Myths and Legends of Southern Africa

By Lois Tennant

One can imagine a family or families sitting around a warm fire at night, chatting about the day.  Curious children will always ask questions.  Some adults have wonderful powers of imagination, or can remember stories told to them as children.  Thus continues the wonderful tradition of passing down stories.  Where they started, no-one knows!  But we can all enjoy and appreciate them even to this very day.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lois Tennant
• Release date: Jun 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393925590

Book preview

Description

One can imagine a family or families sitting around a warm fire at night, chatting about the day.  Curious children will always ask questions.  Some adults have wonderful powers of imagination, or can remember stories told to them as children.  Thus continues the wonderful tradition of passing down stories.  Where they started, no one knows!  But we can all enjoy and appreciate them even to this very day!

CONTENTS

1. How the Sun, Moon and Stars got into the sky.

2. Why the Earth Sometimes Shakes!

3. Modjadji, the Rain Queen.

4. The Flying Dutchman.

5. The Enchanted Lake and the Ditutwane.

6. Why Spiders Hide in Dark Corners.

7. Why Leopard Hides His Food.

8. The Tortoise and the Birds.

9.  The Footprints.

10. Fire Friend.

11. The Plump Lady.

12. Fear of Lions.

13. How Serval Got His Spots.

14. The Foolish Man.

15. The Boastful Snake.

16. Renier and the Thunderclouds.

17. Malambatata, the One Who Died Grinning!

18. Fudw1ozana and Gongqongqo.

19. Brave Xikhibana.

HOW THE SUN, MOON AND STARS GOT INTO THE SKY

(A myth told by the Basutho ba Laboa people of Southern Africa.)

Long ago, there was a very wealthy king.  He owned many wonderful and unusual things.  Among his most precious objects were the sun, moon and stars.

This king had eight wives who were, unfortunately, very jealous of one another.  To keep them happy, he gave them each one of his treasures to keep safe.  Each wife naturally thought that she was the only one that her husband really trusted!

To his first wife he gave his sturdy walking stick.  Don’t tell anyone! he said.  She nodded happily.

To his second wife he gave his knobkerrie (a stick with a big knob on the end used in fighting).  Don’t tell anyone! he said.  Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

To his third wife he gave his bow and arrows.  Don’t tell anyone! he said.  She immediately agreed and hid them.

To his fourth wife he gave his assegai.  Don’t tell anyone! he said.  That made her feel important.

To his fifth wife he gave his axe. Don’t tell anyone! he said.  She replied that she certainly would not!

To his sixth wife he gave the stars. Don’t tell anyone! he said.  She smiled happily.

To his seventh wife he gave the moon.  Don’t tell anyone! he said.  She immediately hid it in a safe place.

To his eighth wife he gave the sun.  Don’t tell anyone! he said.  She proudly found a safe place for it in her hut.

One day, while the king and his men were out hunting, the wives began to argue about who the favourite and most loved wife was.  Surely he did not love them equally, said one who was prettier than them all.  They began to squabble and glare at one another until the third wife burst into tears.  Feeling very upset she exclaimed: He loves me the most!  He gave me his bow and arrows to keep safe!  The others did not believe her and asked her to show them the evidence.

She took them to her hut and showed them the bow and arrows.  After that the other wives looked at one another and all admitted that they had been given something precious to keep safe.

They went from one hut to another.  When the sixth wife took them to her hut and showed them the stars, the others admitted that he must love her most.  The stars were the most beautiful things they had ever seen.  That is until the seventh wife showed them the moon.  They gasped in surprise and shook their heads as they admitted sadly that she must be loved most as the moon was so lovely.

The eighth wife said nothing.  She simply took them to her hut and opened the door.  Inside was the most beautiful golden ball of fire, which, of course, was the sun.  All the other wives gasped in amazement and the eighth wife