Notebooks
Story: Rainmaking
Title
Rainmaking
Collection
Summary
An account of rain-making by means of dragging a water-animal over the land, in illustration of a Bushman painting copied by Mr J.M. Orpen (Cape Monthly Magazine for July, 1874, frontispiece), was given, in the Katkop dialect, by Dia!kwãin, who had it from his mother. (BXXVII. 2540_2608, the two first pages only translated.) The beginning of this was repeated by him (L V._3. 4075_4085), and two other accounts of rain-making were also given by him (L V._3. 4086_4121.) A story about Rainmaking and the work of Rainmakers. Dia!kwain's mother tells him that to make rain fall and food grow the Rain-bull must be led by the thong over to the Rainmakers' place where they might kill it and cut up its flesh to ensure that Rain might fall. Where the bull is killed is where the Rain will fall and the plants grow. The people ask the Rainmakers to make Rain or else they will die of starvation and the Rainmakers promise that they will do so. The falling of Rain ensures that the mothers may dig for their food and feed their children. The Rainmakers ('medicine men') warn the people that rain will not fall if it is angry or if the people have not behaved well or not taken good care of their Rainmakers.
Comments
1) This story was told to Dia!kwain (David Hoesar) by his mother (≠kamme-an), 2) p.2539v: a note on !kani: an onion-like plant (called ||kabbi by the 'Bastard Koranna'), 3) Parts of this story are not translated, 4) Dorothea Bleek has used the term 'medicine-men' in her translation, 5) This story is found in Book XXVII
Contributors
Date
21 June (started), to July 1874
Categories
Keywords
Rain-bull (and Rainmaking) , Rain-bull (Water-bull) , Rain-bull (Rain animal) , Rain-bull (work of the Rain-sorcerer and) , Rain-bull (killing of) , Rain-bull (flesh of is cut up) , Rain-bull (Water cow) , Rain-bull (horns of) , Rain-bull (and the Rain) , Rain-bull (led by Rain-sorcerers) , Rain (Rainmaking) , Rain (angry) , Rain (and 'wrong' actions of people) , Rain (and people's behaviour) , Rain (clouds) , Rain (and work of Rainmakers or Rain-sorcerers) , Rain (and food) , food (Rainmaking and) , food (digging for) , food ('Joik uije' plant) , food (onion) , food (!kani plant) , food (hunger for) , hunger (and Rainmaking) , hunger (death from) , hunger (starvation) , hunger (and Rain) , names (|xam) , names (Dutch) , names (of plants eaten as food) , names (and Rainmaking) , plants (|xam names of) , plants (Dutch names of) , plants (eaten as food) , plants (and Rainmaking) , bull (and Rainmaking) , bull (Rain-bull) , bull (Water-bull) , bull (Rain animal) , cow (Water cow) , cow (and Rainmaking) , animals (and Rainmaking) , animals (Rain animals) , animals (the Rain-bull) , animals (the Water cow) , Rainmaker (or Rain-sorcerers) , Rainmaker (and Rainmaking) , Rainmaker (work of) , Rainmaker (warn people) , Rainmaker (respect for) , Rainmaker (Rainmaking and) , Rainmaker (Rain-) , Rainmaker (promise Rain) , Rainmaker (treatment of) , Rainmaker (conjure water) , Rainmaker (work of) , Rainmaker ('Water's medicine men') , Rainmaker ('medicine men') , Rainmaker ('Water's people' and) , Rainmaker (place of) , Rainmaker ('killing place' of) , Rainmaker (work magic) , Rainmaker (and magic) , Rainmaker (and Rainmaking) , Rainmaker (and the thong) , Rainmaker (kill the Rain-bull) , Rainmaker (lead the Rain-bull) , Rain-sorcerers (see Rainmaker) , work (of Rainmakers) , work (Rainmaking) , work (finding food) , medicine men (see Rainmaker) , sorcerers (see Rainmaker) , thong (used in Rainmaking) , thong (to lead the Rain-bull) , thong (the Rainmakers') , water (and Rainmaking) , water (people of) , water (Water-bull) , water (Water-cow) , water (and the Rain) , water (men of) , water (Water's 'medicine men') , water (Water's animals)
Story Pages
2540- 2608
