The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-25
BUSiiMEN.
Their Folklore.

| The Bushmen have two different myths 10
account for the origin of the mon; one OF
these forms an episode in the story OF the
Mantis and his pet Gland. Whel the Mantis
sprang away from the SurIcats in the dark
ness which he created by pierdng the gall
bladder of another Gland, he Rlt inconven-
fenced by one Of his shoes, Which he there.
fore took off and threw into the ky, with the
order that it should become the noOn. Thus
the moon is red, because the shoe of the Man.
| It's was covered with the red dist OF Bush
mainland, and cold, because it is only leather.
In the Bushman astrological lde, however,
the moon is looked upon rs nan who In
ours the wrath of the sun, and is consequent
ly pierced by the knife q. G., rays of the lat
ter This process is repeated until almost
the whole of the moon is cut away, and only
one little piece is left, which the moon pit
eousy implores the sun to spare for his (the
moon's) children. Then this little piece of
moon gradually grows again until 1t becomes
a full moon, when the suns slabbing and cut
ting processes recommence. This is really
beautiful myth, and reminds one strongly of
the interpretations which Max Mulerand his
school have put upon some of the ole Greek
myths. Animals, it will be seen, occupy a
very large place in Bushman mythology, and
this is not to be wondered at when it is con-
sidered how large is the place they fill in
the Bushman country, and how important a
part they play in the daily life Of the people
AS IN the Indo,European mythologles many
Of the stars and consultations are named al
ter certain animals, and some OF the astro
nomical myths are elaborate and beautiful
and sometimes even touching The sun, they
say, is u man, from whose armpit brightness
proceeded, and who lived formerly on earth
lut only llph for q arnppl b,S
house. Some children who belonged to the
first Bushmen (who preceded the Flat Bush
men III their country were therefore sent to
throw up the sleeping sun into the sky; since
then he shines all over the earth. a myth
somewhat similar to this is met among the
Australian aboriglnes, ana there are many
points of resemblance between Bushman and
EsquimauX mythology. But it would be eX-
tremely rash TO infer, on this account, that
there had been any original connection or
communication between these races. Indeed
we have limited that analOgies may be found
between Bushman and European mythology,
and II is not TO be wondered at II many points
OF resemblance be found between mythOlo-
gies originating quite independently OF each
other. For have not all uncivilized people
the same neurological elements, if we may
so call them, to deal with-"the heavens
the earth" with their various deLizens? Have
they not all pretty much the same kind of
struggle for existence, and have they not that
most fertile and universal of human charac
teristics, an irresistible desire to assign a
cause To everything that comes within ken !?
In this last point mythology and science meet
for II Is this same universal impulse which
anmates bOth-the desire of the human mind
To satisfy itself as TO the causes OF things. The
Bushmen account for the origin OF the Milky
Way by relating how girl of the ancie 1T
race wished for light, SO that the people
might see TO return home at night. She,
therefore, threw woOd-ashes into the sky,
which became the Milky WAY. This same
girl, being veXed with her mother for giving
her too little of a certain red edible root,
threw up portions OF IL into the sky, where
they became stars. The mention of an " an
cient race" IN his ana other myths is one
among other indications that the BuShmen
are not genuine South African aboriglnes,
but that they are lntruders upon a still older
race Among some of the stars which have
been identified with animals IN Eastman
mythology are the following: The pointers
10 the Southern Cross are male lions, while
the stars Alpha, Beta, and Gamma CruclS are
lionesses The two lions were formerly men
and at the same time lions. and one of them
became a star because girl looked at him !;
the other, apparently out OF sympathy, also
became star. They now stand silent, not
far from the lioneSses, who SIT silent. AIDE
barsh is a male hartebeesL while Alpha Ori-
onis is female hartebeest Procyon is a
male Gland whose wives are Castor and Pol
lux. The stars in OrIon's sword are male tor
;oises hung upon a stick, and the three bright
stars in Orions Belt are female ioIioises, also
hung upon n stick. The stars are divided in
To night stars and dawn stars, and the latter
are subjects of some very fine and complcat-
ed neurological conceptions, Of which, how
ever, only fragments have as yet been obtain
ed. The planet Jupiter is called the "Dawn's
Heart" while some neighboring star, proceed
ing Jupiter, Is the "Dawns Heart Child"