Further adventures of the Mantis and !goe !kweitentu

Further adventures of the Mantis and !goe !kweitentu

Lucy Lloyd |xam notebooks

kabbo (Jantje) (II)

Another story of the fight between |kaggen (the Mantis) and !goe !kweitentu (first taken down in Bleek's notebooks), in which |kaggen is defeated. He returns home with his things and the Ichneumon advises him on how to fight !goe !kweitentu. |kaggen kicks dust into the eyes in !goe !kweitentu's feet and beats him. <i>Among the fights which the Mantis has with different personages and animals, one of the most interesting to the Bushman mind, is that with a being whose eyes are in his feet, instead of his head, which is smooth. Its unusual name is !góë!kweitentu, but it has others, one of which seems identical with the Bushman name for the Ignis fatuus </i>[will o' the wisp or marsh gas]<i>. This personage, in the first instance, gives the Mantis a severe beating, but the latter, obtaining advice from his grandson, the Ichneumon, with regard to the proper method of attacking this foe, is ultimately victorious. Of this myth we have three versions; a short one (L II.-9. 935-966), a long one (B II.391-420, III. 461-500, XI.1027-1119, XII. 1121-1170, XIX.1805-1871, XX. 1872-1964, again pp.1805-1816, 1872-1910, 2060-2152), and a third, in the Katkop dialect from Dia!kwãin, related to him by his mother ≠kámme-an, which is a continuation of his version of the Mantis and his pet eland (L V.-1. 3683-3700, V.-2. 3793-3861)</i>

1) Date on p.944: 25 November; p.965: 28 November, 2) There are different versions of this story, told by ||kabbo as well as Dia!kwain; in another version |kwammana advises |kaggen, 3) There are variations in the spelling of !goe !kweitentu's name throughout these stories, 4) See also <i>The Mantis and !goe !kweitentu</i> (Bleek notebooks, p.391 onwards) and <i>The</i> <i>Mantis and !goe !kweitentu </i>(starting on p.3683), 5) This story is found in Book II-9

story

28 November 1871 (finished on or about)

|kaggen (the Mantis)

!goe !kweitentu ( !goe !kwaiten ttu )

!goe !kweitentu ( fights |kaggen )

!goe !kweitentu ( and |kaggen )

!goe !kweitentu ( has eyes in its feet )

|kaggen ( the Mantis )

|kaggen ( his fight with !goe !kweitentu )

|kaggen ( is foolish )

|kaggen ( gets understanding )

|kaggen ( gets feathers )

|kaggen ( flies )

|kaggen ( and water )

|kaggen ( commands his things )

|kaggen ( his 'hartebeest children' )

|kaggen ( his 'veldskoen's children' )

|kaggen ( is advised by Ichneumon )

things ( |kaggen's )

things ( |kaggen's 'hartebeest children' )

things ( |kaggen's 'veldskoen's children' )

things ( and |kaggen and !goe !kweitentu )

Ichneumon ( or |ni )

Ichneumon ( and |kaggen and !goe !kweitentu )

Ichneumon ( makes |kaggen understand )

Ichneumon ( advises |kaggen how to fight !goe !kweitentu )

fight ( between |kaggen and !goe !kweitentu )

feathers ( |kaggen gets )

feathers ( and |kaggen and !goe !kweitentu )

Hartebeest children ( |kaggen's things )

Hartebeest children ( |kaggen and !goe !kweitentu )

935-966