‘Everything has a history’

Abstract

Differences between the myths, lore and rituals of southern African huntergatherers are often subordinated to supposed similarities. However, the lore of southern San groups and the ǀXam of the Northern Cape in particular, centre on ideas about water and rainmaking, rain creatures and an underwater realm. These ideas are notably absent from the lore of the Kalahari Juǀ'hoan in Botswana and Namibia. This has implications for analogies used to interpret the /xam testimonies and South African rock art, but also points to problems in understanding change in belief, lore and practices. These are especially prominent in a growing body of work on interactions between huntergatherers and farmers, as it pertains to understanding rock paintings and generating historical accounts thereof.