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bestiarium · 1 year

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The Khodumodumo [Sotho mythology]

The Sotho people are an ethnic group that lives mainly in Lesotho, and South-Africa, the nation that surrounds that country. These people have a story about a horrible, gigantic monster that wreaked destruction upon the land. It was called Khodumodumo, and it was a terrible being with many tongues that ended in sharp points, which the monster used to impale its victims. If it didn’t have to fight, however, Khodumodumo preferred to swallow its prey whole. As such, the beast had swallowed many animals and humans. Entire villages disappeared into its gaping maw when the monster came across them.

As the story goes, a pregnant woman had learned that the beast hunted by smell rather than sight, so when the monster found her village she successfully hid from Khodumodumo by hiding on a pile of manure. The beast did not notice her during its rampage, and when everyone in the village had been swallowed alive, it retreated to a nearby mountain to rest.

Soon after, the woman gave birth to a boy. Fearing that the monster might return, she left the infant alone and went out in search of more manure for the pile. But when the woman returned, she found that her child was gone and a man was sitting in its place, dressed in animal hides. When she asked him where her son was, he replied that he was the baby she had left earlier that day. His name was Senkatona, and he had matured in a very short time (small note: I am uncertain why the child grew up in a single day but assume the story was not meant to be taken literally, or perhaps we should assume that the gods blessed Senkatona because the people were in need of a hero). He then asked his mother what happened to the other villagers, for the entire town was empty, and she replied that they were all swallowed by the terrible Khodumodumo. ‘Tell me where this monster is’, said Senkatona. The woman showed her son how he could get to the mountain where the beast was resting, and so Senkatona grabbed his spear and began his ascent.

(as a small sidenote: the weapon used by the hero in this story is an assegai, a short spear with a cutting edge. Senkatana wielded two of them.)

Eventually, the hero stood in front of the gigantic Khodumodumo. The beast tried to impale him with his tongues, but Senkatona cut them all off. Cunning as he was, Senkatona ran around the monster, for he knew the beast was heavy and bloated from his recent meal. As he had predicted, Khodumodumo was unable to turn around quickly enough to react, and Senkatona cut the beast open with his spears. Since all of the townspeople were only recently eaten and they were all swallowed whole, they were still alive and hadn’t been digested yet. Upon being freed, the townspeople were all thankful and Senkatona went on to become chief of the village.

However, one of the villagers was ungrateful. When Senkatona cut open the stomach of Khodumodumo, he had accidentally injured one man with the tip of his spear. This man bore a grudge towards the hero and swore vengeance upon him. So one day, the man rallied his family and they tried to kill Senkatona.

As Senkatona was a great warrior, fighting him would normally be a difficult task. But he had grown tired of mankind’s ingratitude and did not fight back. And so, the hero was slain by his assailants.

Interestingly, many Bantu cultures have some variation of this story about a ‘swallowing monster’, such as the Xhosa and the Zulu. I do not know which one came first, but these stories are thought to be very old. As a closing note: the name ‘Khodumodumo’ is an onomatopoeic word for loud noises, and can be roughly translated to ‘great noise’. I also wonder whether the story was meant to convey a moral? Perhaps it was a cautionary tale about ingratitude. That’s just speculation on my part, though.

Sources: Douglas, T. and Temilola, A., 2019, African Religions: Beliefs and Practices through History, ABC-CLIO, 438 pp. Dseagu, S. A., 2021, The Swallowing Monster in Southern African folklore: Need for Morphological Investigation, Academia Letters, Article 1963. (image source 1: Feig Felipe Pérez on Artstation; illustration for the Mitos y Leyendas trading card game) (image source 2: WillOBrien on Deviantart; illustration for ‘Tome of Beasts 2’)

#monsters #Sotho mythology #African mythology #mythical creatures #myths

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alphynix · 2 years

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It Came From The Trash Heap (We Don't Talk About Kholumolumo)

A wastebasket taxon is what happens when species can't be easily classified and instead get hurled into a "catch-all" category.

…But that's not the only kind of taxonomic tangle that can befall a new discovery.

When a scientific name is assigned to a new species, but it isn't given a corresponding formal description and type specimen, it becomes a nomen nudum – a "naked name". Without a proper description and assigned holotype the name isn't valid, and the new species isn't technically accepted by the wider scientific community.

This has even happened to some surprisingly famous names. In the 1920s Velociraptor mongoliensis was briefly given the nomen nudum "Ovoraptor djadochtari" before getting its much more familiar name when it was officially described. Meanwhile the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi was stuck as a nomen nudum for decades, only finally getting a proper published description in 2021.

And there's another particular long-standing nomen nudum that became mildly infamous – "Thotobolosaurus", the "trash heap lizard".

Discovered next to a literal trash pile in the village of Maphutseng in Lesotho, a few scattered and broken bones of this "prosauropod" sauropodomorph dinosaur were first found in 1930. But it wasn't until the mid-1950s that a more extensive bonebed began to be unearthed at the site, and over the next decade over 1000 fossil fragments were collected.

In the mid-1960s the remains were initially classified as belonging to Euskelosaurus browni (which is now considered to be a wastebasket taxon), but just a few years later in 1970 the "Maphutseng Beast" was re-evaluated as a species new to science. It was referred to as "Thotobolosaurus mabeatae" – based on the local name of the discovery site, "Thotobolo ea ‘Ma-Beata" (trash heap of Beata’s mother) – but this name was never actually formally published.

Despite "Thotobolosaurus" being an undescribed nomen nudum it nonetheless went on to be repeatedly referenced in scientific literature over the next few decades, and appeared in several popular dinosaur books (even as recently as 2020!).

In the mid-1990s it was alternatively named "Kholumolumosaurus ellenbergerorum" in a Ph.D. dissertation, with this name derived from the kholumolumo, a reptilian creature in Sotho mythology, and the Ellenberger brothers who worked on the site. But this also didn't count as a formal publication and instead became a second nomen nudum for the species.

Eventually, 90 years after the first bones were found and 50 years after the debut of the name "Thotobolosaurus", this long-neglected sauropodomorph was finally given a proper published full anatomical description in 2020.

And it also got a third name, this time officially valid, based on the second one from the 1990s: Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum.

For something associated with trash for so long, Kholumolumo is actually now one of the most completely-known prosauropods. At least five different individuals were present in the collected fossil material, possibly as many as ten, and between them most of the full skeleton is represented – with the exception of the skulls, which are only known from a couple of small fragments.

We now know Kholumolumo was rather heavily-built, with chunky limb bones and unusually short shinbones. It would have been one of the biggest animals around in the Late Triassic (~210 million years ago), measuring at least 9m long (~30') and weighing around 1.7 tonnes (1.9 US tons), but despite its size it seems to have still been bipedal.

Due to the highly disarticulated nature of the bones the fossil site may have been a "bone accumulation area", a place where dismembered bits and pieces of different carcasses were regularly carried to be eaten by a predator or scavenger – essentially a trash heap, fittingly enough. A couple of "rauisuchian" teeth have actually been found among the remains, which might indicate what was chomping on these particular Kholumolumo.

———

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#it came from the wastebasket #nomen nudum #taxonomy #kholumolumo #thotobolosaurus #prosauropod #massopoda #sauropodomorpha #dinosaur #paleontology #art #science illustration #paleoart #palaeoblr

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ausetkmt · 2 years

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12 famous African goddesses and gods with mind-blowing history - Briefly.co.za

Most African cultures believe that God used to live amongst them in the past before He left for His Kingdom in Heaven after several human transgressions. In His place, He appointed lesser African gods and goddesses to perform certain functions. As such, Africans have the god of water, rains, winds, earth, and fire, among others, whom they can pray to directly, and they will intercede on God's behalf.

READ ALSO: Sotho culture, traditions, food, traditional attire, dance, values, and facts

12 African mythology gods and goddesses

Ever looked at African gods and goddesses pictures? These beings are considered powerful in different areas and in most cases. Their images reflect what they are associated with. Below we shall examine some of the famous African goddesses and gods with pictures and their meanings in their respective communities.

1. Oshun

Who is Oshun African goddess? Oshun became a popular African goddess after Beyoncé hinted about her in her Lemonade music video. Oshun has her origin in Yoruba, and she is the god of sweet and freshwaters. She always has a mirror to admire her beauty.

Oshun is revered by many for her abilities to heal the sick, foster prosperity, and bring fertility. The image of this goddess is represented by a stunning, charming, and coquettish young lady. Oshun means sweetness, joy, beauty, and good cheer.

2. Oya

We cannot list African goddess names without including Oya. She is a ferocious and protective deity worshipped by the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, as well as some Brazilians. Oya is wife to Shango, the god of storms. Oya is the goddess of wind, thunderbolt, and fire; she has the power to transform gentle breezes to raging hurricanes or cyclones. It is believed that she accompanies her husband during his thunderstorms to destroy buildings, blow things up, and rip off trees.

Due to her prowess, Oya brings down dead wood to give room for new. Additionally, she is the guardian of the gates of death, as she helps the dead in their transition from life.

3. Ala

Ala is one of the oldest Igbo goddesses. Her name 'Ala' means earth in English, demonstrating her power over the planet. Ala is the goddess of fertility, creativity, land, and morality. She is the wife of Amadioha, the god of the sky. This goddess is honored and celebrated during the yearly yam festival.

When angered, Ala will convince her husband to deny rain to the people and can also cause other natural disasters.

4. Yemaya

Yemaya is considered the mother of all since she is the goddess of the Living Ocean. All life is believed to have started in the sea. Yemaya is motherly and protective of all her kids, comforting them and cleansing away all their sorrows. It is thought she can cure infertility in women, and the cowrie shells symbolize her wealth.

Yemaya is not easily angered, but when she does, she is destructive and intense just as the sea during a storm.

5. Modjaji

Modjaji is a South African goddess of rain whose spirits live in the body of a young woman. She is considered a key figure by the Balodedu people, as she can start and stop the rain. The rain queen has been around for the longest time, and it was only in the 16th century that her spirit decided to dwell in a woman.

READ ALSO: Popular traditional black South African recipes and South African food

6. Nana Buluku

Nana Buluku is a prominent deity famous in most West African nations. She also has different names in various tribes. Nana Buluku is worshipped as the mother goddess. Her image is that of an older woman who is thought to be the creator of the world.

7. Abena

Known as the river goddess, Abena shields children and looks after them as adults as she perceives her believers as her children. Her name is associated with gold, brass, as well as with other wealth symbols.

8. Oduda

Oduda is among the African goddess names and meanings venerated by the North-West African community in Benin, Yoruba, and Dahomey. Her name Oduda means 'the black one,' and her appearance is that of a serpent. Oduda is the deity behind sacred prostitution that is practiced in the Caribbean Islands.

9. Inkosazana

Inkosazan, which means 'lady heaven,' is a prominent and adored goddess of the Zulu community in South Africa. She is thought to be responsible for corn, one of the vital dietary supplements in the Zulu tribe.

10. Age-Fon

Other than the African goddesses, there are gods that cannot go unmentioned in this piece. Age–Fon is a god in Benin, whose power and fame goes as far back to the Dahomey Empire. He is the son of the creator goddess Mawu-Lisa. Age can protect and lead hunters in their hunting expeditions, whether at night or during the day. Besides, he also guides and safeguards his tribesmen in times of battles and wars. It is alleged that Age replenishes his energy and power from his mother. His image is that of a young lad wearing hunter's clothing. To honor Age-Fon, hunters sacrifice to him fleshy parts of the animals they hunt.

11. Kibuka

Kibuka is the god of war in the Buganda Empire kingdom. It is believed that Kibuka has been with Buganda's since the 9th century, even before the arrival of the Europeans in the country.

After The Bugandan military encountered many defeats, its king met with the Creator, Mukasa, to seek help to defeat his enemies. It is here that Mukasa gave them his younger brother Kibuka to be their god of war. Before embarking on any battle, the army would sing, dance, and offer sacrifices to Kibuka. Kibuka would then go ahead of the warriors to clear their paths and ensure their victory.

12. Adroa

Adroa is a fascinating African god of death for the Lugbara community in Uganda and Congo. He has two characteristics of good and evil. Due to his duality, Adroa's body is divided into two. One of the parts is short and black, symbolizing evil, while the other is tall and white, signifying goodness. Adroa will manifest himself to people in any form that fits the situation at hand. It is also believed that this god appears to individuals before they die.

#African Gods and Goddesses #African Religious Principals #12 famous African goddesses and gods with mind-blowing history

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ker4unos · 2 years

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CENTRAL & SOUTH AFRICAN RESOURCES

The Anthropological Masterlist is HERE.

Central Africa is an African region that spans the central part of the continent.

AMBUNDU ─ “The Ambundu, or Mbundu, people are an African people. They are native to northwest Angola.” ─ Mbundu Information ─ Angolan Culture ─ Kimbundu Language (in Portuguese)

ANGOLA ─ “The Angolan people are an African people that share the Angolan culture. They are native to Angola.” ─ Angolan Information ─ Angolan History ─ Angolan Rulers

BAMBUTI ─ “The Bambuti, or Mbuti, people are an African people. They are native to Congo.” ─ Mbuti Culture

BUSHONGO ─ “Bushongo, or the Kingdom of Kuba, was an African civilization that lived from 1625 C.E. to 1884 C.E. They lived in Central Africa.” ─ Kuba Art ─ Bushongo Creation Myth ─ Bumba in Bushongo Myth

CAMEROON ─ “The Cameroonian people are an African people. They share the Cameroonian culture.” ─ Cameroonian Information ─ Cameroonian Culture ─ Cameroonian History

EFIK ─ “The Efik people are an African people. They are native to southern Nigeria and western Cameroon.” ─ Efik Language

NGOMBE ─ “The Ngombe are a Bantu linguistic group. They are native to the Democratic Republic of Congo.” ─ Akongo in Ngombe Mythology

Southern Africa is an African region that spans the southern part of the continent.

HIMBA ─ “The Himba people are an African people. They are native to northern Namibia.” ─ Himba Information

KHOEKHOE ─ “The Khoekhoe, or Khoikhoi, people are an African people. They are nomadic and native to southwestern Africa.” ─ Early Khoekhoe Society ─ Khoekhoe Religion ─ Khoekhoe Language

KHOISAN ─ “The Khoisan people are an African people. The term refers to anyone in South Africa that does not speak a Bantu language.” ─ San Culture ─ Khoisan Culture ─ Khoisan Dictionary

PEDI ─ “The Pedi, or Bapedi, people are an African people. They are native to northeastern South Africa.” ─ Pedi Culture ─ Pedi History ─ Pedi History

SOTHO ─ “The Sotho, or Basotho, people are an African people. They are native to southern Africa.” ─ Basotho Clothing ─ Sesotho Language

XHOSA ─ “The Xhosa people are an African people. They are native to the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.” ─ Xhosa Information ─ Xhosa Folklore ─ Xhosa Language

#resources #central africa #south africa #ambundu #angola #bambuti #bushongo #cameroon #efik #ngombe #himba #khoekhoe #khoisan #pedi #sotho #xhosa

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african-international-magazine · 1 year

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BLACK PANTHER MOVIE: The African Fashion & Inspiration

Black Panther movie is had been produced based on a comic strip of the fiction of a superhero the 'Black Panther' by marvel studios. The first Black Panther movie premiered in 2018 and it latest edition premiered last November. This movie is based on the strongest and richest African nation/ kingdom called the Wakanda. Wakanda exhibits futuristic technology and traditional life. The movie is given plaques for its afro-futurism due to its research, reinterpretation and display of Africa cultural heritage that is often overlooked, downplayed or buried. In another sense, it exhibits rich historic culture and natural resources and generally the people and their lifestyle.

Black Panther as a character first starred in a Fantastic four movie in 1966 and now the amusing of the Black Panther is featured in a marvel produced; Spidey and His Amazing Friends cartoon (from Spiderman character and movie) aired on Disney Junior channel.

THE INSPIRATION

Africans

While it is widely believed that Black Panther movie is fiction, it was largely inspired by African mythology, oral history and facts. The Wakanda nation portrayed as a strong nation that has never been colonized and has been compared to Ethiopia. Ethiopia also has a history of strong and wealthy empires like Queen Makeda whose history can also be traced in religious books such as the Bible, and Quran and oral and other recorded history.

Ryan Coogler, the Director of Black Panther movie asserts to have been inspired by the ancient era of Lesotho, a Southern African landlocked country(kingdom) within South Africa. The inspiration is much because of the country's terrain.

Additionally, a viral TikTok video sourced from a user ‘khemenu’ (@khemenu), explains that the Black Panther story is factual, but it is downplayed in the worst case, manipulated and erased because of the strength it holds just like many other African historical events and generally lifestyles. According to this video of native Sotho women, the Black Panther derives from Queen Saranoiah of the era then who was defeated in a bitter war against colonialists.

There was a bet before the war based on which God was more powerful between the African spirituality and Christianity. Her defeat meant she had to be humiliated and beheaded whilst naked in the presence of the named Sotho tribe kingdom and rival western country. In the narration, Queen Saranoiah asked for a civil and moral thing to do based on the religious belief, to talk to her ancestors for the last time which was granted. Surprisingly, she proved their greatness by shape shifting to a BLACK PANTHER and disappeared in the forests.

The Soto woman added that it is such great power that is downplayed or manipulated by calling it "evil" in order for the western colonialists to have control over Africa. Coincidently, Black Panther movie was characterized by a male main actor; Chadwick Boseman (RIP) as T’Challa in the movie. After his death, the latest Black Panther movie was characterized by strong female headship.

Despite being a former British colony, Lesotho has remained a monarchy unlike other African countries. This is the reason it is an independent country/Kingdom within South Africa alike Eswatini.

The Black Panther movie is predominately casted by people of African descent. The movie also used African languages such as Xhosa and Black names such as Shuri, Okoye, Nakai and others. To add on, the sound tracks of both the movie and trailers are music of Afrobeat natured by African musicians or musicians of African descent. These are Sampa the Great, Rema and Bob Marley to list but a few.

Architecture

The production designer of the movie-- Hannah Beachler aimed to look at the architectural look of Eastern African: Ugandan, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia among others and then advance the technology, imagining how a high-tech nation that had never been colonized would look. The imagination was somewhat of an ancient African lifestyle which includes uncompromised culture, knowledge, wealth, technology in ancient Egypt, Sudan, Mali and others.

Most eyeful of the cited are three round mountain tops known as Blyde Canyon also nicknamed “The Three Rondaveles” of South Africa. The Blyde Canyon architectural designs is alike a glass thatched roof found in typical African rural localities. This was an inspiration to Beachler during her research tour, Skrachworld.

Resources

African natural resources including hills, falls, rivers and others were cast-off in the Black Panther Movie. A specific example of a mineral resource, is Coltan, exclusive to the wild of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This mineral is somewhat characterized as a vibranian wealth or an 'alien element' that is in great demand to scientists and evildoers similar to the realistic demand of coltan by scientists, technologists, prototypes, and others.

The wealth and strength of Wakanda kingdom deriving from the presence of gold is also inspired by ancient African wealth linked to the ancient Mali Empire ruled by Musa Mansa. Musa Mansa till today is still known to be the richest man who ever lived. He conquered and controlled most of the Northern and Western Africa in his era. In Black Panther’s Wakanda, this is characterized as golden city and high tech world/nation. For example, the wood staff in 'Mbakus' throne room in the movie is a subtitle linked to the Native American and African experience, "We sharpened the birch and at the end weaponizing the truth.. The sharpness was symbolic of protecting your ancestry from those who come to take it," read the skratch world comment.

Other examples are beautiful sceneries of the Zambia-Zimbabwe Victoria falls natively known as Mosi-o-Tunya and Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda.

THE FASHION

With a touch of a superhero character just like other Marvel movies, Black Panther movie outfits are created artfully with original African traditional fashion. Ryan Coolger, a dirtector of the movie asserts that, “African fashion of this movie tells the story of African culture and the history written on the fabrics. The apparels by award winning fashion designer Ruth E Carter and the rest of the fashion masterminds team”.

Apparels/costumes

An eyeful all white and accessorized attire by the cast filmed in the first scene of the Black Panther movie (2) was fashioned to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Meanwhile in the movie, it is was fashioned as a celebration of his life. The all-white costumes/ attires are credited to the Massai people of Tanzania and Kenya as well as the Ndebele of Zimbabwe. More so, there are other fashions in Black Panther movie credited to the irresistible Massai traditional fashion and Ghana's Kente fashion was featured in the movie.

The Basotho blanket is a traditional outfit garbed like a ‘throw’ or ‘poncho’ by Sotho people of Lesotho and South Africa. It is worn during initiation ceremonies as a bridal veil, as a gift celebrating first born children (push baby present), social hierarchy and others. The Basotho blanket was also present in some scenes of this movie.

Cited by the fashion designers team of the Black Panther movie is the Tuareg scarf belonging traditionally to the Tuareg people of North and West Africa. It is worn stylishly in some parts of the movie. The scarf originally is a soft, hand-woven fabric garbed in the desert (like the Sahara) by covering the head and neck to shield from dust and direct sun-strike.

An aso oke, a Yoruba of Nigeria hand-loomed attire is also fashioned in the Black Panther movie. The Agbada, a popular West African and North African unisex robe with wide sleeves is also recreated and fashioned artfully in the movie.

Headwear

The headwear fashion in both the first and second release of Black Panther movie infused an inspiration from the South African and Sotho called Isicholo headdress. The Isicholo headdress is a long, round hat with a flat top. It is wider on the top and narrower on the bottom (cylindrical). The Isicholo headdress is a traditionally fashioned respectively by Zulu married women. This headwear accessory is similar to the Massai headwear too.

The Makeup

The white dotted and tribal marks in Black Panther Movie were an inspiration from the Massai people/ Swahili speaking people of East Africa as well as the Himba of Namibia, Ghana's Ashatimbe, and Zulus of South Africa and Senegalese traditional makeup. However, this traditional makeup is actually cultured by many other Africans from Zambian, Malawia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Madagascar and other West African countries among others. This is because initially the continent was one person. The dotted and tribal print makeup is an art beyond fashion and a beauty treat. It is a culturally symbol of social hierarchy, marital status and others.

The Hairdos

The female characters of the Black Panther wore historically significant hairdos that are trendy in present day, that is, the Bantu notes, faux locks, braids and others. The hairstyles in the movie are also accessorized in certain scenes with important traditional accessories such as beads, mud, hair ties, and grasses that complement the hairstyles, character outfits and hairstyles.

Accessories

While many people including fellow Africans have condemned the lip plate fashion, Black Panther movie gave a feature of the beautiful lip plate fashion. The lip plate fashion is a wooden “plate” fashion accessory fashioned by Surma ethnic group comprised of the Suri and Mursi tribes as well other ethnicities in Sudan, Eritrea, Chad, Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique. It is accessorized by being placed on a cut bottom or top lip (see The African International Magazine July- August Edition).

An Igbo masquerade mask known as Mgbedike accessorized a characters look so did the Malian Dogon mask. Mgbedike culturally are known to be used for communing with sprits and executing orders and morals. On the other hand, a long existing Dagon mask of Malian Dagon ethnic people is spotted by characters of the movie. Ruth E reported to the Time Magazine that, "The Dagon tribe is one of the inspiration for the ‘Jabani tribe’ of Wakanda. They wear these wonderful raffia skirts in that yearly celebrations".

The female casts are seen wearing stiff ornaments around their necks known as the Ndebele neck rings. The Ndebele neck rings comprised of the rich minerals, copper, brass and sometimes ivory are accessorized as a symbol of wealth by men and only married women of the Ndebele tribe of Zimbabwe and South Africa. There are similar accessories cultured by the Massai, Sotho, Eswatini, swana, Malagasy, West Africa and other Ethnic groups.

Author‘s opinion

In as much as all marvel movies are superhero character cultured, for instance Spiderman and Thor, Black Panther's storyline, fashion, the cast and all is a representation of African pride and afro-futurism unlike appropriation.

The Black Panther movie from the comic was inspired by the tales of the mythical Black Panther of Africa. It is also said that it may be a hope of the rise of Africa and Black people in general to greatness, prosperity, pride and power in future after years of slavery, colonialism and dependency. However, there is also hidden historical truth that can be traced back to centuries ago. It can also be perceived as a revelation of the present day undertakings.

While the detailing of the fashion of the Black Panther movie (both 1&2) is farfetched from all across Africa, the fashion in general is compelling and spellbinding. The marvel studios and collaborating teams took time to express Black excellence infused in art and have had many fashion inspirations some of which may even have been left out in this article of the African International Magazine.

https://theafricaninternational.com/black-panther-movie-the-african-fashion-inspiration/

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foxiswriting · 3 years

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nature names!! (feminine)

bc why not. ** = my favorites

also! not all of these will directly translate to the words (moon, sun, etc) but may be instead correlated with them.

names relating to the moon

aiday - kazakh

alcmene - greek mythology

belinay** - turkish

bulan - indonesian

chandra - hindi, marathi, telugu, tamil, kannada, nepali, bengali

feray - turkish

hala** - arabic

jacira** - indigenous american, tupi

lusine - armenian

mahin - polynesian

menodora - ancient greek

natsuki - japanese

purnima - hindi, marathi, bengali, tamil, kannada

sanda - burmese

sasithorn - thai

selene - greek mythology

tsukiko - japanese

names relating to the sun

arevik - armenian

eloise - english

haru, haruko - japanese

khurshid - persian, urdu, persian mythology

marisol - spanish

mehr, mehrnaz** - persian, persian mythology

mzia - georgian

nou - hmong

savitri** - hinduism, hindi, marathi

siqiniq - indigenous american, inuit

sóley** - icelandic

sunčica - croatian, serbian

sunniva - norwegian

tonalli - indigenous american, nahuatl

yang - chinese

yōko - japanese

names relating to water

anat - semitic mythology

arethusa** - greek mythology

aysu** - turkish

iara** - indigenous american, tupi

karen - japanese (im shocked)

lian - chinese

liên - vietnamese

maya, maayan - hebrew

neith - egyptian mythology

nerida** - indigenous australian (i love how it sounds like nereid)

rayyan - arabic

shui - chinese

talia - english (australian)

vaitiare - tahitian

names relating to flowers

abeba - eastern african, amharic

anfisa** - russian

anh - vietnamese

anthea - greek mythology

ayaka** - japanese

azahar - spanish

blodwen - welsh

calanthe - english

cvetka - slovene

diantha - dutch, english

endzela - georgian

euanthe - greek mythology, ancient greek

eun-yeong - korean

fiore - italian

flora - english, italian, spanish, portuguese, german, dutch, french, roman mythology

golnar - persian

guiying - chinese

gulmira** - kyrgyz, kazakh

hanae - japanese

hua - chinese

ianthe - greek mythology

kalei - hawaiian

kasumi - japanese

lei, leilani, leimomi - hawaiian

malai** - thai

millaray** - indigenous american, mapuche

nitzan - hebrew

palesa - southern african, sotho

pushpa - hindi, marathi, kannada, tamil, telugu, nepali

zahrah - arabic

names relating to night, stars

anisha - hindi

asra** - arabic

aster, astra - english

astraea - greek mythology

citlali - indigenous american, nahuatl

csilla** - hungarian

danica - serbian, croatia, slovene, slovak, macedonian, english

estrella - spanish

hōkūlani - hawaiian

hoshi, hoshiko - japanese

izar** - basque

maristela** - portuguese

miyako - japanese

nisha** - hindi, marathi, kannada, malayalam, tamil, telugu, gujarati, bengali, nepali

nyx - greek mythology

seren - welsh

sitara - urdu

tara - hindi, nepali

pomare - tahitian

names relating to trees

alani - english

bai - chinese

elowen - croatian

hadas - hebrew

iva** - bulgarian, serbian, croatian, macedonian

jela - serbian, croatian, slovak

kalina - bulgarian, macedonian, polish

kiri** - maori

liepa - lithuanian

lina - arabic

melia - greek mythology

pomona - roman mythology

sawda - arabic

taimi - finnish, estonian

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wevuxmag · 7 years

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Inspired by African mythology, Cape Town artist Atang Tshikare and local studio Okha launched earlier this year, two pieces – a coffee table named Metsing, and a side table named Kaggen – part of an ongoing collaboration between them.

Each piece refers to a character in South African mythology: the Metsing coffee table is named after the Sotho term for “place of water”, and features three interconnected pool-like surfaces that form the table top. The Kaggen side table translates as “praying mantis”, which is referenced in the design’s arthropodic form. “The ideas came about from words and feelings rather than drawings and sketches,” Tshikare told Dezeen. “It was about tuning in and translating an almost spiritual concept into something tangible and present.” The structures are coated in patinated bronze and were made using a technique named “lost wax” whereby metal is cast in a wax-coated mould. The glass was tinted blue, to make it appear more like water.

(via dezeen)

A MYTHOLOGICAL COLLECTION #africancrafts #artist #atangtshikare #design #designstudio #furniture #material #mythology Inspired by African mythology, Cape Town artist Atang Tshikare and local studio Okha launched earlier this year, two pieces – a coffee table named Metsing, and a side table named Kaggen – part of an ongoing collaboration between them.

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juliandmouton30 · 7 years

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Atang Tshikare and Okha combine glass and bronze to create otherworldly tables

Cape Town artist Atang Tshikare and local studio Okha combined thick glass inserts with solid bronze frames to create these tables, which are inspired by African mythology.

Originally launched at Design Miami 2016, the two pieces – a coffee table named Metsing, and a side table named Kaggen – are part of an ongoing collaboration between the artist and the design studio.

Each piece in the collection refers to a character in South African mythology. The Metsing coffee table is named after the Sotho term for "place of water", and features three interconnected pool-like surfaces that form the table top.

The Kaggen side table translates as "praying mantis", which is referenced in the design's arthropodic form.

"The ideas came about from words and feelings rather than drawings and sketches," Tshikare told Dezeen. "It was about tuning in and translating an almost spiritual concept into something tangible and present."

Both pieces are designed to look like pools of water suspended in mid-air, and feature hand-sculpted frames combined with thick glass inserts that form the tables' surfaces.

The frames are coated in patinated bronze and were made using a technique named "lost wax" whereby metal is cast in a wax-coated mould. The glass was tinted blue, to make it appear more like water.

"We tried to use materials that were natural, beautiful, strong – and yet delicate," the designers told Dezeen. "We wanted to be able to physically sculpt and individualise each component of the pieces, making them truly unique."

Both designs were hand-crafted by local artisans and are limited to 16 pieces. They are part of an ongoing fictional narrative co-written by Tshikare and his wife, which will be published in 2020.

"With each show, I will present new works that elaborate and extend further into the tale," Tshikare said. "This tale will continue through into 2020 with multiple works in various mediums, exhibited worldwide."

Tshikare is the founder of Zabalazaa Designs, whose previous work includes a chair made from scorched timber and woven grass, while Okha is a design and interiors company based in Cape Town.

Atang Tshikare and Eve Collett's Leifo chair combines scorched timber and woven grass

The post Atang Tshikare and Okha combine glass and bronze to create otherworldly tables appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/05/atang-tshikare-okha-create-otherworldly-furniture-from-glass-bronze-design/

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