Story Of The Girl And The Mbulu : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE GIRL AND THE MBULU. THERE was once a widow woman who had one son and two daughters. On a certain day she went to her garden, talking with her one of the girls. While she was away the boy quarrelled with his sister...
Notes. The Story Of Simdukumbukwana : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF SIMDUKUMBUKWANA. Charms and medicines for the cure of diseases are classed together by the Kaffirs. Some of the women as well as of the men have really a wonderful knowledge of the properties of herbs and roots. They are...
Story Of Ironside And His Sister : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF IRONSIDE AND HIS SISTER. A LONG time ago a woman who went to cultivate her garden took her little daughter with her, and before she began to hoe the ground she laid the child down in the shade of a tree. About midday there came...
Notes. The Story Of The Bird That Made Milk : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], NOTES. STORY OF THE BIRD THAT MADE MILK. (a) The word "amasi", translated milk, means that kind of fermented milk which is used by the Kaffirs. When taken from the cow, the milk is put into a skin bag, where it ferments and acquires...
Story Of Lion And Little Jackal : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL. LITTLE jackal one day went out hunting, when he met Lion. Lion proposed that they should hunt together, on condition that if a small antelope was killed it was to be Little Jackal's, and if a large one...
Story Of The Hare : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE HARE. ONCE upon a time the animals made a kraal and put some fat in it. They agreed that one of their number should remain to be the keeper of the gate. The first one that was appointed was the coney (imbila). He agreed...
The Story Of Tangalimlibo : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF TANGALIMLIBO. HERE was once a man who had two wives, one of whom had no children. She grieved much about that, till one day a bird came to her and gave her some little pellets. The bird said she must eat of these always...
Story Of The Girl Who Disregarded The Custom : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE GIRL WHO DISREGARDED THE CUSTOM OF NTONJANE. HERE was once a chief's daughter who had reached the age when it was necessary for her to observe the "ntonjane". She was therefore placed in a hut, in which she was to rem...
Story Of The Great Chief Of The Animals : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE GREAT CHIEF OF THE ANIMALS. THERE was once a woman who had occasion to leave her home for a short time, and who left her children in charge of a hare. The place where they lived was close to a path, along which droves...
Notes. The Runaway Children : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE RUNAWAY CHILDREN. There are three or four versions of this story, but all agree in the main points. In one, it is the grandmother of the children who is the cannibal, in another, it is their mother, and in a third it is the husb...
The Runaway Children. Or, The Wonderful Feather : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE RUNAWAY CHILDREN; OR, THE WONDERFUL FEATHER. ONCE in a time of famine a woman left her home and went to live in a distant village, where she became a cannibal. She had one son, whose name was Magoda. She ate all the people in th...
Preface : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], PREFACE. OF late years a great deal of interest has been taken in the folklore of uncivilized tribes by those who have made it their business to study mankind. It has been found that a knowledge of the traditionary tales of a people is...
The Story Of Kenkebe : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF KENKEBE. THERE was once a great famine in a certain country, and the people were obliged to cat wild plants to keep themselves alive. Their principal food during this time was nongwes ("Hypoxis", p. 385, "Harvey's Gen. S...
Notes. Story Of The Girl Who Disregarded : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE GIRL WHO DISREGARDED THE CUSTOM OF NTONJANE. A large proportion of Kaffir tales have a similar termination with many English ones; the heroine gets married to a prince. These show that a desire for worldly rank is as gre...
Title Page : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], KAFFIR FOLK-LORE: A SELECTION FROM THE TRADITIONAL TALES CURRENT AMONG THE PEOPLE LIVING ON THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE CAPE COLONY WITH COPIOUS EXPLANATORY NOTES. BY GEO. Mc CALL THEAL Published 1886 by S. Sonnenschein, Le Bas & Lowrey...
Notes. The Story Of Demane And Demazana : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF DEMANE AND DEMAZANA. Among the natives of South Africa relationship is viewed differently from what it is by Europeans. I have more than once heard Kaffirs accused of falsehood because they asserted one person to be their...
Notes. The Story Of Tangalimlibo : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF TANGALIMLIBO. This is a favourite story, and is therefore very widely known. Sometimes it happens that native girls are employed as nurses by Europeans, and that little children are taught by them to sing, or rather chant...
The Story Of Demane And Demazana : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF DEMANE AND DEMAZANA. ONCE upon a time a brother and sister, who were twins and orphans, were obligied on account of ill usage, to run away from their relatives. The boy's name was Demane, the girl's Demazana. They went...
Proverbs And Figurative Expressions : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], PROVERBS AND FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS. THE language of a Kaffir is adorned with figurative expressions, some of which are readily understood by an Englishman, but others, when literally interpreted, are to us meaningless. Such expressions...
The Story Of Hlakanyana : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF HLAKANYANA. ONCE upon a time there was a village with many women in it. All the women had children at the same time except the wife of the chief. The children grew, and again all the women gave birth to others. Only...
The Story Of Sikulume : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF SIKULUME. There was once in a certain village an old man who was very poor. He had no children, and only a few cattle. One day, when the sky was clear and the sun was bright, he sat down by the cattle-fold. While he w...
Story Of The Bird That Made Milk. I : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE BIRD THAT MADE MILK. I. THERE was once upon a time a poor man living with his wife in a certain village. They had three children, two boys and a girl. They used to get milk from a tree. That milk of the tree was got by...
The Story Of Long Snake : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF LONG SNAKE. ONCE upon a time a certain girl left her father's place, and went to the village of Long Snake. Having arrived at the village of Long Snake she remained there, but the owner of the place was absent. The only...
The Story Of Mbulukazi : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF MBULUKAZI. There was once a man who had two wives, one of whom had no children, and for that reason she was not loved by her husband. Her name was Numbakatali. The other wife had one daughter who was very black, and several...
Notes. The Story Of Long Snake : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF LONG SNAKE. In this story the girls are represented as taking fermented milk to the man. This is not in accordance with ordinary Kaffir usage, which prohibits females from serving out milk. But Long Snake, though a man, h...
Notes. The Story Of Kenkebe : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF KENKEBE. In the above story Kenkebe is represented as the personification of selfish greed. In this character his name has passed into a common proverb- Sibayeni sonke, Kenkebe. We are all bridegrooms, Kenkebm This saying...
Notes. The Story Of Sikulume : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF SIKULUME. The game called Iceya is mentioned in this story as being played in the rock that became a hut. The games with which Kaffir boys are accustomed to amuse themselves are, as a rule such as require a large amount...
The Story Of Simbukumbukwana : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF SIMBUKUMBUKWANA. THERE was a man whose wife had no children, so that he was much dissatisfied. At last he went to a wise woman ("Igqirakazi") and asked her to help him in this matter. She said: "You must bring me a fat calf...
The Story Of Five Heads : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF FIVE HEADS. HERE was once a man living in a certain place, who had two daughters big enough to be married. One day the man went over the river to another village, which was the residence of a great chief The people asked...
Notes. Story Of Lion And Little Jackal : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF LION AND LITTLE JACKAL. This story is very likely of Hottentot origin. It is generally told by the Kaffirs, but I have observed that it is a special favourite in places only where there is a very strong tinge of Hottentot blood...
Notes. The Story Of Five Heads : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF FIVE HEADS. In this story some liberty is taken with the Kaffir marriage ceremonies, a description of which will serve as a key to much that is contained in several of these tales. The wholc of the ceremonies are included...
The Story Of The Cannibal Mother And Her Children : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF THE CANNIBAL MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN. THERE was once a man and a woman who had two children, a son and a daughter. These children lived with their grandfather. Their mother was a cannibal, but not their father. One day they...
Story Of The Cannibal's Wonderful Bird : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE CANNIBAL'S WONDERFUL BIRD. A NUMBER of girls once went away their homes early in the morning purpose of getting imbola (the red ith which they colour their bodies and clothes). Among them was the daughter of a chief, a very...
Notes. The Girl And The Mbulu : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE GIRL AND THE MBULU. The mbulu is a fabulous creature, firmly believed in by little folks. It can assume the human form, but cannot part with its tail. One of its peculiarities is that it never speaks the truth wben it is possible...
Another Story Of Kenkebe : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], ANOTHER STORY OF KENKEBE. At a certain time, Kenkebe went to get his wife at the place of her parents. When he was on the way, he met a crow. He borrowed its cyes. Then he arrived at his wife's parents' place with the eyes of the crow...
The Story Of The Bird That Made Milk. Ii : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF THE BIRD THAT MADE MILK. II. The following is another version of this story of the Bird that made Milk, as current among the Barolongs, a tribe speaking the Sechuana language, and residing beyond the Orange River. It w...
The Story Of The Glutton : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], THE STORY OF THE GLUTTON. THERE was once a man who quarrelled with his wife, so that she left him, and went home to her father's place. When she got home she found nobody, for all the people had been swallowed by a monster. She went...
Story Of The Wonderful Horns : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], STORY OF THE WONDERFUL HORNS. HERE was once a boy whose mother that bore him was dead, and he was ill-treated by his other mothers. On this account he determined to go away from his father's place. One morning he went, riding on an ox...
Introductory Chapter Regarding The Kaffirs : * "Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk-Lore", by George McCall Theal, [1886], KAFFIR FOLK TALES. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER REGARDING THE KAFFIRS. IN South Africa the word Kaffir is often used in a general way to signify any black native who is not the descendant of an imported slave, but on the eastern frontier...
