South Africa, Khoikhoi Midwives

Op wat wyze Hottentotten de nieuw geboren kinderen handelen (On what kind of Hottentots the newly born children act?). The Khoikhoi are the traditionally nomadic pastoralist non-Bantu indigenous population of southwestern Africa. Prior to delivery, the mother to be was taken to a hut where she remained for at least seven days after delivery. Both she and the child were seen to be vulnerable and so certain avoidances were practised. No men were allowed to enter the hut, the mother and baby had to avoid inessential contact with water. For the first three months, the child was fed on goats or cows milk and not from the mother's milk. A special fire was also lit in the hut. After this period of seclusion, both were ceremonially reintroduced into society. Their bodies were smeared with cowdung, fat and buchu. The rituals of incorporation were accompanied by a feast in which members of the kraal and blood relations from other kraals participated. Peter Kolbe (1675-1726) was a Dutch astronomer and naturalist. He is best remembered for his publication Naauwkeurige beschryving van de Kaap de Goede Hoop, describing the geography, climate, flora and fauna, followed by an accurate study of the Hottentots (Khoikhoi), covering their language, religion, lifestyle and customs. Cropped, original sized image appeared in: Naauwkeurige beschryving van de Kaap de Goede Hoop by Peter Kolbe, 1727

Picture No

12696957

Media ID

47683443

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3720px x 3558px (3.0MB)

Credit

BHL/Science Source/Mary Evans