Notebooks
Story: The Moon pierced by the Sun
Title
The Moon pierced by the Sun
Collection
Summary
Whilst in the preceding myths of the Mantis, the Moon, according to its origin, is only a piece of leather (a shoe of the Mantis),–in Bushman astrological mythology the Moon is looked upon as a man who incurs the wrath of the Sun, and is consequently pierced by the knife (i.e. rays) of the latter. This process is repeated until almost the whole of the Moon is cut away, and only one little piece left; which the Moon piteously implores the Sun to spare for his (the Moon’s) children. (As mentioned above, the Moon is in Bushman mythology a male being.) From this little piece, the Moon gradually grows again until it becomes a full moon, when the Sun’s stabbing and cutting processes recommence.– This explanation of the Moon’s changes is given in four versions; the longest of which (although as yet unfinished) is in a speech made by the Mantis, when he had created the Moon...The second version, written by L, is shorter (BI. 215b–215e, and re–written on 215bb–215ff...What happens to the Moon when it is pierced by the Sun. It decays and grows small (dies) then comes alive again.
Comments
1) Note on p.215bb: 'Recopied from Jantje Toorm's dictation (with him, June 10, '72).', 2) This story is found in Book I
Contributors
Date
(10 June 1872, recopied with ||kabbo's dictation)
Categories
Celestial bodies and aeroscopy
Keywords
Moon (pierced by the Sun) , Moon (death of) , Moon (resurrection of) , Moon (waxes and wanes) , Moon (the Sun kills) , Moon (lives and dies) , Moon (actions of) , Moon (doings of) , Moon (backbone of) , Moon (lies on his back in the sky) , Moon (children of) , Moon (stomach of) , Moon (who talks) , Moon (is a man) , Moon ('walking goes above') , Moon (grows) , Moon (becomes new) , Moon (becomes 'great') , Moon (full) , Moon (makes light) , Moon ('smells badly') , Moon (dies) , Moon (falls down) , Moon (death of) , Moon ('gently comes') , Moon ('slowly comes') , Moon ('living comes') , Moon (decays and grows small then comes alive again) , Sun (pierces the Moon) , Sun (actions of) , Sun (doings of) , Sun (rays of) , Sun (knife of) , Sun (pierces the Moon's stomach) , Sun (sets) , Sun (place where it sets) , knife (the Sun's pierces the Moon with his) , knife (rays of the Sun) , child (the Moon's) , child (the Moon pierced by the Sun) , stomach (of the Moon pierced by the Sun) , death (of the Moon) , death (the Moon decays and grows small then comes alive again) , death (and the Moon pierced by the Sun) , backbone (of the Moon) , backbone (and the Moon pierced by the Sun)
Story Pages
215bb-215ff
