had dreamt of evil things which were not nice. Therefore, she acted in this manner; because she was aware that, if she went out with the dream which she had dreamt, her going out would not be fortunate.

The Bushman rice which she dug would not be favourable to her, because it was aware that she had dreamt evil things. Therefore, the Bushman rice would not be favourable to mamma; while the Bushman rice was aware that mamma had dreamt evil things; therefore, the Bushman rice would act in this manner about it.

Concerning Two Apparitions

We buried my wife in the afternoon. When we had finished burying her, we returned to the home of my sister, Whāi-ttū,* and the other people, whence they had come forth. They had come to bury my wife with me; and we went away, crossing over the salt pan.

And we perceived a thing which looked like a little child, as it sat upon the salt pan, seeming as if it sat with its legs crossed over each other.

And my sister, Whāi-ttū, spoke, she questioned us: ‘Look ye! What thing sits yonder upon the salt pan? It is like a little child.” And ǃkwéitentā-ǁkēn [another sister] spoke, she asked us: ‘Look ye! Why is it that this thing is truly like a person? It seems as if it had on the cap which Díäǃkwāin’s wife used to wear.” And my sister, Whāi-ttū, spoke, she answered: “Yes, O my younger sister! The thing truly resembles that which brother’s wife was like.” It did thus as we went along, it seemed as if it sat looking (towards) the place from which we came out.

And ǁkū-ăń spoke, she said: “The old people used to tell me, that the angry people were wont to act thus, at the time when they took a person away, they used to allow the person to be in front of us, (so that) we might see it. Ye know that she really had a very little child, therefore, ye should allow us to look at the thing which sits upon this salt pan; it strongly resembles a person, its head is there, like a person.” And I spoke, I said: “Wait! I will do thus, as I return to my home, I will see, whether I shall again perceive it, as it sits.”

And we went to their home. And we talked there, for a little while. And I spoke, I said to them that they appeared to think that I did not wish to return (home); for the sun was setting. And I returned on account of it. I thought that I would go in the same manner as we had come; that I might, going along, look whether I should again perceive it, as it sat. Going along, I looked at the place, where it had sat; because I thought that it might have been a bush. I saw that I did not perceive it, at the place where it had sat. And I agreed that it must have been a different kind of thing.

For my mothers used to tell me that, when the sorcerers are those who take us away, at the time when they intend to take us quite away, that is the time when our friend is in front of us, while he desires that we may perceive him, because he feels that he still thinks of us. Therefore, his outer skin * still looks at us, because he feels that he does not want to go away (and) leave us; for he insists upon coming to us. Therefore, we still perceive him on account of it.

My sister’s husband, Mdnsse,† told us about it, that it had happened to him, when he was hunting about, as he was going along, he espied a little child, peeping at him by the side of a bush. And he thought: ‘Can it be my child who seems to have run after me? It seems to have lost its way, while it seems to have followed me.’ And Mănsse thought: ‘Allow me to walk nearer, that I may look at this child (to see) what child (it) be.’

And Mănsse saw that the child acted in this manner, when the child saw that he was going up to it, that he might see what child it was, he saw that the child appeared as if it feared him. The child sat behind the bush; the child looked from side to side; it seemed as if it wanted to run away. And he walked, going near to it; and the child arose, on account of it. It walked away, looking from side to side; it seemed as if it wanted to run away.

And Mănssĕ looked (to see) why it was that the child did not wish him to come to it; and the child seemed to be afraid of him. And he examined the child; as the child stood looking at him. He saw that it was a little girl; he saw that the child was like a person. In other parts* (of it) it was not like a person; he thought that he would let the child alone. For a child who was afraid of him was here. And he walked on, while the child stood looking from side to side. And (as) the child saw that he went away from it, it came forward (near the bush), it sat down.

The Jackal’s Heart Not to Be Eaten

They (the Bushmen) feel that a little child is wont to be timid; therefore, the little child does not eat jackals’ hearts; because the jackal is not a little afraid; for the jackal runs away.

The leopard is the one whose heart the little child eats; it which is not afraid; for, a little child becomes a coward from the jackal’s heart, it fears immoderately (?).

Therefore, we do not give to a little child the jackal’s heart; because we feel that the jackal is used to run away, when it has not (even) seen us; when it has only heard our foot rustle, it runs away, while it does not look towards (us).

Note added by the Narrator

He (my grandfather, Tssātssĭ) had bought dogs from ǃgáppem-ttŭ, and ǃgáppem-ttŭ gave him a dog. And he took hold of the dog, he tied the dog up; and he took the dog away; holding the thong with which he had tied up the dog. He at first kept the dog tied up; and, when the dog had slipped his thong(?), he put it upon the scent(?), and the dog killed jackals.

He (my grandfather) skinned the jackals; and my grandmothers dressed the jackals’ skins; they dressed them, they sewed them.

He again(?) killed(?) a jackal and an Otocyon Lalandii, he brought them (home), he skinned them.

And he made a kaross for ǃgáppem-ttŭ, a jackals’ kaross, while he put on the Otocyon kaross, the Otocyon skin.

And he took the kaross to ǃgáppem-ttŭ, the jackals’ kaross, while he felt that ǃgáppem-ttŭ was the one who had given him the dog. Therefore, he made a kaross for ǃgáppem-ttŭ; while he made for ǃgáppem-ttŭ an equivalent(?) for the dog; therefore, he gave the kaross to ǃgáppem-ttŭ, and ǃgáppem-ttŭ also gave him a pot, while he rewarded(?) my grandfather for the jackals’ kaross. And my grandfather returned home.

Then my grandfather used to act in this manner, when he was boiling a jackal, he said: “Thou dost seem to think that we eat jackals’ hearts? for, we become cowards (if we do so).” Therefore, we did not eat the jackals’ hearts.

For, my grandfather used not to eat the jackal; he only boiled the jackal for his sons.

ǁHára and Ttò

ǁhára * is black; the people [having mixed it with fat] anoint their heads with it; while ttò is red, and the people rub their bodies with it, when they have pounded it; they pound it, pound it, pound it, they rub their bodies with it. They pound ǁhára, they anoint their heads, when they have first pounded the ttò; they first rub their bodies with ttò. And they pound ǁhára, they anoint their heads. They anoint their heads very nicely, while they wish that their head’s hair may descend (i.e, grow long). And it becomes abundant on account of it; because they have anointed their heads, wishing that the hair may grow downwards, that their heads may become black with blackness, while their heads are not a little black.

And they return, when they come away from the other man, while they return to their home; when they have told the other person (the woman) about it, that the other person shall prepare [more] ǁhára for them, as well as ttò. For he (the man) also goes, (his) wife will go to dress bags for him, bags which he will also bring to the other man; while the other (man’s wife) will also put aside ǁhára for him, when the other (man) collects ǁhára. And the other (man) comes to put aside ǁhára for him; while she [the wife of the man who brought the bags] also dresses (and) puts away bags for the other; for, she has told the other (woman) that the other must also bring her ǁhára and ttò; for she has been to the other, and she will not be coming (soon again) to the other, for, the other must go to her; the other must go to receive the bags, when the other takes ttò to her. Therefore, the other one also does so; she takes to the other ttò and ǁhára.

ǁhára sparkles; therefore, our heads shimmer, on account of it; while they feel that they sparkle, they shimmer. Therefore, the Bushmen are wont to say, when the old women are talking there: “That man, he is a handsome young man, on account of his head, which is surpassingly beautiful with the ǁhára’s blackness.” They say, “Handsome young man” to him, ‘His head is surpassingly beautiful; for, his head is like the ǀkhì tree.” *

It is a tree which is in our country; it is the [Mi tree; it is large; (it) is a great tree. They are not a little abundant in our country: the ǁkérri tree and the ǃkhì.

How Ttò Is Obtained

Ttò is in the mountain, the ttò mine; the people say that the “mine is on the side of the mountain, the people say ‘ttò mine’ to it.

The people are afraid of it [that is, of the sorcerers who live by the mine], because the people are aware that people are there (sorcerers). They (the sorcerers) make a house t there. Therefore, the people who intend to pound ttò, rub themselves when they (go to) collect ttò. And when they go to the ttò, they throw stones at the ttò mine, when they wish the sorcerers to hide themselves, that they may go undisturbed to work at the ttò, while they feel that the sorcerers dwell at the ttò mine. Therefore, they take up stones, they throw stones at the ttò mine, when they wish the sorcerers to hide themselves, that they may go in peace ‡ to work at the ttò. And they go to work at the ttò, ttò, ttò. They also get ǁhára;§ they put away the ǁhára and the ttò, and they return home.

Signs Made by Bushmen in Order to Show in Which Direction They Have Gone

They (the Bushmen) are accustomed to act thus, when another man has gone away (and) does not return, they push their foot along the ground,* if they travel away; and they place grass‡ near the marks (they have made); and the other man does thus, when he returns, he comes (and) misses them at the house. He looks at the house, he looks (and) looks, he perceives the grass standing upright. And he goes to the grass, he looks at the grass. He also perceives the grass which stands yonder. ‡

And he exclaims: ‘The people must have travelled away to the water pool there.” And he goes to the water, while he goes, looking (and) seeking for the people, (to see) whether the people have gone to dwell at that water.

And, he goes, ascending the water’s hill; § he sits upon (it), that he may, sitting, look, look seeking for the huts. And he perceives the huts, as the huts stand white yonder. He sits, looking at them; the (smoke of the) fire] ] rises from the huts, as he sits looking. And he exclaims: “The

q The fire is outside. house must be yonder!” And he arises, he goes to the house, and, returning, arrives at home.

And the other people exclaim: “Our brother must be (the one who) comes yonder; for, he is the one who walks in this manner; for, a man of the place (he) is, he knows the water. He would do thus, when he came past (and) missed the house. He would come to the water which he knew. For, ye did say that he would lose his way,* when I said that we should travel away. Ye did say that he would lose his way, when I wished that we should travel away, although we had not told him about it that we should travel away; for, the water was gone. Therefore, we travelled away on account of it.”

We are used also to reverse branches.† We thus place them, their green top is underneath, while the stump of the branch is uppermost. And we again, we go yonder to place that branch. And we draw our foot along the ground (making a mark), while we feel that we shall not again go to place another branch; because we altogether travel away.

Therefore, the other man is wont to do thus, when he returns home (and) misses the house. He looks (about), and he espies a branch; and he exclaims: ‘The folk must have travelled away to that little pool, for, this is why they have reversed (a branch), pointing in the direction of the place where the water is. I will go down(?) to the water, that I may go to look for the people’s footprints at the water, at the place to which they seem to have gone to make a house,* (from which) they go to the water.” And he goes to the water, he goes down(?) to the water. And he goes to look at the water, he espies the people’s footpath, he takes it,† he follows it, follows it along to the house.

A Bushman, Becoming Faint from the Sun’s Heat When Returning Home, Throws Earth into the Air, So That Those at Home May See the Dust and Come to Help Him.†

A man is wont, when returning home, when he feels as if he should not reach home, he throws up earth (into the air), because he wishes that the people at home may perceive the dust.

And the person who is looking out,§ standing up to look out,—because she feels that the sun is not a little hot,—she stands up, she looks around.* And, as she stands looking around, she perceives the dust, she exclaims: “A person seems to be throwing up earth there!”

And the people run, run out † of the house, exclaiming: “His heart is that on account of which he throws up earth. Ye must run quickly, that ye may go to give him water quickly; for, (it) is his heart; the sun is killing him; (it) is his heart; ye must quickly go to give him water.” While the people feel that all the people run to the man. They go, pouring (water), to cool the man with water.

And he first sits up,† to remove the darkness from his face; for, the sun’s darkness resembles night.

These are not women’s doings; for, men’s doings they are.

They (the Bushmen) feel that they chase § things, chase the springbok; and it happens thus when they are tired by running, the sun is killing them when they are tired. Then, they go staggering along, also (from) fatigue. The fatigue goes out, and they become cool. Then, they go staggering along, while they go along becoming cool, when they were previously hot; while they feel that they still perspire. Therefore, they go along staggering, while they do not feel as if they should reach home; therefore, they go to sit down; they throw up earth (into the air); throw up earth for the people at home, while they wish that the people at home may perceive the dust.

Death

The star does in this manner, at the time when our heart falls down, that is the time when the star also falls down; while the star feels that our heart falls over.* Therefore, the star falls down on account of it. For the stars know the time at which we die. The star tells the other people who do not know that we have died.

Therefore, the people act thus, when they have seen a star, when a star has fallen down, they say: “Behold ye! Why is it that the star falls down? We shall hear news; for a star falls down. Something which is not good appears to have occurred at another place; for the star tells us, that a bad thing has happened at another place.”

The hammerkop* acts in this manner, when a star has fallen, it comes; when it flies over us, it cries.† The people say: “Did ye not hear the hammerkop, when the star fell? It came to tell us that our person is dead.” The people speak, they say that the hammerkop is not a thing which deceives, for it would not come to our home, if it did not know; for, when it knows, then it comes to our home; because it intends to come and tell us about it, namely, that our person has died.

Therefore, mother and the others used,—if they heard a hammerkop, when it flew, going over us,— to say: “Do thou go (and) plunge in, * * *, for I know that which thou camest to tell me”; while mother and the others said that the story, which it came to tell, should go into the Orange River’s water, where the stars stand in the water. That is the place where its stories should go in. For mother and the others did not want to hear the story which it came to tell; for they knew that the hammerkop does in this manner at the time when a man dies, that is the time at which it comes to us, it tells us about it, that the man has died. For, mother and the others used to say, that the hammerkop is a thing which lives at that water in which we see all things. Therefore, it knows what has happened; while it is ‘aware that it lives at the water which is like a pool, in which we see all things; the things which are in the sky we see in the water, while we stand by the water’s edge. We see all things, the stars look like fires which burn.

When it is night, when another man walks across, we see him, as he walks passing the water. It seems as if it were noonday, when he walks by the water. We see him clearly. The place seems as if it were midday as we see him walking along. Therefore, mother and the others said, that, when the hammerkop has espied in the water a person who has died, even though it be at a distance, when it knows that (he) is our relative, it flies away from this water, it flies to us, because it intends to go to tell us about it, that our relative has died. (It) and the star are those who tell us about it when we have not heard the news; for they are those who tell us about it, and when we have heard the hammerkop, we also perceive the star, we afterwards hear the news, when we have just perceived them; and we hear the news, when they have acted in this manner towards us.

For, mother and the others used to tell us about it, that girls are those whom the Rain carries off; and the girls remain at that water, to which the Rain had taken them, girls with whom the Rain is angry. The Rain lightens, killing them; they become stars, while their appearance has been changed. They become stars. For, mother and the others used to tell us about it, that a girl, when the Rain has carried her off, becomes like a flower * which grows in the water.

We who do not know are apt (?) to do thus when we perceive them, as they stand in the water, when we see that they are so beautiful; we think, ‘I will go (and) take the flowers which are standing in the water. For they are not a little beautiful.’ Mother and the others said to us about it, that the flower—when it saw that we went towards it,—would disappear in the water. We should think, ‘The flowers which were standing here, where are they? Why is it that I do not perceive them at the place where they stood, here?’ It would disappear in the water, when it saw that we went towards it; we should not perceive it, for it would go into the water.

Therefore, mother and the others said to us about it, that we ought not to go to the flowers which we see standing in the water, even if we see their beauty. For, they are girls whom the Rain has taken away, they resemble flowers; for (they) are the water’s wives, and we look at them, leaving them alone. For we (should) also be like them (in) what they do.

Therefore, mother and the others do in this manner with regard to their Bushman women, they are not willing to allow them to walk about, when the Rain comes; for they are afraid that the Rain also intends, lightening, to kill them. For the Rain is a thing which does in this manner when it rains here, it smells our scent, it lightens out of the place where it rains. It lightens, killing us at this place; therefore, mother and the others told us about it, that when the Rain falls upon us (and) we walk passing through the Rain, if we see that the Rain lightens in the sky we must quickly look towards the place where the Rain lightens; the Rain, which intended to kill us by stealth. It will do in this manner, even if its thunderbolts * have come near us, (if) we look towards (the place where it has lightened), we look, making its thunderbolts turn back from us; for our eye also shines like its thunderbolts. Therefore, it also appears to fear our eye, when it feels that we quickly look towards it. Therefore, it passes over us on account of it; while it feels that it respects our eye which shines upon it. Therefore, it goes over us; it goes to sit on the ground yonder, while it does not kill us.

The Relations of Wind, Moon, and Cloud to Human Beings After Death

The wind does thus when we die, our (own) wind blows; for we, who are human beings, we possess wind; we make clouds, when we die. Therefore, the wind does thus when we die, the wind makes dust, because it intends to blow, taking away our footprints, with which we had walked about while we still had nothing the matter with us; and our footprints, which the wind intends to blow away, would (otherwise still) lie plainly visible. For, the thing would seem as if we still lived. Therefore, the wind intends to blow, taking away our footprints.

And, our gall,* when we die, sits in the sky; it sits green in the sky, when we are dead.

Therefore, mother was wont to do thus when the moon lying down came, (when) the moon stood hollow. Mother spoke, she said: ‘The moon is carrying people who are dead. For, ye are those who see that it lies in this manner; and it lies hollow, because it is killing itself (by) carrying people who are dead. This is why it lies hollow. It is not a ǁk’áurŭ; for, it is a moon of badness (?).† Ye may (expect to) hear something, when the moon lies in this manner. A person is the one who has died, he whom the moon carries. Therefore, ye may (expect to) hear what has happened, when the moon is like this.”

The hair of our head will resemble clouds, when we die, when we in this manner make clouds. These things are those which resemble clouds; and we think that (they) are clouds. We, who do not know, we are those who think in this manner, that (they) are clouds. We, who know, when we see that they are like this, we know that (they) are a person’s clouds; (that they) are the hair of his head. We, who know, we are those who think thus, while we feel that we seeing recognize the clouds, how the clouds do in this manner form themselves.