ǀKaggen
Trickster god and demiurge of the San people.
ǀKaggen (also spelled ǀKágge̥n or ǀKaggən, sometimes written as Cagn or called Mantis) is a creator figure and folk hero in the traditions of the San people of southern Africa. He is a trickster deity with the ability to change his shape, most often appearing as a praying mantis, but also as a bull eland, a louse, a snake, or a caterpillar. His wife, ǀHúnntuǃattǃatte̥n (also known as Coti), takes the form of a marmot or Cape hyrax and is called the mother of bees. Their adopted daughter appears as a porcupine.
Among the first animals ǀKaggen made was the eland, which he favored above all others. His wife gave birth to the eland, and he hid it near a remote cliff so it could grow. His sons, Cogaz and Gewi, went hunting one day and, unaware of their father’s attachment to the animal, killed it. Angered, ǀKaggen ordered Gewi to put the eland’s blood into a pot and churn it. Blood splashed onto the ground and turned into snakes, which displeased ǀKaggen. Gewi then scattered the blood, and it became hartebeests—still not what ǀKaggen wanted. He told his wife to clean the pot and add more blood, this time with fat from the heart. She churned it, and when ǀKaggen sprinkled the mixture on the ground, it turned into a large herd of eland. In this way, ǀKaggen provided meat for his people to hunt and eat. The San say the eland is wild because ǀKaggen’s sons killed it before it was ready, spoiling it.
In another version recorded by scholar David Lewis-Williams, the story involves meerkats. ǀKaggen’s daughter the porcupine married a meerkat named kwammang-a, and they had a son, the mongoose. The mongoose was close to his grandfather ǀKaggen, who often took honey to feed his beloved eland. Curious about what ǀKaggen was doing with the honey, the people sent the mongoose to spy. When he saw ǀKaggen giving honey to the eland, he told his brothers, the meerkats. While ǀKaggen was away gathering more honey, the meerkats convinced the mongoose to show them where the eland was hidden. They called it out and killed it.
- field
- San religion and mythology
- nationality
- San people of southern Africa
- known_for
- Demiurge, trickster god, shapeshifter, creator of the eland
Lore & Background
ǀKaggen is a trickster who can shape shift into any animal, most frequently a praying mantis, but also a bull eland, a louse, a snake, and a caterpillar. His wife ǀHúnntuǃattǃatte̥n is represented as a marmot or Cape hyrax and is the mother of bees; their adopted daughter is a porcupine. One of the first animals ǀKaggen created, and his favorite, was the eland. His wife gave birth to the eland, and ǀKaggen hid it near a secluded cliff to let it grow. His sons Cogaz and Gewi, not knowing their father's love for the eland, killed it while hunting. ǀKaggen was angry and instructed Gewi to put the blood into a pot and churn it. Blood spattered onto the ground and turned into snakes, which displeased ǀKaggen. Gewi then scattered the blood, and it turned into hartebeests, again displeasing ǀKaggen. Finally, ǀKaggen told his wife to clean the pot and add more blood with fat from the heart; she churned it, and ǀKaggen sprinkled the mixture on the ground, turning it into a large herd of eland. This is how ǀKaggen gave meat to his people to hunt and eat. The Bushmen attribute the wildness of the eland to the fact that ǀKaggen's sons killed it before it was ready to be hunted, spoiling it.
Reader's Guide
A variation of the eland myth, recounted by scholar David Lewis-Williams, involves meerkats. In this version, ǀKaggen's daughter the porcupine married the meerkat kwammang-a, and they had the mongoose as a son. The mongoose was close to his grandfather ǀKaggen. ǀKaggen used to take honey to feed his favorite, the eland. The people were curious about what ǀKaggen was doing with the honey, so they sent the mongoose to spy. When the mongoose saw ǀKaggen giving honey to the eland, he reported to his brothers, the meerkats. While ǀKaggen was out gathering honey, the meerkats persuaded the mongoose to show them where the eland was; they called it out and killed it. ǀKaggen's significance lies in his role as a central figure in San mythology, embodying the trickster archetype and explaining the origin of the eland as a source of meat for the people. His stories illustrate themes of creation, disobedience, and the wildness of nature, preserved in San oral tradition and rock art.
Did You Know?
- ǀKaggen is sometimes called Mantis and is most frequently represented as a praying mantis.
- His wife ǀHúnntuǃattǃatte̥n is represented as a marmot or Cape hyrax and is known as the mother of bees.
- One of the first animals ǀKaggen created was the eland, which his wife gave birth to.
- In a variation of the eland myth, the mongoose spied on ǀKaggen and revealed the eland's hiding place to the meerkats.
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