Stories that Float from Afar: Ancestral Folklore of the San of Southern AfricaJ. David Lewis-Williams In this unique and enthralling collection of folk stories that float to us from afar, the voices of long-dead 'Bushmen', or San people, of southern Africa speak of their poignant myths and beliefs. We hear them speak of their tormented lives as the early colonist expanded into the semi-arid interior. All these stories have lain hidden since they were first collected more than a hundred years ago by a remarkable family in Cape Town who devoted their lives to recording the life-ways of the Xam San before their disappearance. Today there is a need for us to listen to these voices from the past. They fill in one of the tragic blanks in South Africa's history. Suddenly a people who have spoken only through other's voices, now speak out and come alive on the pages of this book. |
Contents
Life and death in Xamka | 47 |
The Xamka ei and animals | 81 |
The giving of names | 95 |
Copyright | |
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A!kunta afraid angry arrow asked baboon beast of prey beat behaved Bleek and Bleek Bleek and Lloyd brother bushes Bushman Cape Town carried child coming deceived Diä!kwain drink Editor eland father fight fire flesh girl ground hartebeest honey hunting husband hyena jackal Kabbo Kaggen kaross kass'o kill Klerck knobkerrie Korannas kukummi leopard lice lion's lived look Lucy Lloyd lying maiden Mantis meat Meerkat moon mother mouth nicely Nuturu ostrich poison quagga quickly quiver rain rain's reed rock art says scent seems shamans shoot shot speak spoke spoor spring springbok stand stone stood talk tell things thought told translation untranslated word walked watch wife Wilhelm Bleek woman wound Xam language Xam word Xam-ka yonder young gemsbok young Ichneumon young lion younger