Notebooks
Story: The power over ostriches possessed by Dia!kwain's uncle, |uherre or 'Blaitje'
Title
The power over ostriches possessed by Dia!kwain's uncle, |uherre or 'Blaitje'
Collection
Summary
The power over ostriches possessed by /uhérre (maternal uncle of Díä!kwãin). This is followed by a long discourse concerning successful and unsuccessful hunting, as well as by a prayer, addressed by the mother of the narrator to the dead, that her husband’s hunting might prove more fortunate. The result of this prayer is described. Allusion is also made to the belief that unsuccessful hunting may forebode danger to the hunter. In the Katkop dialect, by Díä!kwãin (L V.-10. 4778-4795-4868). Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre had in the past asked his spirit ancestors to give the people bad luck with the game because they had abused him. A man says that |uherre made an ostrich come to him, but complains that it is a lean bird. An old woman warns him that magicians first send lean, old and ugly things to test them. The people must eat the lean ostrich, after which fat ones will be sent to them. Dia!kwain's mother (and other women) beat the digging stone on the ground to pray to the spirit-people. The story moves on to a more general narrative about game-sorcerers and spirit-people.
Comments
1) p.4777v: |uherre's 'little' name was |kai kwa (see also Why Dia!kwain's uncle |kai kwa received his name); he could not speak Dutch and was Dia!kwain's mother's brother, 2) p.4788v describes the dwarf ostrich (!kaui-!kwa) and accounts for its growth; it is usually a female which comes from an 'outer' egg (which the old people say does not belong to the mother), 3) pp.4801v-4809v: see |nu-!ke or magicians who have died still possess power, and ≠kamme-an's prayer to them, 4) p.4810v: Lloyd compares the 'spirit people' or |nu- !k'e with those of other races; a pasted-in insert from Public Opinion (June 1875) regarding the 'Iwis' from 'Nicobar Land' who are spirits of the deceased, or demons, 5) p.4811v: the people pray to the spirit-people by beating the ground, 6) pp.4815v & 4816v: the spirit-people turn their backs; if they turn around they become aware of what is happening to the people, 7) p.4823v: the |xam name of the ostrich egg-white and egg-yolk), 8) p.4850v: the name of Dia!kwain's maternal grandmother; about killing things that 'travel' (often while wounded) and killing things that lie 'stretched out': the latter bring misfortune to the hunter if they are killed, 9) p.4855v: Dia!kwain's maternal grandfather's 'little' name (he cannot remember his 'great' name), 10) This story is found in Books V-10 and V-11
Contributors
Date
16 – 30 June 1875
Categories
History (personal), Custom and daily life
Keywords
ostriches (Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over) , ostriches (their eggs) , ostriches (the bewitching of) , ostriches (lean and fat) , ostriches (and Dia!kwain's relations) , ostriches (Dia!kwain's mother asks for) , ostriches (the successful and unsuccessful hunting of) , ostriches (and game-sorcerers) , ostriches (and spirit-people) , ostriches (which do not act nicely) , ostriches (-sorcerers) , ostriches (sorcerer's power over) , ostriches (different names and types of) , ostriches (the nature and habits of) , ostriches (their nests) , Dia!kwain (his uncle |uherre and his power over ostriches) , |uherre (or Blaitje) , |uherre (Dia!kwain's uncle) , |uherre (has power over ostriches) , |uherre (his relationship with the people) , |uherre (does not understand or possess his thinking strings) , |uherre (gets angry) , |uherre (the people scold him) , |uherre (possesses ostriches) , hunting (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , hunting (teachings about) , hunting (and watching the sun) , hunting (about returning home safely after) , hunting (and beasts of prey) , hunting (and killing a 'stretched-out thing') , hunting (about fortune and blood during) , hunting (about the man one who 'walks in misfortune' while) , hunting (and spirit-people) , hunting (and game sorcerers) , hunting (successful and unsuccessful) , sorcerers (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , sorcerers (their work) , sorcerers (their power over the game) , sorcerers (bewitch the game) , sorcerers (or magicians) , sorcerers (game-) , sorcerers (spirit-people) , sorcerers (still possess power when dead) , sorcerers (dead-) , sorcerers (Dia!kwain's mother asks them for game) , sorcerers (and the beating of the stone on ground) , sorcerers (at first give old, ugly things) , sorcerers (how they must be treated) , sorcerers (how they test the people) , sorcerers (and the actions of the game) , sorcerers (praying to) , teaching (about watching the sun) , teaching (about returning home safely after hunting) , teaching (about beasts of prey) , teaching (about killing a 'stretched-out thing') , teaching (about fortune and blood during hunting) , teaching (how people should take care of themselves on the hunting-ground) , teaching (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , beasts of prey (and those who 'walk in misfortune') , beasts of prey (the nature and habits of) , beasts of prey (wait for hunters to return home) , beasts of prey (and taking care while hunting) , beasts of prey (their power over the Sun) , beasts of prey (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , personal history (Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , personal history (of Dia!kwain and his relations) , prayer (to game sorcerers) , prayer (and the beating of the stone on ground) , prayer (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , women (pray to game sorcerers) , women (and the beating of the stone on ground) , women (asks game sorcerers for food) , women (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , food (praying to game sorcerers for) , food (and the beating of the stone on ground) , food (asking game sorcerers for) , food (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , work (of game sorcerers) , work (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , spirit-people (dead game sorcerers) , spirit-people (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , hunting-ground (teachings about) , hunting-ground (and watching the sun) , hunting-ground (about returning home safely after hunting) , hunting-ground (and beasts of prey) , hunting-ground (and killing a 'stretched-out thing') , hunting-ground (about fortune and blood during hunting) , hunting-ground (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , education (how people should take care of themselves on the hunting-ground) , education (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , education (about watching the sun) , education (about returning home safely after hunting) , education (about beasts of prey) , education (about killing a 'stretched-out thing') , education (about fortune and blood during hunting) , Sun (and teachings about the hunting-ground) , Sun (watching the sun) , Sun (and returning home safely after hunting) , Sun (beasts of prey have power over) , Sun (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , stone (beating one on the ground and praying to game sorcerers) , stone (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches) , death (spirit-people) , death (asking dead game sorcerers for food) , death (and Dia!kwain's uncle |uherre's power over ostriches)
Story Pages
4778-4795, 4797-4869
