On the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe (Beitbridge), just south of the Limpopo one can find the picturesque town of Louis Trichart in the mountainous area of the Soutpansberg. On a reciente trip back from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe we visited this area as well as the Njelele valley (close to Toyandou town) in the neighbouring Venda. This geographical area is blessed with a rich historical background full of legends and myths and is one of a few remaining unspoilt areas of South Africa. Today, the history is still evident in the names of the two major towns in the area namely Louis Trichard that was named after a Voortrekker leader and Thoyandou after a historical chief of the VhaVenda nation.
On our arrival in Louis Trichard, we were welcomed por Marius Gilfillan from Carousel Lodge who accompanied us into the SAFCOR forestry area from where the famous Hanglip (previously called Hangklip) could be viewed. We visited the Hanglip Picnic site and Motane forest where all the trees are marked for the visitors information. Several hiking trails winds its way through this indigenous forest while Marius also runs several horse trails through this specific area. This whole area is very good for birdwatching and several interesting bird species can be spotted including the shy Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina), the Purple Crested Lourie (Tauraco porphyreaolophus), the Knysna Lourie (Tauraco corythaix) and the Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani). Although the Narina Trogan is a brightly coloured bird and is usually very difficult to spot because of its habit of sitting with its green back (disguised por the green surroundings) towards the observer. This bird has a combination of a crimson lower breast and belly and bright esmeralda green upper-breast and back. The Purple Crested Lourie differs from the Knysna lourie por having an obvious, very long and pointed crest and a slightly darker back. The Knysna lourie has an all-green head with a white eyering and white tips to the crest. It is also differs from the Livingstones and Shallow's Lourie which has different length and shaped crests. The Crested Guineafowl is a ground bird and is one of my favourite birds. It has a grey body, flecked with white, a marked blue and red head with characteristically black head plumes. Another distinguishing factor is its bright red eye.
After we left the beautiful Motana Forests, Marius took us to mostrar us Mpephu's village. It was here that we started to experience the deep mysticism of this area which was carried adelante, hacia adelante into our siguiente day's excursions with Johan Kloppers (Eagle Adventures). It is therefore important to discuss the historical background to the area before we can discuss Mpephu's village in más detail.
Legends, myths and religions play an important role in a society, it is a way of adapting human behaviour to the demands of an ecosystem o pressure of demography. It can also be used por the ruling class to maintain their class in terms of other people in the society. Myths are living social events, intelligible only in the context of real humans in real places involved in some o other social interaction. The VhaVenda nation has a rich history of myths and legends, some still influences their daily life even today. These myths and legends have developed with the VhaVenda nation, and have been adapted over the centuries with their changing social and physical environment.
Dabanyika was the first VhaVenda chief to have settled in this area, now known as the Njelele valley más than eight centuries ago. It seems that they have migrated from the region surrounding the big lakes of Central Africa making a inicial in what is now known as the Dzata 1 and Dzata 2 ruins. They obviously thought that they had found their "promised land" and Dzata literally means "a good place". The story goes that Dabanyika went of with his dog into a cave in the surrounding Soutpansberg where he was caught in a rock cave-in. His trustworthy dog was still outside the cave and apparently went to fetch his son and heir Toyandou at their village. When Toyandou reached where his father was trapped, he was still alive. It was impossible for Toyandou to rescue his father and they had a discussion through the rocks. Dabanyika made Toyandou promise that he would unify the different clans in the area and build a great nation. Toyandou did this and was one of the greatest vhaVenda leaders of all times. Toyandou literally means "head of the elephant" and this is an important indication in the Venda tradition of his strength as a leader. Elephants have always been used in African mythology as a symbol of strength, leadership and greatness. Even today this symbolism is continued where important people are greeted with "nda ndou" which literally can be translated as "good día elephant". It is further interesting to note that no future VhaVenda leader was ever called Thoyandou. The siguiente chief in the VhaVenda nation was a Mpephu - a name still carried adelante, hacia adelante today.
The current Mpephu sacred village is situated in an area close to Hanglip and which Marius went to mostrar us. We, as Westerners, o non-Venda people cannot enter this sacred village which are looked after por vhaVenda woman. This is the burial place of the vhaVenda chiefs and all the anterior Mpephu's and this is where another very interesting myth comes into play. The vhaVenda's are historically known to re-bury their chiefs. Somewhere in history one of the vhaVenda chiefs swallowed a small white rock. This is interlinked with another Venda sacred place namely Lake Fundudzi, which will be discussed in más detail later. Apparently a white cocodrilo used to live in this Lake, and crocodiles are known for their strength and also for swallowing rocks to assist them with the digestion of their food. One of the vhaVenda chiefs obviously translated the white cocodrilo (possibly an albino cocodrilo that did exist) and the general habit of crocodiles swallowing small rocks into the swallowing of a small white rock por the VhaVenda chiefs - possibly to give them the same strength as a cocodrilo combined with the mysticism related to the white cocodrilo in the Fundudzi Lake. The re-burial of the Chiefs is linked to this custom, where a deceased chief is put on a wooden stack/elevation, until the body has totally decomposed. The white rock swallowed por the first chief then falls out of the body and is then swallowed por the new chief which in turn would give him strength and special features. That is also the reason why only women are allowed in this sacred village, because according to vhaVenda tradition they cannot become chiefs and therefore guard the body and the small white rock in order to ensure that the rightful chief swallows it and not another arbitrary male.
We ended our first day's visit on a nearby farm, where we had a discussion with an old Venda man, who is apparently between 96 and a 105 years old. A wealth of knowledge was shared por this man who has experienced many changes in this region. Our día was ended por a friendly barbeque (braai) organised por Marius and other townsfolk involved in tourism at Carousel Lodge. This reinforced our impression of the hospitality of the people in this region.
We spend the siguiente día in the Njelele valley (between Toyandou and Makhado) following the trail of the great legends of the vhaVenda with Johan Kloppers of Eagle Adventures. Johan's company is named after Billy Eagle, a Canadian Indian that came with the Royal Canadian Infantry during the Anglo Boer War in the 1900 and decided to stay in the area after the war was over. He was apparently appointed as a police constable and tracker at the nearby Elim police station. One día while he was in the Soutpansberg on horseback, he was attacked por a lion which pulled him of his horse. He then proceeded to kill the lion with his bare hands, a feat which hasn't ever been repeated. Billy Eagle later succumbed to the infections in his wound with the absence of any antibiotics during that time but went on to become a legend in the area.
Our first visit in the morning was to an area Johan calls the lost Valley' with its strange terraces built por the VhaVenda over centuries and where some reoccupation has taken place through the years. The hills in the area are covered por age-old rock terraces stretching for miles and miles and are indicative of the origins of the vhaVenda nation. The Khoi and San who used to stay in this area, as well as other original indigenous southern African nations never used the terrace method. Other nations in Central Africa used to use this method and it was obviously brought down with the vhaVenda nation when they migrated from the great lakes of Central Africa. It is also within this context that we can talk about the so-called lost tribe of Israel - the Balemba. The Lemba nation has refined eastern features and current research is done to see if there is any link between them and Israel. The Lemba was culturally very strong and still today only Venda men can marry a Lemba woman and not vice versa. A Venda man can wed a Lemba women only after a certain ceremony has been completed. A fuego is made on parte superior, arriba of an anthill (big enough to fit a man underneath) and the Venda man has to then climb through this hot anthill. In this lost Valley' we also saw some original African perros - the so-called Nguni perros as well as original African Nguni cattle. Both these species have adapted to the African environment successfully, and are hardy to African diseases.
Dzata 2 Ruins was our segundo stop. These ruins originated from the Thoyandou era, and were build with hard blue rocks, which apparently are not found in the area. Speculation exists that these rocks were carried on the heads of slaves coming all the way from Central and North Africa. Dzata 2 was reconstructed por archeologists and although some of the original walls are still standing some significant changes has been made to this site. Dzata 1, currently investigated por scientists hasn't been changed and is still in its original state.
We then went on to look at the sacred "Lake Fundudzi" situated in the Thathe Vondo forest, the inicial of the mythical pitón, python and white crocodile. The pitón, python is the god of fertility in the vhaVhenda tradition and the legend tells us that a VhaVhenda man had a broken corazón because of the loss of a great love. In his sorrow he walked into Lake Fundudzi at which time he turned into a python. Young virgin Venda maidens still perform the famous Domba-python dance in this area to honour this god of fertility. We can further speculate about the white cocodrilo (as described previously) which the vhaVenda's belief lives in this Lake. This cocodrilo might have really existed because this Lake is still today inhabited por large crocodiles, and an albino cocodrilo might have once lived in the lake where young, virgin Venda maidens were once offered to them. Lake Fundudzi is surrounded por mountains and special permission has to be obtained to visit this sacred Lake. No-one washes o swims in this lake.
Also in the Thathe Vondo forest is the so-called "Sacred Forest". The Thathe Vondo forest has giant hardwoods (jakkelsbessie, yellowwood), a wide variety of ferns, creepers and a wealth of plants and trees which makes the forest nearly impenetrable on foot. The Sacred Forest is a mystical place, where no ordinary VhaVhenda people may walk and as a visitor one may not walk off the dirt track going through the forest - hikers are not allowed. In the Sacred Forest two mythical creatures keep guard namely the white lion (the spirit of Nethathe an important chief) and the thunder and lighting bird called Ndadzi which according to myths flies on the wings of thunder. One can speculate further about this bird and its origin, and the origin of the vhaVhenda people. Can we make a comparison between this bird and similar mythical birdlike figures in North Africa (Egypt)? Ndadzi's eyes flash lighting, from in its beak it bears rain and when it drops an egg at a foot of a árbol this árbol will be destroyed por fire. As previously stated, myths, religion and believes have their origin in how a specific society experiences their environment at a specific time. Myths always have their origin in an experienced reality. Some important chiefs from the Thathe clans have apparently been reburied (according to believe) in a cave in this forest, protected por the white lion and Ndadzi. One can also find the giant edible mushrooms, Nkoa in these woods, with a diameter of approximately 300 cm on top.
Our día was ended por looking down onto the Vando Dam and its surrounding valley with many sin respuesta preguntas and many myths to still explore on a siguiente visit including that of the waterfall spirits, the ivory traders, the copper people, the sacred Albasini treasures, the golden rhino, the rain queen, the holy baboons of Lwamondo, the blue beads of Egypt and the ancient ruins of Mukumbani.
Louis Trichart and the surrounding areas provide a wealth of activities ranging from hiking, horse riding, birding trips, 4 X 4 trails and culture adventure tours visiting all the mythical places mentioned in this article.
On our arrival in Louis Trichard, we were welcomed por Marius Gilfillan from Carousel Lodge who accompanied us into the SAFCOR forestry area from where the famous Hanglip (previously called Hangklip) could be viewed. We visited the Hanglip Picnic site and Motane forest where all the trees are marked for the visitors information. Several hiking trails winds its way through this indigenous forest while Marius also runs several horse trails through this specific area. This whole area is very good for birdwatching and several interesting bird species can be spotted including the shy Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina), the Purple Crested Lourie (Tauraco porphyreaolophus), the Knysna Lourie (Tauraco corythaix) and the Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani). Although the Narina Trogan is a brightly coloured bird and is usually very difficult to spot because of its habit of sitting with its green back (disguised por the green surroundings) towards the observer. This bird has a combination of a crimson lower breast and belly and bright esmeralda green upper-breast and back. The Purple Crested Lourie differs from the Knysna lourie por having an obvious, very long and pointed crest and a slightly darker back. The Knysna lourie has an all-green head with a white eyering and white tips to the crest. It is also differs from the Livingstones and Shallow's Lourie which has different length and shaped crests. The Crested Guineafowl is a ground bird and is one of my favourite birds. It has a grey body, flecked with white, a marked blue and red head with characteristically black head plumes. Another distinguishing factor is its bright red eye.
After we left the beautiful Motana Forests, Marius took us to mostrar us Mpephu's village. It was here that we started to experience the deep mysticism of this area which was carried adelante, hacia adelante into our siguiente day's excursions with Johan Kloppers (Eagle Adventures). It is therefore important to discuss the historical background to the area before we can discuss Mpephu's village in más detail.
Legends, myths and religions play an important role in a society, it is a way of adapting human behaviour to the demands of an ecosystem o pressure of demography. It can also be used por the ruling class to maintain their class in terms of other people in the society. Myths are living social events, intelligible only in the context of real humans in real places involved in some o other social interaction. The VhaVenda nation has a rich history of myths and legends, some still influences their daily life even today. These myths and legends have developed with the VhaVenda nation, and have been adapted over the centuries with their changing social and physical environment.
Dabanyika was the first VhaVenda chief to have settled in this area, now known as the Njelele valley más than eight centuries ago. It seems that they have migrated from the region surrounding the big lakes of Central Africa making a inicial in what is now known as the Dzata 1 and Dzata 2 ruins. They obviously thought that they had found their "promised land" and Dzata literally means "a good place". The story goes that Dabanyika went of with his dog into a cave in the surrounding Soutpansberg where he was caught in a rock cave-in. His trustworthy dog was still outside the cave and apparently went to fetch his son and heir Toyandou at their village. When Toyandou reached where his father was trapped, he was still alive. It was impossible for Toyandou to rescue his father and they had a discussion through the rocks. Dabanyika made Toyandou promise that he would unify the different clans in the area and build a great nation. Toyandou did this and was one of the greatest vhaVenda leaders of all times. Toyandou literally means "head of the elephant" and this is an important indication in the Venda tradition of his strength as a leader. Elephants have always been used in African mythology as a symbol of strength, leadership and greatness. Even today this symbolism is continued where important people are greeted with "nda ndou" which literally can be translated as "good día elephant". It is further interesting to note that no future VhaVenda leader was ever called Thoyandou. The siguiente chief in the VhaVenda nation was a Mpephu - a name still carried adelante, hacia adelante today.
The current Mpephu sacred village is situated in an area close to Hanglip and which Marius went to mostrar us. We, as Westerners, o non-Venda people cannot enter this sacred village which are looked after por vhaVenda woman. This is the burial place of the vhaVenda chiefs and all the anterior Mpephu's and this is where another very interesting myth comes into play. The vhaVenda's are historically known to re-bury their chiefs. Somewhere in history one of the vhaVenda chiefs swallowed a small white rock. This is interlinked with another Venda sacred place namely Lake Fundudzi, which will be discussed in más detail later. Apparently a white cocodrilo used to live in this Lake, and crocodiles are known for their strength and also for swallowing rocks to assist them with the digestion of their food. One of the vhaVenda chiefs obviously translated the white cocodrilo (possibly an albino cocodrilo that did exist) and the general habit of crocodiles swallowing small rocks into the swallowing of a small white rock por the VhaVenda chiefs - possibly to give them the same strength as a cocodrilo combined with the mysticism related to the white cocodrilo in the Fundudzi Lake. The re-burial of the Chiefs is linked to this custom, where a deceased chief is put on a wooden stack/elevation, until the body has totally decomposed. The white rock swallowed por the first chief then falls out of the body and is then swallowed por the new chief which in turn would give him strength and special features. That is also the reason why only women are allowed in this sacred village, because according to vhaVenda tradition they cannot become chiefs and therefore guard the body and the small white rock in order to ensure that the rightful chief swallows it and not another arbitrary male.
We ended our first day's visit on a nearby farm, where we had a discussion with an old Venda man, who is apparently between 96 and a 105 years old. A wealth of knowledge was shared por this man who has experienced many changes in this region. Our día was ended por a friendly barbeque (braai) organised por Marius and other townsfolk involved in tourism at Carousel Lodge. This reinforced our impression of the hospitality of the people in this region.
We spend the siguiente día in the Njelele valley (between Toyandou and Makhado) following the trail of the great legends of the vhaVenda with Johan Kloppers of Eagle Adventures. Johan's company is named after Billy Eagle, a Canadian Indian that came with the Royal Canadian Infantry during the Anglo Boer War in the 1900 and decided to stay in the area after the war was over. He was apparently appointed as a police constable and tracker at the nearby Elim police station. One día while he was in the Soutpansberg on horseback, he was attacked por a lion which pulled him of his horse. He then proceeded to kill the lion with his bare hands, a feat which hasn't ever been repeated. Billy Eagle later succumbed to the infections in his wound with the absence of any antibiotics during that time but went on to become a legend in the area.
Our first visit in the morning was to an area Johan calls the lost Valley' with its strange terraces built por the VhaVenda over centuries and where some reoccupation has taken place through the years. The hills in the area are covered por age-old rock terraces stretching for miles and miles and are indicative of the origins of the vhaVenda nation. The Khoi and San who used to stay in this area, as well as other original indigenous southern African nations never used the terrace method. Other nations in Central Africa used to use this method and it was obviously brought down with the vhaVenda nation when they migrated from the great lakes of Central Africa. It is also within this context that we can talk about the so-called lost tribe of Israel - the Balemba. The Lemba nation has refined eastern features and current research is done to see if there is any link between them and Israel. The Lemba was culturally very strong and still today only Venda men can marry a Lemba woman and not vice versa. A Venda man can wed a Lemba women only after a certain ceremony has been completed. A fuego is made on parte superior, arriba of an anthill (big enough to fit a man underneath) and the Venda man has to then climb through this hot anthill. In this lost Valley' we also saw some original African perros - the so-called Nguni perros as well as original African Nguni cattle. Both these species have adapted to the African environment successfully, and are hardy to African diseases.
Dzata 2 Ruins was our segundo stop. These ruins originated from the Thoyandou era, and were build with hard blue rocks, which apparently are not found in the area. Speculation exists that these rocks were carried on the heads of slaves coming all the way from Central and North Africa. Dzata 2 was reconstructed por archeologists and although some of the original walls are still standing some significant changes has been made to this site. Dzata 1, currently investigated por scientists hasn't been changed and is still in its original state.
We then went on to look at the sacred "Lake Fundudzi" situated in the Thathe Vondo forest, the inicial of the mythical pitón, python and white crocodile. The pitón, python is the god of fertility in the vhaVhenda tradition and the legend tells us that a VhaVhenda man had a broken corazón because of the loss of a great love. In his sorrow he walked into Lake Fundudzi at which time he turned into a python. Young virgin Venda maidens still perform the famous Domba-python dance in this area to honour this god of fertility. We can further speculate about the white cocodrilo (as described previously) which the vhaVenda's belief lives in this Lake. This cocodrilo might have really existed because this Lake is still today inhabited por large crocodiles, and an albino cocodrilo might have once lived in the lake where young, virgin Venda maidens were once offered to them. Lake Fundudzi is surrounded por mountains and special permission has to be obtained to visit this sacred Lake. No-one washes o swims in this lake.
Also in the Thathe Vondo forest is the so-called "Sacred Forest". The Thathe Vondo forest has giant hardwoods (jakkelsbessie, yellowwood), a wide variety of ferns, creepers and a wealth of plants and trees which makes the forest nearly impenetrable on foot. The Sacred Forest is a mystical place, where no ordinary VhaVhenda people may walk and as a visitor one may not walk off the dirt track going through the forest - hikers are not allowed. In the Sacred Forest two mythical creatures keep guard namely the white lion (the spirit of Nethathe an important chief) and the thunder and lighting bird called Ndadzi which according to myths flies on the wings of thunder. One can speculate further about this bird and its origin, and the origin of the vhaVhenda people. Can we make a comparison between this bird and similar mythical birdlike figures in North Africa (Egypt)? Ndadzi's eyes flash lighting, from in its beak it bears rain and when it drops an egg at a foot of a árbol this árbol will be destroyed por fire. As previously stated, myths, religion and believes have their origin in how a specific society experiences their environment at a specific time. Myths always have their origin in an experienced reality. Some important chiefs from the Thathe clans have apparently been reburied (according to believe) in a cave in this forest, protected por the white lion and Ndadzi. One can also find the giant edible mushrooms, Nkoa in these woods, with a diameter of approximately 300 cm on top.
Our día was ended por looking down onto the Vando Dam and its surrounding valley with many sin respuesta preguntas and many myths to still explore on a siguiente visit including that of the waterfall spirits, the ivory traders, the copper people, the sacred Albasini treasures, the golden rhino, the rain queen, the holy baboons of Lwamondo, the blue beads of Egypt and the ancient ruins of Mukumbani.
Louis Trichart and the surrounding areas provide a wealth of activities ranging from hiking, horse riding, birding trips, 4 X 4 trails and culture adventure tours visiting all the mythical places mentioned in this article.
