009 - Why the Hares Nose is Slit

Sanni Metelerkamp, a talented South African playwright and author born in 1867, is best known for her captivating biography of her great-grandfather, George Rex—a British entrepreneur credited with founding the town of Knysna, rumored to be an illegitimate son of King George III. However, her most significant contribution to literature may well be her collection of folk tales, which she affectionately described as the common property of every country child in South Africa. By the time she published Outa Karel’s Stories South African Folk-Lore Tales in 1914, the nation had endured a period of intense upheaval, marked by conflicts among Boer settlers, the Zulus, and the British. The influx of people from around the globe, lured by gold and diamonds, along with the expansion of railroads, was reshaping the South African landscape and its society. Concerned about the fading of cherished traditions and stories, Sanni documented these tales for future generations. She lamented that they appeared in a foreign tongue, emphasizing that those who havent heard them in the original Taal—the expressive language of the people—cannot fully grasp what is lost in translation. Despite being presented in English, the stories retain elements of the Taal, while an excellent glossary at the beginning of the book serves as a helpful reference. (Noel Badrian)