The Legend of the Gariep Monster...
This story, sent through from Augrabies is a piece of popular folklore that has been circulating in the region for many many years...read and enjoy!
Since ancient times she has been seen. A long snakelike creature with scales on her coils that shimmer in the moonlight in the swelling waters of the Gariep River. And on her forehead a sparkling gem like a spotless diamond from which lightning flashes. The Bushmen believed if you were able to capture this jewel then eternal happiness would be yours… but should she mesmerise you with her dazzling jewel, she’d capture you in the folds of her coils and draw you underneath the water to her den where she would devour you under the dark brown milling froth of the Augrabies waterfall!
Centuries ago a young Bushman had seen how she concealed her bright jewel amongst the reeds just before she ate her morning meal. The gem shone so brightly that he had to screw up his eyes whilst he crawled through the reeds towards the gem …he glanced over his shoulder-yes, she was still feeding peacefully … without a sound he crept nearer and nearer- and when he reached the gem he swiftly threw his jackal-kaross over the gem so that the dazzling light of the gem would not blind him. He held the gem tightly between his hands and dashed like the wind along the riverbank and then across the plain, and at the foot of the Renosterkop he hid it deep down in a crevice in the rocks.
Since that day that young Bushman was the happiest man on earth. His enemies left him in peace; when hunting he never missed a shot with his bow and arrow: and game was always plentiful. Just one thing disturbed him… when it is full moon, he hears on the evening breeze … how she wails and weeps.
The Gariep Monster unceasingly seeks for her jewel. No one can help her. Not yellow-fish, nor leguan, nor kingfisher or baboon. Then one day she asked otter whether he had not seen what had become of her jewel. He then told her of the yellow two-legged creature that had wrapped the gem in a jackal-kaross and had run away with it. However, the young Bushman had heard from spring-hare that the Gariep Monster was hot on his trail and he got the bright idea of taking the gem out of the rock-crevice at Renosterkop and to go and once more conceal it in the reeds near the river exactly where he had found it.
That very same night while the Bushmen danced and sang around the fire, her voice rang out like an angry lion amongst them: “one of you has stolen my jewel!” she cried. Flames were coming from her jaws. The Bushmen denied it and shuddered with fear. Only one young Bushman bravely answered and offered to help her in her search. It was the same young Bushman who had stolen the gem. He took her to the reeds and pretended to search. Suddenly he cried out: “See! You didn’t look well, here is your precious gem!”
The Bushmen gave the young brave man an honorary title and rewarded him with gifts because through him the Gariep Monster was happy once more. At full moon they dance till daybreak around their fires for she does not weep anymore on the evening breeze. And just before daybreak they hear her laugh a rumbling sound as when the Gariep River is in flood and like the sound of many raindrops after a long drought.
Even today, though the Bushmen have long since gone, if you are fortunate, you can see her at full moon as she frolics in the surging waters of the Gariep River and in her shining curving coils, the flashing jewel on her forehead.
And the young Bushman was happy for the rest of his life, even though he didn’t have the gem anymore. He lived to a ripe old age and had many children and grandchildren. But, at full moon around the fires, they were afraid of him… his eyes shone strangely in the fire-light as he, every now and then, glanced furtively towards the reeds on the banks of the Gariep.
Die Legende Van Die Gariep Monster
Van antieke tye af, word sy gesien. Lang slangagtige dier met skubbe op haar kronkels wat blink in die maanskyn tussen die golwe van die Garieprivier. En op haar kop… ‘n blitsende steen soos helder diamante waaruit die weerlig slaan. Die Boesmans het geweet, kry jy daardie steen in die hande, dan sal jy vir ewig gelukkig wees- maar betrap sy jou met haar steen – dan vang sy jou in haar kronkels en trek jou onder die water in, na haar nes toe, waar jy verslind word onder die donker bruin skuimende maalgate van die Augrabies waterval!
Eeue gelede het ‘n jong Boesman gesien hoe sy haar blink steen tuseen die riete wegsteek net voor sy haar oggendete nuttig. Die steen blink so erg dat hy sy oë op skrefies moet trek terwyl hy laag deur die riete na die steen toe kruip… hy loer oor sy skouer- ja, sy vreet nog rustig … sonder ‘n geluidjie kruip hy nog naderr… nader…. en toe hy by die steen is, gooi hy sy jakkalskaros oor die steen sodat die helder lig van die steen hom nie verblind nie. hy druk die steen styf tussen sy twe hande vas en hol soos die wind langs die rivieroewer op, toe deur die vlakte en aan die voet van die Renosterkop steek hy dit in ‘n diep skeur weg tussen die rotse.
Van daar af, was die jong Boesman die gelukkigste mens op die aarde. Sy vyande het kom vrede maak, op jagtogte skiet het net nooit meer mis met sy pyl en boog nie en die wild bly volop… net een ding pla hom.. saans met volmaan, dan hoor hy in die aandwind… hoe sy huil. Die Gariep Monster soek onophoudelik na haar steen. Niemand kan haar help nie. Nie geelvis nie, nie likkewaan nie, nie bobbejaan nie. maar eendag vra sy toe vir otter of hy nie gesien het wat van haar steen geword het nie. Hy vertel haar toe van die geel twee-been dier wat die steen in die jakkalskaros toegevou het en daarmee weggehardloop het. Die jong Boesman het egter by springhaas gehoor dat die Gareip Monster warm op sy spoor en toe kry hy die blink idee om die steen uit die rotsskeur by Renosterkop te gaan uithaal en dit weer tussen die riete by die water te gaan versteek- presies waar jy dit gekry het !
Dieselfde nag nog terwyl die Boesmans om die vuur dans en sing, brul haar stem soos ‘n verwoede leeu tussen hulle:”Een van julle het my steen gesteel!”. Daar kom rook en vlamme by haar bek uit. Die Boesmans ontken dit en sidder van vrees. Net een jonge antwoord dapper en bied aan om haar te help soek. Dit is dieselfde jong Boesman wat die steen gesteel het. Hy neem haar toe na die riete en maak asof hy soek. Skielik roep hy hard uit:”Sien jy, jy het net sleg gesoek, hier is jou kosbare steen!”.Die Boesmans het toe vir die jong dapper man ‘n eretitel gegee en hom met geskenke beloon omdat hy die Gariep Monster weer gelukkig gemaak het. Met volmaan dans hulle tot dagbreek toe om die vure, want sy huil nie meer in die nagwind nie. En net voor die son opkom, hoor hulle haar lag, ‘n gedruis soos die Garieprivier se golwe baljaar, tussen haar blink kurwende kronkels die blitsende steen op haar kop.
En die jong Boesman was vir die res van sy lewe gelukkig, al het hy nie meer die steen gehad nie. Hy het stokoud geword, met kinders en dosyne kleinkinders en agterkleinkinders. Maar met volmaan om die vure was hulle vir hom bang….sy oë het vreemd gegloei wanneer hy so skelmpies loer, net so af en toe, na die riete, daar aan die Gariep se oewer.