Subject
South Africa -- Social life and customs Books
Best books
Arthur Owen Vaughan
Old Hendrik's Tales
"Old Hendrik's Tales" by Captain Arthur Owen Vaughan is a collection of engaging stories written during the early 20th century. The book introduces readers to folklore and fables featuring African animals, particularly focusing on the clever and cunning character of Old Jackalse (Jackal) and his various interactions with other animals like Ou' Wolf (Wolf) and Ou' Baviyaan (Baboon). This narrative style is likely to appeal to readers looking for whimsical storytelling rooted in African culture. At the start of the collection, readers meet Old Hendrik, a gray kitchen boy, who recounts a tale to the children about how Old Baboon came to have a kink in his tail. The children's playful antics with Old Hendrik set the stage for the story, which involves a humorous depiction of the clever Jackal outsmarting the Wolf, demonstrating his characteristic cunning throughout a series of misadventures. The opening blends a lighthearted tone with vivid storytelling, inviting the audience into the rich tradition of oral storytelling imbued with lessons about cleverness and consequence.
F. C. (Foort Cornelis) Dominicus
Het huiselik en maatschappelik leven van de Zuid-Afrikaner in de eerste helft der 18de eeuw
"Het huiselik en maatschappelik leven van de Zuid-Afrikaner" by F. C. Dominicus is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the domestic and social life of South Africans during the first half of the 18th century, focusing specifically on the white population in the Cape Colony. It aims to paint a picture of their living conditions, societal structures, and interactions within the context of colonial governance. The opening of the work introduces the reader to the premise that the author will explore the life of the white South African population in the Cape during the early 18th century. It emphasizes the necessity to clarify who the "Zuid-Afrikaner" refers to, explicitly excluding non-white inhabitants due to a lack of substantial historical accounts about their domestic lives. Dominicus discusses the foundation of the colony by the Dutch East India Company and characterizes the early settlers and their circumstances, setting the stage for a more detailed examination of their social and domestic environments in subsequent chapters.
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