There is something magical about the Moon. In its crescent phase it has a mysterious ephemeral quality, the most elegant curve scratched finely into the sky. As for the full Moon, its sheer size and luminescence as it hefts itself into the heavens often leaves me speechless. These forces of Nature are so powerful that they inspire stories and fables among people across the most ancient of times.
A cultural group that uses Nature as the foundation for its life philosophy and spiritual beliefs is today’s San―Khoe-Khoen people. The San were the original hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa while the Khoe-Khoen were purely pastoralists, but today’s Southern African Bushman people are mainly an amalgamation of both cultural groups (popularly known as the KhoiSan). Nevertheless, both the Sun and the Moon were of great importance to their lives.
The Khoe-Khoen believed the Moon was the ‘lord of light and life’, and they celebrated its benevolence and power by singing and dancing at every New Moon and Full Moon. The Moon in its crescent phase, with its sharp curved points, was viewed by the Nyae Nyae !Kung Bushman clan as a man, but when the Moon was round and full, it became a woman.
My favourite story from the /Xam Bushman clan ― who are the protagonists in my book Wind-breather of ||Zahari (click here) ― is that the Moon (one of the First People, they believed; the first beings in the San Creation story) started off as a man. But this was a man who succeeded in angering the Sun. In fact the Moon made the Sun so angry (we aren’t told the details) that the Sun used its piercing hot light to steadily cut off pieces of the cold-blooded Moon.
The Sun continued to do this until almost all of the Moon had disappeared. Only one tiny fingernail-curve remained. At this point the Moon gave in. It sacrificed its frosty pride and dignity. The Moon pleaded for mercy. Thankfully the Sun relented and let up on its slicing. From the tiniest sliver, the Moon was able gradually to expand again. And that is why we still have a Full Moon today.