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Khoikhoi mythology

The Khoikhoi[?] (Hottentots) are an ethnic group from southern Africa.

The supreme god of the Khoikhoi is called Gamab[?], a god of the sky and fate. He shoots arrows from the heavens at mortals, killing them.

Tsui[?] (also Tsui'goab[?]) is the god of magic, rain and thunder. Gunab[?] is an evil god.

One of the most famous heroes of the Khoikhoi was Heitsi-eibib[?] (also simply Heitsi[?], who was the offspring of a cow and the magical grass which the cow ate. He was a legendary hunter, sorcerer and warrior, who most notably killed the Ga-gorib (see below). He was also a life-death-rebirth figure, dying and resurrecting himself on numerous occasions; his funeral cairns are located in many locations in southern Africa. He is worshipped as a god of the hunt.

Ga-gorib is a legendary monster who sat by a deep hole in the ground and dared passers-by to throw rocks at him. The rocks bounced off and killed the passer-by, who then fell into the hole. Heitsi-eibib distracted Ga-gorib and hit it below its ear with a rock; it fell into the pit. In an alternate version, Heitsi-eibib was chased around the hole until he slipped and fell inside. He eventually escaped and pushed Ga-gorib into the pit.

Another monster is called Hai-uri[?], a jumping creature with only one side to his body (one arm, one leg, etc). He eats humans. Yet another monster is Aigamuxa[?], a dune-dwelling creature who have eyes on the instep of their feet and must raise their feet in the air to see what is going on.



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