I am over at Writing to be Read with Part 2 of posts about the San (Bushmen) of southern Africa. Today, I am reading a poem from IXam mythology and sharing about the Bushman Heritage Centre in Nieu Bethesda, South Africa. Thank you for hosting me, Kaye Lynne Booth.
Last month, I introduced you to the San (previously Bushmen) of southern Africa and shared about their rock art. You can read the post here: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/01/26/dark-origins-african-myths-and-legends-the-san-previously-bushmen-part-1/.
Today, I am going to share a poem from the extinct IXam tribe and a little more about the San.
San hunting methods
The San are excellent hunters. They do some trapping of animals but hunting with a bow and arrows is their preferred method. The San arrows are smeared with a deadly poison that kills the animal slowly. As the animal takes a long time to die, the hunters have to track it sometimes for a few days.
The San make their poison from a caterpillar called ka or ngwa or from the larvae of a small beetle. Sometimes they use poison made from plants or snake venom. San poisons are highly toxic. In order to prevent accidental contamination, they reverse their…
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roberta-writes.com 
I often wondered how the use of poison for hunting affects the meat for eating?
Interesting posting Robbie.
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I’ve had the same question. Heading over to read the rest.
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Thank you, Liz.
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You’re welcome, Robbie.
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Hi Wayne, this is the answer to your question which I should have included in my post as a few people have asked: “The poison is neuro toxic and does not contaminate the whole animal. The spot where the arrow strikes is cut out and thrown away, but the rest of the meat is fit to eat.” I am pleased this article interested you.
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Wayne makes an interesting point… I am heading over to the other site now.
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HI Annette, I answered Wayne’s question above. I should have included it in the post but I don’t like to make them to long.
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What fascinating information.
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They were/are hunter-gatherers I believe–no farming, no trading. I appreciate this. Their lives are the definition of ‘minimalist’. Do they preserve foods? I’ll click through, see if you talk about that, or salt, or something along those lines. Another interesting African tribe is the Bunyoros. I read a book on them, reviewed it on my blog, and one of the heads of their government sent me a nice thank you note. I’ve never had that happen before.
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🙂
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Hi Jacqui, it is lovely that your received that note from government. It is even lovelier that you read that book. I am reading the book on IXam myths from which I read the poem with great interest. I hope that more people will appreciate their culture and support their museum. They do not farm or hunt. I don’t share to much information in these posts as I don’t want to overload readers.
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Probably most readers aren’t into primitive lifestyles, but I am. I cherry pick what might apply to my really-primitive people!
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Very interesting, Robbie!
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I’m so pleased you enjoyed this post, Jan.
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Great post and reading, Robbie. I left you a longer comment on the host blog.
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Thank you, Mae, I am delighted you enjoyed this post.
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Your reading of “The Girl Who Made the Stars” was excellent, Robbie. Your voice captures the depths of this mythology. Many thanks for introducing me to African myths and legends.
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HI REbecca, I am so pleased you enjoyed my reading of that poem. I am happy to share the myths and stories of the Bushmen with interested people. What has happened to them is a real human tragedy.
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The wider the exposure to myths and legends the more similar they become. Joseph Campbell’s work in comparative myth makes you wonder if there wasn’t a central cosmic radio the shaman of the world had dialed in.
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HI Phil, I suppose there are only so many ideas and I am sure that these stories have travelled. When I visited New Zealand, I was struck by some similarities in the myths told by the Maoris compared to African mythology.
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Thanks, Robbie for these education posts. I love how it has made so many think deeper about the long-gone culture.
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Hi Bernadette, I am very pleased that so many people are interested in southern African culture and mythology. Thanks for visiting.
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Thank you, Roberta! Liked an left a comment on W2bR.
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PS. Loved the reading!
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