Notebooks
Story: The girl who made the Milky Way, by throwing ashes into the sky
Title
The girl who made the Milky Way, by throwing ashes into the sky
Collection
Summary
A girl of the ancient race (preceding the Bushmen) wished for a little light, so that the people might see to return home by night. She, therefore, threw wood–ashes into the sky, which became the Milky Way. This myth, which //kábbo heard from his mother !kwi–an (L II.-28. 2505-2516), is followed by an account of the same girl, who, being vexed with her mother for giving her too little of a certain red edible root, threw up portions of it into the sky, where they became stars (L II.-28. 2516-2520). A verso note on p.2516v describes how this girl (the new maiden) made locusts by throwing the peel of the !kui ssi that she was eating into the sky. Another note describes how she threw up the !huin roots to make stars. The red (or old) !huin made red stars and the white or young !huin made white stars.
Comments
1) Note on the inside of the cover of Book II-28: pp.2505-2596. From 17 January 1873. pp.2509-2565 translated in 1914; 'To get the story of some of the first Bushmen who persuaded a young relation to enter the skin of a little animal somewhat like a mouse; they fitted on the skin carefully and finished it off; soon it became a lion, and ate one of the first Bushmen women; and then, I think, later, became one of the Lion Stars in heaven.', 2) This story was told to ||kabbo by his mother (!kui ang), 3) Reverse of frontispiece (Book II-28): 'This girl is said to be one of the !khwe-|na-ssho-!k'e, and the 'first' girl; and to have acted ill; she was finally shot by her husband. These !khwe-|na-ssho-!k'e are said to have been stupid, and not to have understood things well', 4) The !huin root is eaten by baboons and porcupines, 5) pp.2520v & 2521v: see The treatment of the 'growing' girl, 7) See also The new maiden who threw !huin into the sky; which became stars, and the wood ashes which were upon it, the Milky Way, 8) This story is found in Book II-28
Contributors
Date
17 January – February 1873
Categories
History (Early Race), Celestial bodies and aeroscopy
Keywords
ash (wood ash) , ash (the girl who made the Milky Way by throwing them into the sky) , ash (becomes Milky Way) , ash (and creation of Milky Way) , girl (of Early Race) , girl (was a new maiden) , girl (cools hands and arrows) , girl (of First Bushmen) , girl (fears young men's game) , girl (puts saliva into springbok flesh) , girl (is angry with her mother) , girl (creates Milky Way) , girl (throws wood ash into sky) , girl (throws !huin root into sky) , girl (is secluded in a hut) , girl (and game) , girl (what she eats) , girl (and young men) , girl (and eating game) , girl (and hunting) , Milky Way (the creation of) , Milky Way (and girl of Early Race) , Milky Way (and wood ash) , Milky Way (and !huin root) , stars (the creation of) , stars (and !huin root) , stars (the colour of) , stars (their movements) , stars (and girl of Early Race who made the Milky Way by throwing ashes into the sky) , stars (wood ash stars) , Sun (and creation of Milky Way) , Sun (rises and sets) , night (darkness comes out) , night (and people returning home) , night (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , root (!huin) , root (name of) , root (and girl of Early Race) , root (colours of and the colours of the stars) , root (and creation of stars) , root (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , hut (of new maidens) , hut (for seclusion of girls) , hut (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , men (young men and new maidens) , men (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , game (and new maidens) , game (rituals for hunting) , game (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , saliva (a girl's) , saliva (a new maiden's) , saliva (and hunting of game) , saliva (in springbok flesh) , saliva (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , new maidens (the girl who made Milky Way) , new maidens (and hunting) , new maidens (and young men) , new maidens (and game) , new maidens (customs and rituals surrounding her) , new maidens (their treatment) , new maidens (their seclusion in a hut) , Early Race (or First Bushmen) , Early Race (and girl who created Milky Way) , hunting (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , hunting (and new maidens) , hunting (girls cool hands and arrows) , hunting (girls fear young men's game) , hunting (rituals performed by girls) , hunting (and a new maiden's saliva in springbok flesh) , food (eaten by the new maiden) , food (new maidens and the eating of game) , food (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , name (of root, !huin) , name (and the girl who made the Milky Way) , springbok (flesh and the saliva of the new maiden) , springbok (hunting and the new maiden) , springbok (and the girl who made the Milky Way)
Story Pages
2505-2524
