A Bushmen Tale

Dabè en Goa!na were a young Bushmen boy and girl who lived with their families faraway in the Kalahari. From an early stage the two loved each other, but as legend has it, Goa!na was promised by her parents as a wife to G//awana, a man with great mystical powers.

The day Goa!na became a woman, Dabè told her parents that he wanted her as his wife, but they refused, for they feared G//awana. When G//awana sent for Goa!na, she refused to go, and in his anger he turned her into a steenbok.

From then on the two could only meet during full moon. The steenbok ewe would lay with her head on Dabè’s lap and sometimes they would become very sad for such a burden that was placed on them.

One year the rains stayed away and the waterholes dried up. The Bushmen decided to divide their water among themselves to ensure that everybody got their share. Every day Dabè poured half his water in a calabash and left it in the veld where he knew Goa!na would find it. 

The rains stayed away and animals and plants died of thirst, and the Bushmen were forced to further cut their water rations. Dabè knew that the water was not enough for both of them to survive and he therefore decided to leave all his water for Goa!na.

After many days the great rains came, but for Dabè it was too late. Goa!na did not know of Dabè’s fate, and kept searching for him, but could never find him.

Bushmen claim that is why steenbok seem so tame, for they are still searching for Dabè among men. And the calabash became the symbol of Dabè’s love for Goa!na.

n Boesman legende

Volgens `n ou legende was Dabè en Goa!na twee jong mense wat saam met hul families in die Kalahari gebly het. Die twee was van kleins af lief vir mekaar, maar Goa!na was by haar geboorte deur haar ouers aan G//awana as vrou beloof. `n Man met groot mistieke krag. 

Die dag toe Goa!na `n vrou word, wou Dabè haar as vrou neem, maar haar ouers het geweier aangesien hulle G//awana gevrees het. 

Toe G//awana haar laat haal het sy egter geweier en in sy woede het hy Goa!na in ‘n steenbokkie verander. Van toe af kon Dabè en Goa!na mekaar net gedurende volmaan ontmoet. 

Die steenbokkie sou dan teen Dabè gaan lê en soms het hulle saam gehuil omdat so ‘n swaar lot hulle getref het. 

Een jaar het die reëns weggebly en al die watergate het opgedroog. Die groepie Boesmans het die water wat hul opgegaar het elke dag verdeel, sodat elkeen darem ‘n bietjie kon kry. Dabè het helfte van sy water in ‘n kalbassie gegooi en dit in die veld gelaat waar hy geweet het Goa!na dit sou vind.

Die reën het egter weggebly en die plante en diere het gevrek van dors en die Boesmans moes met nog minder water klaarkom. Dabè het geweet dat die water te min sou wees om hom en Goa!na aan die lewe te hou, daarom het hy al syne vir Goa!na in die veld gelaat.

Na baie dae het die reëns gekom, maar vir Dabè was dit te laat. Goa!na was onbewus van Dabè se lot, daarom het sy na hom bly soek maar nooit gekry nie.

Die Boesmans glo dit is waarom steenbokkies so mak voorkom. Hulle is nog steeds op soek na Dabè tussen die mense. En die kalbassie het die simbool onder die Boesmans geword van Dabè se liefde Goa!na.

Ingedien deur: Wollie Burger

Kyk ook deur van die interresanthede by die Kalbas Padstal. Daar is ook n video onderhoud met Kwela hier gemaak.