Mantis Trickster-Creator

Classed as deity (the term 'trickster-creator' is descriptive; per the schema constraint, type=deity). The ǀXam name is rendered with click symbols (ǀ = dental click); ASCII Bleek–Lloyd convention writes '/Kaggen'. 'Cagn' is the Maloti/Drakensberg San form recorded by Orpen from the narrator Qing. Wife = the Dassie (san_kaggen not given a separate Dassie entry); son-in-law = san_kwammanga.

Children

• Son of the Mantis
• Porcupine, Adopted Daughter of the Mantis

Domains

• creation
• the eland
• trickery and transformation

Powers

• changes his shape between mantis, eland, hare, snake and vulture
• brings creatures and things into being by dreaming and by his will
• restores and revives the eland he has made

Epithets

• ǀKaggen
• Cagn

Relations

• spouse: the Dassie
• companion: Rainbow Being, Son-in-Law of the Mantis

Sources

• Orpen, J.M., 'A Glimpse into the Mythology of the Maluti Bushmen', Cape Monthly Magazine 9 (1874)
• Bleek, W.H.I. & Lloyd, L.C., 'Specimens of Bushman Folklore' (1911)
• Guenther, M., 'Tricksters and Trancers: Bushman Religion and Society' (1999)