South-African Folk-Tales — James A. Honeÿ
Honeÿ You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : South-African Folk-Tales Author : James A. Honey Release date : December 19, 2011 [eBook #38339] Most recently updated: January 8, 2021 Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38339 Credits : Produced by Michael Hale, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF HONEŸ, M.D. New York THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY 1910 Copyright, 1910, by THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY Published, November, 1910 THE TROW PRESS, NEW YORK AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO C. F. H. and F. I. G. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 1 Origin of the Difference in Modes of Life Between Hottentots and Bushmen 8 The Lost Message 10 The Monkey's Fiddle 14 The Tiger, the Ram, and the Jackal 19 The Jackal and the Wolf 22 A Jackal and a Wolf 24 The Lion, the Jackal, and the Man 25 The World's Reward 28 The Lion and the Jackal 33 Tink-tinkje 42 The Lion and Jackal 45 The Lion and Jackal 48 The Hunt of Lion and Jackal 53 The Story of Lion and Little Jackal 56 The Lioness and the Ostrich 62 Crocodile's Treason 64 The Story of a Dam 73 The Dance for Water or Rabbits' Triumph 79 Jackal and Monkey 84 Lion's Share 87 Jackal's Bride 92 The Story of Hare 94 The White Man and Snake 101 Another Version of the Same Fable 103 Cloud Eating 105 Lion's Illness 107 Jackal, Dove, and Heron 109 Cock and Jackal 111 Elephant and Tortoise 112 Another Version of the Same Fable 115 Tortoise Hunting Ostriches 117 The Judgment of Baboon 118 Lion and Baboon 121 The Zebra Stallion 122 When Lion Could Fly 124 Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother 126 Lion Who Took a Woman's Shape 129 Why Has Jackal a Long Black Stripe on His Back? 137 Horse Cursed by Sun 138 Lion's Defeat 139 The Origin of Death 141 Another Version of the Same Fable 143 A Third Version of the Same Fable 144 A Fourth Version of the Same Fable 146 A Zulu Version of the Legend of the "Origin of Death" 147 Literature on South-African Folk-Lore 148 SOUTH-AFRICAN FOLK-TALES INTRODUCTION In presenting these stories, which are of deep interest and value to South Africans, I hope they may prove of some value to those Americans who have either an interest in animals or who appreciate the folklore of other countries. Many of these tales have appeared among English collections previous to 1880, others have been translated from the Dutch, and a few have been written from childhood remembrance. Consequently they do not pretend to be original or unique. Care has been taken not to spoil the ethnological value for the sake of form or structure; and in all cases they are as nearly like the original as a translation from one tongue to another will allow. They are all South-African folklore tales and mainly from the Bushmen. Some are perverted types from what were originally Bushmen tales, but have been taken over by Hottentots or Zulus; a few are from the Dutch. Most of these last named will show a European influence, especially French. Some of the animal stories have appeared in American magazines under the author's name, but this is the first time that a complete collection has appeared since Dr. Bleek published his stories in 1864. The object has been to keep the stories apart from those which have a mythological or religious significance, and especially to keep it an animal collection free from those in which man appears to take a part. There will be found several versions of the same story, and as far as possible these will be put in the order of their importance in relation to the original. The author does not pretend to be an authority on South-African folklore, but has only a South-African-born interest in what springs from that country of sunshine. It is a difficult task to attempt to trace the origin of these stories, as there is no country where there have been so many distinct and primitive races dwelling together. The Bushmen seem to trace back to the earli est Egyptian days, when dwarfs were pictured on the tombs of the kings and were a distinct race. From then until now it has been their pride to say that before men were men, they were; or, to put it clearer, before Africa was inhabited by other races, they were there. As represented by some of these stories of the Bushmen, what races have not, then, had their influence on the folklore? According to Stow, they were a wandering primitive race of small men, painters and sculptors, hunters and herdsmen, and withal a race showing traces of wonderful reasoning and adaptability, with a keen sense of justice and a store of pride. Mythological some of their stories are, but whether this is due to the influence of the Hottentots, a later race, it is difficult to say. And, lastly, there are the Kaffirs spread over the whole of South Africa, domineering, but backward. The varied influences which may have affected these stories before they reached us show what enormous possibilities there are for error in tracing the origin of the animal tales here presented. Bleek finds that a greater congeniality exists between the Hottentot and European mind than is found between the latter and any other of the black races of Africa. Whether he means that this indicates a European origin of the fables, I cannot say. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bushmen came from the north and were the primitive race of south and tropical Africa, the dwarfs of Livingstone, Stanley, and other explorers. Considering, then, the great antiquity of this race, it naturally follows that if these stories are not original with the Bushmen, they are at least so modified as to bear no resemblance to Egyptia