desert folklore

Khaa coiled around a glowing desert waterhole under moonlight, with three San hunters watching cautiously from the foreground.

The Snake That Guarded the Waterhole

Come close, children of the burning sand, come close, Listen to the tale of water and wisdom, Listen to the story of Khaa the Great Serpent, Who guarded the last waterhole in the time of great thirst… Long, long ago, when the Kalahari stretched endless as the star-scattered sky, there came a drought so fierce that the very stones

A San woman sings as glowing rivers emerge from the desert ground.

Inspired Tales·Southern Africa-Inspired Tales

Rainmaker’s Song and the Birth of Rivers

Listen, children of the desert wind, listen well to this song story of the first waters. Gather close, close, close to the fire’s heart, for this is the tale of how the rivers were born and why we must honor every precious drop. Listen to the voice of! Khwa-Ka,

The Hunter Who Chased His Shadow

Listen, children of the desert wind. Listen to the whispers that rise

Eland leaps across glowing desert plain under African sky, trailed by hunters and animals

Why the Eland Runs Swiftly

Gather round, people of the veld, gather round, Listen to the tale

The Snake That Guarded the Waterhole

Rainmaker’s Song and the Birth of Rivers

The Hunter Who Chased His Shadow

Why the Eland Runs Swiftly

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