21— MODJADJE, A NATIVE QUEEN IN NORTHERN 

 TRANSVAAL : AN ETHNOLOGICAL STUDY. 



By Rev. Fritz Reuter, Berlin Mission. 

 The Name. 



Modjadje has its derivation from the word ledjadje, i.e., day or 

 sun; plural, madjadje. Mo is the personal prefix, so that the mean- 

 ing of the name comes near to : The ruler of the day or the sun. 



The original home of Modjadje and her tribe is the country 

 beyond the Limpopo river, called by the natives, Bokgalaka. Even 

 now-a-days the old men of the tribe greet each other by Ndau Mokga- 

 laka, i.e., Lion, man of the country Bokgalaka. In their opinion the 

 whole of the human race comes from there. The tradition of the 

 tribe announces that it was removed to its present abode by a 

 migration of the nations, and that the tribe chanced on a people, who 

 were wild and ignorant of fire. 



It is rain-production which brought this heathen race to a power 

 and authority so immense. The rain production was accomplished in 

 a most systematic way. The queen distributed the power of pro- 

 ducing "the small rains" to her relations, so that they were 

 co-regents and had their earnings, while she reserved the great rain- 

 producing powers for herself. Generally the great rain was prepared 

 out of the skin of a deceased chief, who was skinned after death. 

 Part of his flesh, mixed with drugs and burned together with the 

 brains of an owl on a coal-fire, effected the rain. Likewise, they pre- 

 pared rain-medicine out of the material mentioned for reserve 

 purposes, and poured it into oxen-horns. They also placed pots, 

 filled with water, on top of the highest mountains, which were only 

 stirred at fixed intervals by minor chiefs. These were said to produce 

 the small morning-rains and the rains in the harvest time. Sprinkling 

 of the rain-medicine Avas never done in the rainless time, but only in 

 the rainy season. 



The number of those who sought for rain was always immense. 

 All the major chiefs of the country appeared and paid their tribute 

 to the queen in order to get the necessary rain. Gold and diamonds, 

 cattle, and human beings, were paid for this precious moisture. Once 

 22 Zulus from Natal were at Modjadje's for six weeks to fetch rain, 

 but no rain appeared ; so a rain doctor with a medicine horn accom- 

 panied them on their way home, having strong hopes that 

 it might rain on the long trip to Natal. Once it did 

 not rain for a couple of years, and even ^Modjadje in her head 

 kraal was in bad want of drinking water ; but even then most of her 

 people did not despair of her ability. It was said that certain causes 

 had made Modjadje sad, and had influenced her to such a degree 

 that it was impossible for her to produce the rain until they, were 

 removed. In 1884 it was stated that the Christians who had been 

 converted out of her tribe were to be blamed for it, and had to be 

 killed first. This was actually done. A force of about 10,000 men 

 suddenly attacked my Christian village on Good Friday, and 

 murdered the Christian chief, with 40 men, women and children. In 

 1892 it was said that the invasion of the white people into the Low 



