The story of the Leopard Tortoise

Metadata

Title

Collection

Lucy Lloyd |xam notebooks

Contributor

!kweiten ta ||ken (Rachel) (VI)

Summary

The story of the Great Water Tortoise, who deceived men belonging to the early race of Bushman by feigning illness (told by !kwéiten ta //ken), appears to be a variation of the above-mentioned myth (L VI.-2. 4055-4063). A tale of the Early Race (or !khwe |na ss'e !k'e) in which |go ka kkumm, or the Leopard Tortoise (Testudo pardalis), pretends to be ill and tricks men into putting their hands inside her neck-shell where they are trapped and decay.

Comments

1) p.4054v: this story was told to !kweiten ta ||ken by her mother (≠kamme-an), 2) p.4057v: a note on the time spent by the Tortoise 'being ill' according to the Moon, 3) See also The story of the Ratel (or Mellivora) and the Waterskilpad and A further explanation of the ratel (or Mellivora): why it is like a man, or More about the ratel (Mellivora): why it is like a man, 4) This story is found in Book VI-2

Type

story

Date

between 11 & 12 January 1875

Category

History (Early Race)

Keyword

Early Race (and story of the Leopard Tortoise, |go ka kkumm), Early Race (and men of !khwe |na ss'e !k'e, or First Bushmen), Early Race (and foolish men of the Early race, who do not understand), Leopard Tortoise (called |go ka kkumm), Leopard Tortoise (Testudo pardalis), Leopard Tortoise (the Great Water Tortoise, who deceived men), Leopard Tortoise (feigns illness), Leopard Tortoise (is cunning), Leopard Tortoise (waterschilpad), Leopard Tortoise (asks for assistance), Leopard Tortoise (deceives and traps men of First Bushmen in her neck-shell), Leopard Tortoise (asks to be anointed), foolish man (of First Bushmen), foolish man (ignores counsel), foolish man (is trapped by Tortoise), foolish man (does not understand), foolish man (and Leopard Tortoise), foolish man (his hands decay), tortoise (and story of the Leopard Tortoise), tortoise (the Great Water Tortoise, who deceived men), tortoise (called |go ka kkumm), name (of the Leopard Tortoise is |go ka kkumm), illness (and the story of the Leopard Tortoise who feigns illness and deceives the men of the Early Race)