432 HEAVENLY BODIES IN S.A. MYTHOLOGY. 



The rising and setting of particular stars was noted by the 

 Bushmen, especially at certain seasons of the year, such as the 

 beginning of summer, or the rainy season. On the whole it would 

 appear that the heavenly bodies figured largely in Bushman 

 mythology and religious custom, but whether they actually wor- 

 shipped these in the sense that Dr. Bleek implies is doubtful. We 

 want to know more definitely what meaning to attach to the term 

 worship. That they looked upon the sun and moon as mysterious 

 beings with some influence over their lives is true, but is this 

 worship ? The Bushmen were not highly enough organised to have 

 a regular system of worship and priests to attend to it. The 

 beginning of sidereal worship may be traced amongst them, but 

 it had not gone so far as to become a regular cult. 



The Astronomical Lore of the Hottentots. 



Whatever may be said regarding the Bushmen, amongst the 

 Hottentots moon worship was a recognised cult, a regular part of 

 their religious life. Kolben, who was at the Cape from 1704 to 

 1713, and who gives the earliest and most exhaustive account of 

 the Hottentots, leaves no room for doubt on this point. Quoting 

 Boeving, he says: — 



" 'Tis well known there is a common opinion received among 

 travellers living among and in the neighbourhood of the Hottentots 

 that these people adore the moon, and that they celebrate her 

 worship with acclamations, invocation, 1 - and dancings whole nights 

 in the open fields." 



"And so they are, let the Hottentot say what they may. 

 These dances are religions honours, and invocations to the moon. 

 They call her Gounja. The Supreme Being they call Gounja 

 Gounja, or Gounja Ticquoa, the God of Gods, and place him far 

 above the moon. The moon with them is an inferior visible God, 

 the subject and representative of the high and invisible. They 

 judge the moon to have the disposal of the weather, and invoke 

 her for such as they want. They assemble for the celebration of 

 her worship at full and change constantly. No inclemency of the 

 weather prevents 'em."* He goes on to say that "their behaviour 

 at such times is very astonishing, throwing ther bodies into dif- 

 ferent distortions, shouting, stamping, screaming and uttering 

 strange and unintelligible expressions." 



He gives some specimens of their addresses to the moon, such 

 as "Mutschiatze," i.e., "I salute you"; "Chera qua ka ha chori 

 Ounqua," i.e., "Grant us fodder for our cattle and milk in abund- 

 ance." These words are repeated over and over again, and in 

 these and other similar expressions with accompaniments of shout- 

 ing, screaming, singing, and stamping, lie all their formalities in- 

 the worship of the moon. 



"The fervours of their devotion are unequall'd, and when they 

 have done they retire to their homes with as much cheerfulness 

 and satisfaction as do any other people in the world from the 

 performance of their religious duties." 



It is fairly obvious from this that they reverenced the moon in a 

 very high degree. Hahn in his "Tsuni//Goam, the Supreme Being 



* Kolben: "The Present State of the Cape of Good Hope." 

 Vol. I. pp. 95, 96. 98. 



