Specimens of Bushman Folklore, by W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd, [1911], at sacred-texts.com
!NANNA-SSE SECOND PART.
FURTHER INFORMATION; PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE TREATMENT OF BONES.
They (the Bushmen) put the things' bones nicely aside, while they do not throw them (about).
They put down the bones opposite to the entrance to the hut (the place which the. hut's mouth faces; they call it "the hut face's opposite"(?)); and they go they pour down the bones at it. Therefore, they call it, "The heap of meat bones[1]; while they feel that this is the place to which they go, at which they pour down the bones; they pour down the bones by the side of a bush (a little thorn bush), at the place to which they go to put down the bones.
And another person [who lives opposite] gnaws, putting the bones upon an (ostrich) breastbone;[2] he does as follows, when he has finished gnawing the bones, he takes up the bones, he goes to pour down the bones at this place.[3]
[1. This heap of bones (springbok, gemsbok, hare, porcupine, etc.) is called |uhaiten as well as |ka.
2. The breastbone of an ostrich, used as a dish.
3. One hut has its own heap of bones; the other man also has the other man's heap of bones; another man also has his own heap of bones, the bones of the springbok. which he kills.]
And when they have boiled other bones, they again gnaw,[1] putting them upon (the ostrich breastbone dish). When they have finished gnawing the bones, they take up the ostrich breastbone upon which the bones are, they go to pour down the bones opposite to the entrance to the other one's hut. The other one (i.e. the neighbour living opposite) also when he has boiled, takes the bones which he gnaws, he goes to pour them down, opposite to the entrance of the other one's hut, (upon) the other one's heap of bones,[2] he goes to pour down the bones upon it. Another man also does thus, when he has gnawed the bones, he also goes to pour down the bones opposite to the entrance of the other one's hut, (upon) the other one's heap of bones.
And, they[3] also (do it), a different man does
[1. biting off the flesh from the bones. The heap of bones belonging to the other man who killed the springbok.
2. Another man (it) is. I think that he has a wife and children. These children are those for whom he cuts off meat. He cuts meat; he cuts off for this child (a boy) this piece of meat; he cuts off for this (other) child (also a boy) this (other) piece of meat while the woman cuts off meat for the little girl.
3. The women do not eat (the meat of) the springbok's shoulder blades, because they show respect for the men's arrows, so that the men may quietly kill. For, when we miss our aim, the place is not nice; for we are wont to be ill when we miss our aim; when we shoot destruction to ourselves, when we are going to be ill. Therefore we become ill.
The springbok are in possession of (invisible) magic arrows (?). Therefore, we are ill on account of the springbok. Therefore, we do not allow the little children to play upon the springbok skin. For the springbok is wont to get into our flesh, and we become ill. And the springbok is inside of us and we become ill on account of it. Therefore, we do not play tricks with springbok's bones; for we put the springbok's bones nicely away, while we feel that the springbok is wont to get into our flesh. The springbok also possesses things which are magic sticks; if they stand in us, we, being pierced, fall dead.]
as follows, he also boils, he also gnaws, putting the bones upon an ostrich breastbone; he also comes to pour down the bones opposite to the entrance of the other one's hut.
They also do thus when they cut up a springbok, they also take out the stomach, as they, cutting open (the springbok), take out the stomach; they go to shake out the contents of the stomach opposite to the entrance of the other one's hut; they go to shake out the contents of the stomach there (upon the other one's heap of bones). They [having washed it well] come to lade blood into the stomach, they dip up blood with their hand,[1] they lade blood into the stomach with their hand, while they turn with their band (holding the right hand like a scoop); they holding, form a tortoise [shell] with their hand. With regard to the blood which has spilt,[2] that which lies upon the earth, they also take it up (with the earth on which it lies), together with the bushes[3] upon which there is blood; they go to put them down opposite to the entrance of the other man's hut (the hut of the man who, killed the springbok).
With regard to the |kaoken bones,[4] from which the children (breaking them) eat out the marrow, they also collect them together; they go to put them down opposite to the entrance of the other one's hut.
With regard to the shoulder blade bones, when they have gnawed them, they put them away in the
[1. One hand.
2. It is blood which lies (lit. "sits") upon the ground.
3. They lay the springbok on the bushes.
4. Springbok's bones.]
hut;[1] because they desire that the dogs may not crunch them; while they feel that the other man (who shot the springbok) would miss his aim.
They take to the other man (who shot the springbok) the upper bones of the fore legs, while they intend that the other man's child shall go (and) eat out the marrow from them; for the other man was the one who killed the springbok. Therefore they take to the other man the upper bones of the fore leg. The shoulder blade bones which they gnaw, they put away in the sticks of the hut, they are those into which they put them.
They out off the back of the springbok's neck, they take it to the other man (who killed the springbok); while they boil the springbok's back, they gnaw its bones, together with the tail, which they wish the wife to put away, that the wife may, rubbing, make soft for him bags, that he may go to get things, when he bartering goes to another man; he goes to give them to another man, when the wife has rubbed, making soft for him, springbok skin bags. The wife rubs, making them soft for him; he folds them up, he lays them into (his own) bag, and he goes to the other man.
They (the man and his wife) go, to give them to the other man; and the other person (that is, the other man's wife) also gives her (the first man's wife) tto,[2] which is red; she also gives some ||hara with the tto, because the other one (the first man's wife) gave the other bags.
Then, the man also gives to the other man his own bags, he who is the man, his own bags. And the
[1. In a paper published in the Westminster Review (New Series, no cvii, July 1878, ii. "The Mythology and Religious Worship of the Ancient Japanese"), it is stated that the Japanese used the shoulder blade of a deer for the purpose of divination; and that Pallas found a similar practice among the Kirghiz, by whom the shoulder blade of a sheep was employed.
[In Staffordshire, also, sixty years ago, the shoulder blade bone of a sheep was believed to possess the power of fortelling the future--ED.]
2. For a little further information regarding tto and ||hara see IX.--237.]
other man also gives him arrows; because he (the man who brought the bags) wishes that the other man may give him in exchange poisoned arrows, that the other man may give him in exchange poison (i.e. poisoned arrows). Therefore, the other man gives him in exchange poison.