What images does Kgalagadi bring up in your mind? Yes, it’s about the wild cats … lion, leopard, cheetah. The fierce-eyed raptors. But it’s also the rippled red desert sands of the Great Kalahari, textures of the hardy cracked-bark trees, the deepest, bluest African skies. Last remaining domain of the disappearing San culture . . .
And since the Christmas season in the Southern Hemisphere is not about snow and fir trees and reindeers but rather heat and summer and glare, I’m going to talk Africa and rich textures and dry wilderness.
Who is not fascinated by the nests of the Sociable Weavers, which sometimes become so massive they cause the branch (or even an entire tree) to collapse?
So . . . full disclosure: this Kgalagadi Post is also because I’ve just written a series of mythological-fantasy stories, one of which is all about the /Xam clan of the San people and their fast-dissolving cultural myths.
The San people are respected for their expert (and highly sensitive and tuned-in) tracking and hunting skills.
Talking of textures, I’m in constant awe of the beautiful frayed-rope-like bark of the camel thorn tree and the crusty personality of the quiver tree, which was also very important to the San culture. The hollow branches were perfect receptacles for their arrows, and the roots and leaf sap were used in healing potions.
Kalahari Desert colours . . . crimson, gold, amber, apricot.
Back to my fantasy story . . . For first-time travellers to Kgalagadi or the Great Kalahari, Wind-breather of ||Zahari offers an immersion in the folklore and cosmic stories of a people who have lived so close to the land it is a living entity to them … the sun and stars have voices, the rock sings, trees and plants breathe in and exhale, animals share a consciousness with the people. In my book, San traditions and cultural beliefs are shared in the guise of a fantastical adventure story.
Happy Festive Season! And may your travels to the Kgalagadi or Central Kalahari be hot and truly inspiring!
If you’d like to learn more about my books please do so, via Instagram: @myth_oracle
or my website www.mythoracle.com