Copyright 2000
by Phillip Martin
All rights reserved.

South_Africa

Axon, the story teller

Sacred Tree of the Village

drums in the kraal

NYANI VILLAGE   I spent one night at Nyani village, a traditional Shangaan tribal village. xOur host, Axon, said it was the actual home of his grandfather. Just like everywhere else, the traditions were dying out. So, he set about to restore the village and make it an educational Shangaan cultural experience. xHe got money from tourists, but his real mission was to bring in school children for free.

We had a tour of the village, ate traditional food very similar to Zambian cuisine, and then sat in the kraal for dancing, music, and stories. x

Games and stories were ways to teach lessons and morals. xOf course, I was interested in the one story Axon shared. x

An old lion was hungry. xWhen he saw a massive bull buffalo in a clearing, he wondered if he still had what it took to bring down the bull and kill it. xHe knew it could feed him for quite some time. xThe old lion planned his attack, taking the bull by surprise. xThen, he ate his fill. When his feast was over, the old lion let out a mighty roar to assure the fact that he really was still the king of the beasts. xUnfortunately, a hunter nearby heard the roar. xHe quickly rushed to the clearing and shot the old lion.

The moral of the story? xIt's always best to keep your mouth shut when you're full of bull.