Many of these tales have appeared among English collections previous to 1880, others have been translated from the Dutch, and a few have been written from childhood remembrance. Consequently they do not pretend to be original or unique. Care has been taken not to spoil the ethnological value for the sake of form or structure; and in all cases they are as nearly like the original as a translation from one tongue to another will allow. They are all South-African folklore tales and mainly from the Bushmen. Some are perverted2 types from what were originally Bushmen tales, but have been taken[2] over by Hottentots or Zulus; a few are from the Dutch. Most of these last named will show a European influence, especially French.
Some of the animal stories have appeared in American magazines under the author's name, but this is the first time that a complete collection has appeared since Dr. Bleek published his stories in 1864. The object has been to keep the stories apart from those which have a mythological3 or religious significance, and especially to keep it an animal collection free from those in which man appears to take a part.
There will be found several versions of the same story, and as far as possible these will be put in the order of their importance in relation to the original. The author does not pretend to be an authority on South-African folklore, but has only a South-African-born interest in what springs from that country of sunshine. It is a difficult task to attempt to trace the origin of these stories, as there is no country where there have been so many distinct and primitive4 races dwelling5 together.
The Bushmen seem to trace back to the earli[3]est Egyptian days, when dwarfs6 were pictured on the tombs of the kings and were a distinct race. From then until now it has been their pride to say that before men were men, they were; or, to put it clearer, before Africa was inhabited by other races, they were there. As represented by some of these stories of the Bushmen, what races have not, then, had their influence on the folklore? According to Stow, they were a wandering primitive race of small men, painters and sculptors7, hunters and herdsmen, and withal a race showing traces of wonderful reasoning and adaptability9, with a keen sense of justice and a store of pride. Mythological some of their stories are, but whether this is due to the influence of the Hottentots, a later race, it is difficult to say. And, lastly, there are the Kaffirs spread over the whole of South Africa, domineering, but backward. The varied10 influences which may have affected11 these stories before they reached us show what enormous possibilities there are for error in tracing the origin of the animal tales here presented. Bleek finds that a greater congeniality exists between[4] the Hottentot and European mind than is found between the latter and any other of the black races of Africa. Whether he means that this indicates a European origin of the fables12, I cannot say. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bushmen came from the north and were the primitive race of south and tropical Africa, the dwarfs of Livingstone, Stanley, and other explorers. Considering, then, the great antiquity13 of this race, it naturally follows that if these stories are not original with the Bushmen, they are at least so modified as to bear no resemblance to Egyptian, Ph?nician, or any other ancient race which the Bushmen may have come in contact with. Herodotus described a race on the upper Nile which corresponds with later descriptions of the Bushmen in tropical and southern Africa.
I agree with what the South-African Folklore Journal stated twenty years or more ago, that with the "vast strides South Africa is making in the progress of civilization, the native races will either be swept away or so altered as to lose many of their ancient habits, cus[5]toms, traditions, or at least greatly to modify them."
Knowing that by a collection of this kind these stories could best be preserved, and feeling that others had not read them, I began this collection ten years ago. There is so much done now to preserve what is still Bushmen folklore that I feel this small volume is indeed only a small addition to the folklore world.
"South-African folklore is," the South-African Folklore Journal says, "in its very nature plain, and primitive in its simplicity14; not adorned15 with the wealth of palaces and precious stones to be met with in the folklore of more civilized16 nations, but descriptive in great measure of the events of everyday life, among those in a low state of civilization; and with the exception of evidences of moral qualities, and of such imagery as is connected with the phenomena17 of nature, very little that is grand or magnificent must be looked for in it."
Bain gives a story related by a Kaffir which shows "the distribution of animals after the creation." This story could not become typ[6]ically Kaffir until after the Kaffir came in contact with the European in the last two or three hundred years. However, the story will serve to illustrate18 the people whose stories appear in this volume and to close the Introduction.
Teco, in Kaffir, is the Supreme19 Being. Teco had every description of stock and property.
There were three nations created, viz., the Whites, the Amakosa, or Kaffirs, and the Amalouw, or Hottentots. A day was appointed for them to appear before the Teco to receive whatever he might apportion20 to each tribe. While they were assembling, a honey bird, or honey guide, came fluttering by, and all the Hottentots ran after it, whistling and making the peculiar21 noise they generally do while following this wonderful little bird. The Teco remonstrated22 with them about their behavior, but to no purpose. He thereupon denounced them as a vagrant23 race that would have to exist on wild roots and honey beer, and possess no stock whatever.
When the fine herds8 of cattle were brought, the Kaffirs became very much excited—the one[7] exclaiming, "That black and white cow is mine!" and another, "That red cow and black bull are mine!" and so on, till at last the Teco, whose patience had been severely24 taxed by their shouts and unruly behavior, denounced them as a restless people, who would only possess cattle.
The Whites patiently waited until they received cattle, horses, sheep, and all sorts of property. Hence, the old Kaffir observed, "You Whites have got everything. We Kaffirs have only cattle, while the Amalouw, or Hottentots, have nothing."
James A. Hone?.
Cambridge, Mass., June, 1910.
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1
folklore
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| n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗 | |
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perverted
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| adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
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mythological
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| adj.神话的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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6
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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7
sculptors
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| 雕刻家，雕塑家( sculptor的名词复数 )； [天]玉夫座 | |
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herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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adaptability
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| n.适应性 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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fables
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| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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apportion
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| vt.（按比例或计划）分配 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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vagrant
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| n.流浪者，游民；adj.流浪的，漂泊不定的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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