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Introduction |  History |  Folklore |  Folk Music & Dance |  Community Involvement |  Environmental Management   People Of Matsamo - Folklore Folklore Swazi culture is rich in folklore passed down from generation to generation. Most stories relate to animals being personified and human attributes compared with events in nature. Most stories directly have a message for young and old, and these are treasured with pride and cultural accuracy. The presentation of folklore may appear in talking singing and dancing form. What follows are a few samples of these: Ostrich When the Creator started the Earth, He had an assistant, Mantis, who had been given the duty of looking after Fire. Fire was not freely available to all animals at that time, as the Creator considered that no-one was clever enough yet to use it. But, one day, Mantis was called away to Heaven, and he decided that of all the animals, Ostrich was the most loyal and dutiful, and would therefore keep the Fire safely until he return. Ostrich proudly tucked the smouldering coals under his great wings, never dreaming that within a few days, Bushman would have tricked him onto giving up the precious Fire. Bushman was a wily creature, wiser than the rest, and he realised that Fire would be a great improvement in his life. He could cook his food, stay warm during the chilly winter nights, and protect himself against the dangerous animals which hunted in the dark. Being gifted with the speech of animals, he went to Ostrich and told him of a strange but exiting dream he had had. If Ostrich was to stand on the edge of a desert dune in the early dawn, with his eyes shut tight and his wings opened to the cool morning breezes, he would be ganted the gift of flight! Of all things Ostrich wanted to fly, so the next morning found him on the highest dune, following Bushman’s instructions very carefully. And Bushman of course, was hiding close by, ready to snatch the glowing coals as soon as Ostrich stretched his mighty wings. That is precisely what happened, which is how Man received Fire from Mantis! Poor Ostrich lost his mind from sadness and humiliation and became a most silly creature. He even has to leave an egg or two outside the nest, to remind himself of his duties whilst sitting on the rest of the clutch!! FACTS ABOUT OSTRICHES Species: Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Usually in pairs. Young are gregarious.     Male Female Height 6ft 6ft Weight 308 lb 264 lb Weight at Hatching 3 1/3 lb 3 1/3 lb Age at Maturity 8 years 8 years Incubation Period 45 days – incubation shared Number of eggs 12 - 20 Lifespan 50 years 50 years   Identification: The ostrich is the largest bird on earth. Standing tall on long, bare legs, it also has a long, curving, predominantly white neck. The humped body of the male is covered in black patches and the wings and tail are tipped with white. The female is brown and white. Ostriches are flightless but can run very fast – up to 44 miles per hour (70km per hour). Habitat: The ostrich is found in many of the drier areas of Africa. Habits: Ostriches are preyed upon by lions and cheetahs, and many smaller predators also eat the chicks and eggs if they get the chance. The chicks, however, have very good camouflage, and are able to run quite fast soon after hatching. The adults use their powerful legs not only to run fast to escape enemies, but as weapons to keep attackers at bay. They tend to live in small, scattered groups or sometimes singly. Diet: Ostriches are mainly vegetarian, eating grass, succulents berries and seeds, though they will also eat insects. They swallow large numbers of pebbles which help grind the harder food in the gizzard. Breeding: Ostriches normally mate for life, and they share the task of incubating the eggs. The male, which has mostly black feathers, sits on the eggs at night, and the drab, brown female covers them during the day. In this way, the nest is much harder to see. The female does not make a nest of any sort, laying up to 20 eggs in a bare, shallow dip in the ground. Once the young ones hatch, it is usually the male ostrich which looks after the chick until they are old enough to fend for themselves.   Rhino A long time ago when the world was new and the animals were settling into their homes, Rhino and Elephant had a disagreement which eventually turned into an all out battle! Both animals were strong and equipped with dangerous weapons with which they defended themselves bravely. Rhino, being short sighted, fought wildly but still managed to inflict a couple of nasty stab wounds on poor Elephant. Elephant, who is much wiser, used his great tusks to defend himself. Rhino soon had several great gashes in his hide and realised he had to surrender. Poor old Rhino! He stumbed away, wondering who he could ask to help him mend the holes in his hide. At last he found Mrs Porcupine, who, being a kindly soul, lent him one of her sharpest quills to use as a needle. But, she made Rhino promise to return it as her quills were her only defense against those bigger animals who were tempted to turn her into a tasty dinner! Rhino agreed and was soon putting big, clumsy stitches into his thick skin. At last it was done, and very tired from the fight and his sewing efforts, he flopped down into a sandy patch to sleep, carefully placing the quill beside him. Regretfully, Rhino forgot about the quill when he woke, and only remembered his promise to return it when he bumped into Mrs Porcupine a few days later. Mystified, he could not remember what he had done with the useful quill. He finally concluded that he must have accidentally swallowed it! Now even Rhino realised that if he had swallowed it, it would be dealt with in the same way that his tummy dealt with everything else he swallowed! So - to this day - Rhino always piles his dung up on one particular place, and then proceeds to kick it all about, still hoping that the precious quill will come to light! Species: White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum, syn. Diceros simus) Males often solitary. Several females may form a herd with a dominant bull. These herds of up to 10 are called a “laager”.       Male Female Height 6 ft 5 1/3 ft Weight 6600 lb 4400 lb Weight at birth 88 lb 88 lb Age at Weaning 2 years 2 years Age at Maturity 7 years 5 years Gestation Period   18 months Number of young   1 Lifespan 45 years 45 years   Species: Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) ENDANGERED SPECIES     Male Female Height 4 2/3 ft 4 ft Weight 3300 lb 2200 lb Weight at Birth 88 lb 77lb Age at Weaning 2 years 2 years Age at Maturity 7 years 5 years Gestation Period   17 months Number of Young   1 Lifespan 40 years 40 years   Contrary to what their names would lead you to believe, both black and white rhinoceros have a slate-grey, very thick skin, heavily folded round the neck and are hairless except for the tip of the tail and the edges of the ears, which are fringed with thick bristles. The only variation in colour comes from the mud or dust in which they’ have been wallowing. The big difference between them is that the black rhino has a pointed, flexible upper lip which enables it to eat leaves and twigs – thus it is a browser. The white rhino has a square upper lip and grazes on grass. This results in very characteristic postures – the black moving with head held up and the white with its head lowered. The white rhino also has a massive hump on its neck and is the larger of the two. In fact, next to the elephant, it is the largest living land mammal. The horn of both species are similar and there is little apparent difference between the male and female. The horns, grown by both sexes, consist of hair fused into a hard bone-like substance. A byproduct of their horns is used as a medicine for rheumatism and was once used as a popular aphrodisiac in parts of Asia but the main use until recently was for traditional, ornate dagger handles worn by the men in Yemen. Consequently, the animals have long been hunted and are now endangered. Habitat: Open tree and bush savannah, thorn scrub and the lower slopes of mountains. Habits: Living mainly alone or in small family groups, the rhino is very territorial. Its home range always includes at least one waterhole, preferably with a mud-wallow. On the boundaries each male leaves dung-heaps at regular intervals. He visits these frequently to deposit more droppings which are scattered about with the hind legs and front horn to form a flattened patch, sometimes more than six feet (two metres) across. The probable reason for this is to warn other males that they are trespassing, and to advertise his own presence to single females who thus are encouraged to enter his territory. The two species of rhinoceros have different characters. The black rhino is short-tempered and will charge an intruder without much provocation. White rhinos are generally more docile, although they should still be treated with respect. Rhinoceros feed mainly in early morning and late afternoon and frequently drink at night. Diet: The white rhino eats grasses and the black rhino eats twigs and leaves. Breeding: There is no particular breeding season, and single offspring are produced at intervals of rarely less than three years.   There is an ancient story that the Swazi people tell of how the humble Tortoise made a fool of the braggart Hare. One day, during the early days of the earth, Hare came across Tortoise peacefully eating a lunch of young nettle leaves. Hoping to make fun of the dignified Tortoise, he challenged him to a short race, up to the Baobab trees next to Cheetah’s house. After a long pause,Tortoise accepted the challenge but declared he would much prefer to run a LONG race, all the way to the pan! He also declared that the race would be run on Saturday, giving him 5 days to prepare for it! Surprised, Hare agreed and went off well pleased with the prospect of making a great fool of Tortoise. Tortoise, meanwhile, lost not a moment of the time alloted for his “preparation”. He called on each and every one of his friends and family, asking for their help and explaining his clever strategy. In a nutshell, each tortoise was to place himself along the race track at spaced intervals, and was to run as fast as he could, the moment Hare came into view. Once Hare had flashed past them, as he most surely would, they were free to go on their way again. Having made these arrangements, Tortoise found a small calabash and started off immediately for the pan which was 6 miles away. The journey took him all of the 5 days he had allowed himself and having filled his calabash with water, he thankfully sank down to await developements! Tortoise and Hare Hare, on the other hand was prancing in glee at the start of the race, poking fun at the Tortoise next to him, little realising that it was Tortoise’s first cousin twice removed! At last the race began and Hare was off in a flurry of gravel, leaving the tortoise in a cloud of dust. Hare tore along, laughing wildly, but the laughter stopped abruptly as he rounded the first bend, for there was Tortoise, AHEAD OF HIM! Astonished, Hare began to run faster and faster, but nothing he did made him pass Tortoise “properly”, for over every hill and around each curve on the track, there Tortoise was, still ahead! Exhaustion started to take its toll and poor Hare staggered and fell, just a stone’s throw from the cooling water of the pan. To his horror and mortification, he opened his eyes to find Tortoise standing next to him with a calabash full of cool, sweet water! “My dear fellow,” said Tortoise, “have some water! I never thought you wouldn’t have the stamina for such a race!” Tortoise went home, well satisfied with his strategy, while Hare was incapable of understanding that in fact, all the animals were laughing at his stupidity! FACTS ABOUT HARES Species: Scrub Hare (Lepus saxatilis) Solitary.     Male Female Height 6 in 6 in Weight 5 1/2 lb 4 _ lb Age at Weaning 1 month 1 month Age at Maturity 8 months 8 months Gestation   Period 1 month Number of Young   Usually 2 Lifespan 5 years 5 years   Identification: Very similar to the hares of Europe, America and other parts of the world. The scrub hare is one of many species common in Africa. It has long ears, strong hind legs which are longer than the front ones, and a white tail with a thick black stripe down the middle. Habitat: Dry, open country and sparse woodlands. Habits: The hare is usually nocturnal, hiding during the day in thick scrub or grass. The hare is grass-coloured and, by lying very still, avoids being noticed. However, if you are about to step upon a hare it will suddenly burst out from cover and run, zigzagging, until it is out of sight; this makes it very difficult to catch. Hares are preyed upon by eagles, owls, pythons and many other animals, including cheetahs, which are the only animals fast enough to run a hare down. Other hunters have to creep up close and make a surprise attack. In African folklore, the hare is often the star of the story. He is portrayed as a creature who is always playing pranks and causing mischief. He is a boaster, always saying how clever he is, especially at making the high-and-mighty animals look silly. Hare always seems to come out on top! Diet: Hares feed on a variety of grasses, from which they also get enough moisture and so don’t need to live near water. Breeding: Mother hares usually bear only two young at a time. Unlike rabbits, they do not live in holes, but make a shallow nest in the middle of a thick clump of grass, where the babies are left, keeping as still as stones, while the mother is out feeding.