San (Bushmen) — !Kung, !Xóõ, Taa, /Xam, ǀXam, Naro — Kalahari Desert peoples of southern Africa · Kalahari Desert — Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola
At night, around the fire, in the hunting camp. Stories are performed — with sound effects, different voices for different characters, audience participation. The click sounds of the language carry emotional and spiritual weight that cannot be translated. Children learn…
The world has two layers — this world (the visible, living world) and the spirit world (which exists alongside and within this world, accessible through trance). The land itself is alive and communicating constantly. Every geological feature, plant, animal track,…
/Kaggen (the Praying Mantis) — trickster and creator simultaneously. Has immense power yet behaves foolishly. Created the first eland from his shoe. The central divine figure of the /Xam and !Kung traditions.
The bow and arrow — not only for hunting but the bow plays music in the healing dance. Ostrich eggs as water containers — the most sacred vessel. Red ochre — the color of n|om power, used in rock art…
spiral