🧚 Introductory Chapter Regarding the Kaffirs. · page 3

The largest amount of information on this subject which I ever obtained was from a group of aged Gaikas, among whom was a celebrated native antiquary.143 Negatively they replied to my inquiries much better than positively.144

“Had he been once a chief, such as Xosa or Tshawe?”145

“No.”146

“Was he the first man, the father of the nations, the one whom some of the old Fingoes call Nkulunkulu?”147

“No, not at all; Qamata was never a man.”148

“Was he the creator of all that we see, the mountains, and the sun, and the stars?”149

“Perhaps he was, we don’t know; he is greater than all these.”150

“Where is he?”151

“Everywhere.”152

“Does he see all things?”153

“We think he does.”154

“Does he help people?”155

“We ask him to sometimes, and we believe he does.”156

“Is he altogether good, or altogether bad, or partly good and partly bad?”157

“We don’t know about that; but we think he is altogether good.”158

“Are there any others like him?”159

“No; he is all alone.”160

“Is there any other name for him?”161

“In the olden times that was the only name, but now he is called by some u-Tixo,” (a name for God, introduced by missionaries).162

A superstitious act of a very peculiar kind is somehow or other connected in their minds with prayer to, or worship of, Qamata.163 In various parts of the Kaffir country there are artificial heaps of stones, and a Kaffir, when travelling, may often be seen adding one to the number.164 He repeats no words, but merely picks up a stone and throws it on the heap.165 Why does he do it?166 That good fortune may attend him,—that he may not be carried away by the river spirit when crossing a stream,—that he may find food prepared for him where he is to rest,—that he may be successful in the business he is engaged in,—or something of the kind that he is thinking of at the time.167 It is an act of superstition.168 But old men have told me, when I inquired the object of this act, that “it was for Qamata.”169 How?170 They did not know; but their ancestors had done the same thing, and said it was for Qamata; and so they did it too.171

The influence of the unseen world is ever acting upon the Kaffir.172 Far nearer to him than Qamata or the spirits of his ancestors is a whole host of water sprites and hobgoblins, who meet him turn which way he will.173 There is no beautiful fairyland for him, for all these fanciful beings who haunt the mountains, the plains, and the rivers, are either actively malevolent, or mischievous and addicted to playing pranks.174 To protect himself from them he carries on his person charms in numbers, only to find himself still exposed to their attacks.175 This superstition influences all his acts and gives a tone of seriousness to his character.176

The rites of religion consist merely in sacrifices to appease the spirits.177 These are numerous.178 On great occasions they are performed by individuals who act the part of priests, on ordinary occasions by heads of families.179 The meat of the animal sacrificed is eaten, for the hunger of the spirit is allayed with the smoke.180 No sacred days or seasons are observed.181

A corollary to the belief in malevolent spirits is the belief in witchcraft.182 Certain persons obtain from the demons power to bewitch others, and thus sickness and death are caused.183 The same individual who acts as a priest acts also as a witch-finder.184 In olden times the person whom the witch-finder pronounced guilty was liable to confiscation of property, torture, and even death.185 The priest and witch-finder professes also to have the power of making rain, and of causing the warriors of his clan to be invulnerable in battle.186 When following any of these occupations, he attires himself most fantastically, being painted with various colours, and having the tails of wild animals suspended around him.187

Before the supremacy of the Europeans it was seldom that the individual who filled this office died a natural death.188 Sooner or later he would fail to cause rain to fall when it was needed, or warriors whom he had made invulnerable would be struck down, or something else would happen which would cause him to be regarded as an impostor.189 He was then generally tied hand and foot and cast into the first stream at hand.190 Nevertheless, implicit confidence was placed in his successor, until he, too, met the same fate.191

Sometimes a person intimates that he has received revelations from the spirit world.192 He is really a monomaniac, but if his statements are believed his power at once becomes greater than that of the highest chief, and his commands are implicitly obeyed.193

The snake is treated with great respect by the Kaffirs.194 If one is found in a hut, the people will move out and wait patiently until it leaves.195

The owner will say that it is perhaps the spirit of one of his ancestors who has come to visit him in this form.196 It may be only an ordinary snake, he will add, but it is not advisable to run any risk, lest harm should befall his house.197

In the division of labour the cultivation of the ground falls to the woman’s share, as does also the collection of firewood, and the thatching of the huts.198 A man who meddles with work of this kind is regarded as an intruder into a domain not his own.199 The females look upon it as pertaining to them, just as in England they look upon housework.200

The descent of property is regulated in the same manner as the succession to the chieftainship.201

Many of their manufactures display considerable skill and ingenuity.202 Foremost among these must be reckoned metallic wares, which include implements of war and husbandry, and ornaments for the person.203 Iron and copper are now obtained in trade from Europeans, but when the country was first visited, the Kaffirs were found in possession of these metals, and to the present day a few stubborn conservatives prefer to smelt ore for themselves, as their ancestors did before them.204 There are certain families to whom the working in metals is confined, the son following the father in his occupation.205 This is the case with every kind of manufacture, and no one pretends to know anything about a trade which does not belong to his own family.206

In many parts of the country iron ore of excellent quality is abundant, and this they smelt (or rather did so until recently) in a simple manner.207 Forming a furnace of a boulder with a hollow surface, out of which a groove was made to allow the liquid metal to escape, and into which a hole was pierced for the purpose of introducing a current of air, they piled up a heap of charcoal and virgin ore, which they afterwards covered in such a way as to prevent the escape of heat.208 The bellows by which air was introduced were made of skins, the mouthpiece being the horn of a large antelope.209 The molten iron, escaping from the crude yet effective furnace, ran into clay moulds prepared to receive it, which were as nearly as possible of the same magnitude as the implements they wished to make.210 These were never of great size, the largest being the picks or heavy hoes used in gardening.211

The Kaffir smith, using a boulder for an anvil and a hammer of iron or stone, next proceeded to shape the lump of metal into an assagai head, an axe, a pick, or whatever was required.212 The iron was worked cold.213 In this laborious operation a vast amount of patience and perseverance was exercised, and the article when completed was very creditable indeed.214

Copper is worked into a great variety of ornaments for their persons.215 This metal is found in certain parts of the country, but it is now generally obtained in trade from Europeans.216

Hardly less remarkable was their skill in pottery, an art rapidly becoming lost since the introduction of European wares.217 Vessels containing from half a pint to fifty gallons were constructed by them of earthenware, some of which were highly ornamented, and were almost as perfect in form as if they had been turned on a wheel.218 Though they were frequently not more than an eighth of an inch in thickness, so finely tempered were they that the most intense heat did not damage them.219 These vessels were used as beer pots, grain jars, and cooking utensils.220

In the manufacture of wooden articles, such as spoons, bowls, fighting sticks, pipes (since the introduction of tobacco), rests for the head when sleeping, etc., they display great skill and no little taste.221 Each article is made of a single block of wood, requiring much time and patience to complete it, and upon it is frequently carved some neat but simple pattern.222

Baskets for holding grain, rush mats, bags, and drinking vessels made of grass are among the products of their labour.223 Rush bags are made so carefully and strongly that they are used to hold water or any other liquid.224

Skins for clothing are prepared by rubbing them for a length of time with grease, by which means they are made nearly as soft and pliable as cloth.225

Ingenious as they are, the men are far from being industrious.226 A great portion of their time is spent in visiting and gossip, of which they are exceedingly fond.227 They are perfect masters of that kind of argument which consists in parrying a question by means of putting another.228 They are not strict observers of truth, and, though not pilferers, they are addicted to cattle lifting.229 According to their ideas, stealing cattle is not a crime; it is a civil offence, and a thief when detected is compelled to make ample restitution; but no disgrace attaches to it, and they have no religious scruples concerning it.230

Such, in brief, are the Kaffirs, the people among whom the following stories are current.231