Читать книгу A Bosman Companion - Craig Mackenzie - Страница 8

aardvark (Dut./Afr.) Lit. ‘earth pig’; also known as an antbear; a shy and solitary pig-like mammal; difficult to locate because of its secretive nocturnal behaviour and habit of digging burrows into the ground; feeds on termites (S&H: 74 “The Story of Hester van Wyk”; UD: 100 “Oom Piet’s Party”).

aasvoël (Afr.) Vulture; probably the Cape Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus (MR: 34 “In the Withaak’s Shade”; MR: 70 “Makapan’s Caves”; OTS: 50 “The Heart of a Woman”; S&H: 111 “Cometh Comet”).

abafazi’ nkulu le tshefu (Zulu) Lit. ‘the women large this poison’; HCB appears to be stringing together a set of Zulu words he is only partly familiar with, or he has perhaps simply made up a random ‘sentence’ from words he has (mis)overheard and has (mis)spelled phonetically. Perhaps the best sense that can be made of the words is ‘tall women are poison’ or ‘women are big poison’. In the context of the story (Louis Wassenaar eavesdropping on passers-by for inspiration to write a story) it is not of consequence. Wassenaar is reported to be simply unable to put the fragment to any creative use: “Not much of a lead in that, either. Louis Wassenaar did not know any of the Bantu languages” (OTS: 95 “Louis Wassenaar”).

abba A chimney that has been built on afterwards on the outside of a house (OTS: 34 “A Tale Writ in Water”; IT: 103 “Stars in their Courses”).

Abjaterskop (Afr.) Lit. ‘Rogue’s Head’; situated between the Dwarsberge and the Rant van Tweedepoort; at 1 378 m the highest peak in the region; portrayed by HCB as haunted. See “Willem Prinsloo’s Peach Brandy”; “In the Withaak’s Shade”; Maps.

Abrahams, Lionel (1928–2004) Poet, short-story writer, critic, editor, publisher. Born in Johannesburg and schooled at Damelin College, where he first encountered HCB, he graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1955. He was vigorous in his promotion of South African literature both through his own writings and through the editing and publishing of the writings of others. One of his most important contributions as an editor was to publish editions of the works of HCB, who was also his literary mentor for a short period. These include A Cask of Jerepigo (1957), Unto Dust (1963), Bosman at His Best: A Choice of Stories and Sketches (1965), Jurie Steyn’s Post Office and A Bekkersdal Marathon (both 1971; see Voorkamer Sequence), a collection of HCB’s poetry, The Earth is Waiting (1974), and The Collected Works of Herman Charles Bosman (1988). His most detailed biographical piece on HCB appeared as “Mr Bosman: A Protégé’s Memoir” in 2001 (reprinted in RB: 120-64). See appearance; teaching.

absinthe Anise-flavoured spirit with a high alcohol content; popular among the writers of Paris in the nineteenth century; banned in 1915 because of its supposed harmful effects (L&O: 97 “Paris: Sidelights and Half-laughs”).

Achilles Hero of the Trojan War in Greek mythology; half man and half god, his mother – in an attempt to make him invulnerable – dipped him in the river Styx as a baby, except for his heel where he was held, thus creating his one weak point (JN: 159).

Adonis(es) In Greek mythology Adonis was known for his exceptional beauty, which is why Venus fell for him; consequently, attractive and youthful young men are referred to as Adonises (CSJ: 90).

Aeolian harp Named for the Greek God of the wind, it is an instrument that produces sounds when the wind blows through it; it is a box with a soundboard and strings stretched across it, and placed in a window where the breeze can pass through it (CJ: 37 “The Good Earth”).

Aeschylus (524/525– c. 455/456 BCE) Greek writer of tragedies, one of the most famous being Seven against Thebes; contemporary of Euripides (VS: 173 “Die Duistere Vers”).

“Affair at Ysterspruit, The” (OTS: 39) A young schoolmaster in the Marico (a lightly fictionalised rendering of HCB himself) seeks and finds a story of Boer War bravery from Ouma Engelbrecht. A poignant story with a twist that reveals as much about the art of storytelling as it does about the bitterness caused by the Boer War. The schoolmaster prompts his informant (an old oom) to resume his tale “– his words a slow and steady rumble and with the red dust of the road in their sound, almost – a tale of terror or of high romance or soft laughter.” The story appeared in an earlier Afrikaans version as “Die Voorval by Ijzerspruit” (VS: 35).

African Magazine, The See Touleier, The.

“Africana Museum” (CJ: 58) Musings on the enduring quality of the Stone Age and its implements. Thought-provoking piece on what endures, along with praise for the noble savage. Some years later the Africana Museum was renamed Museum Africa and moved to the Market Theatre complex. Readers will be disappointed to find but a fraction of the riches described by HCB. “‘Stone has come to stay.’ And they were right. It stayed. It stayed a million years.”

“Afrikaans Stage, The” (VS: 128) Article pointing out the increasing divide between cynical performers and uncritical theatre audiences largely due to – according to HCB – the lack of good Afrikaans plays.

Afrikaner/Afrikander Breed of cattle unique to SA; type of cattle used by migrant farmers to haul their wagons; were bred through careful selection by the original Dutch trekboers, choosing cattle with long horns and the distinct red colour peculiar to this breed; the breed’s lineage is via the indigenous Nguni cattle and its scientific name/ pedigree is Bos Indicus (as opposed to Bos Taurus, as European cattle are known) (S&H: 21 “Veld Fire”).

Afrikaner(s) See Boer(s).

“Afternoon Ravishment” One of the sketches in “Romance: A Sequence”.

“Age of Reason” Pamphlet criticising organised religion; written by Thomas Paine and published in three parts between 1794 and 1807 (VS: 177 “Credo”).

Agie At Naudé’s second cousin and husband of Seraphima; lit. ‘inquisitive one’; a mine shift boss like HCB’s father (H: 114 “Kith and Kin”).

agterryers (Afr.) Lit. ‘after/behind riders’; black labourers who were drafted into the Boer forces or joined voluntarily essentially to serve as a rear detachment – cooking, keeping fires going, maintaining the camp, etc.; there is continued debate as to how much fighting they did as well (MR: 74 “Yellow Moepels”; UD: 114 “Funeral Earth”; IT: 45 “Ghost Trouble”).

Akademie vir Kuns en Lettere HCB gets it wrong: the correct title is Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, a body founded in 1909 to bring together the cultural forces of the Afrikaner (VS: 156 “South African Literature”).

alack and welladay Archaic terms expressing regret (CJ: 193 “Out of the Past”).

“Alarm Clock” (H: 70) At Naudé muses about mechanical inventions, which prompts Meneer Vermaak to give a lecture on China’s contribution to technology. Vague, meandering story that doesn’t make a clear point. “‘Ta-rêêê ta-ta-rê,’ the schoolmaster joined in enthusiastically, flinging an arm into the air. ‘That’s not the Fire Brigade song. It’s the Fire Song. It’s from the Valkyries.’”

albatross Reference to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (IT: 82 “Sea-colonels All”).

Albertyn, Ina Screen playwright of Die Wildsboudjie (VS: 165 “A Bushveld Film Comedy”).

“Alby Stewart” (L&O: 74) A short report of a young criminal’s path to the gallows. A sensitive account of a serious matter; the similarity between Stewart’s and HCB’s circumstances is obvious. “‘Goodbye, Alby,’ said Father Ryan, ‘say a prayer for me when you get to Jesus.’ ‘Ah, Father,’ said Stewart with a smile, ‘I always knew you would bum something from me in the end.’”

“Alcoholic Remorse” (H: 87) Jurie Steyn nurses a hangover while visitors remind him of his drunken misdeeds. Painfully accurate description of the distress and long-term consequences of alcohol abuse. “‘And then a shark came right into the café where I was sitting, and started chewing on my leg. Now, isn’t that silly?’”

Alec the Ponce An imprisoned pimp who starts a minor demonstration by tossing his bread over the landing into the hall (CSJ: 67). Also the name of Polly’s pimp and abusive love interest (YB: 148 “Street-woman: A Play in One Act”).

Alice Rita’s sister; bribed by her father to break off relations with her lover Stephen the poet (YB: 52 “Rita’s Marriage”).

Alida Jurie Steyn’s black maid (H: 64: “Sleepy Afternoon”).

Almost Forgotten Stories (1979) Edited by Valerie Rosenberg, the compilation features many of the stories overlooked by Lionel Abrahams, HCB’s principal anthologist up to that point. At the time, this collection filled many of the gaps of the HCB canon, with many of the stories not being those from the major OSL and Voorkamer sequences, and being drawn from HRHRC manuscripts and published for the first time in book form.

Ananias A member of the early Christian church who conspired to deceive and was struck down (UD: 86 “When the Heart is Eager”).

Ander Man se Kind (Afr.) Lit. ‘Another Man’s Child’; scandalous play about sinful Johannesburg put on in the Marico by the actor Jacques le Français (IT: 91 “Play within a Play”).

Andersen, M. C. (‘Mitzi’) Former lecturer in English at the University of South Africa. Wrote her doctoral study (1988), part of which deals with HCB’s Cold Stone Jug, on autobiographical responses to the experience of prison, and compiled Herman Charles Bosman: The Prose Juvenilia (1998).

Andrews, Lionel Carpenter who gets on the wrong side of his foreman Bert Parsons, but redeems himself and later gets promoted to foreman and sidekick when other contracts are won (JN: 31).

Andries A cripple who is in love with Heloise and seems to mind her teeth fetish only slightly less than David (YB: 59 “Heloise’s Teeth”).

Anglo–Boer War, First (1880–81) Sometimes called ‘Die Eerste Vryheidsoorlog’ (‘First War of Independence’) by Afrikaners, it was fought between Britain and the Transvaal Republic (ZAR), and was provoked by the British annexation of the Transvaal in 1877 by Theophilus Shepstone. The British garrisons at Potchefstroom and Pretoria were besieged, and in February 1881 a decisive battle was fought at Majuba in Natal, which the republican Afrikaners won. HCB dealt with the war in his stories “Yellow Moepels” and “The Red Coat”. See Rooinek and Other Boer War Stories, The.

Anglo–Boer War, Second/South African War (1899–1902) The second of the two wars fought between the South African Republics and Great Britain. Sometimes called ‘Die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog’ (‘Second War of Independence’) by Afrikaners, it was the costliest war fought by Britain until 1914. It is commonly considered to have been fought primarily for economic reasons (access by Britain to the Transvaal’s lucrative goldfields). The British expected a quick and easy war, and, indeed, the first, more conventional, stage of the war (the battle of the ‘big commandos’) was over fairly soon, with Pretoria being taken in June 1900. But the second phase, the so-called war of the ‘small commandos’, or guerrilla war, dragged on until May 1902, sucking in huge numbers of British men (450 000 in all) and amounts of matériel. Under their commander, Lord Kitchener, the British resorted to a ‘scorched earth’ policy, burning Boer farms and herding the women and children into concentration camps, a policy that resulted in nearly 30 000 civilian deaths and left permanent scars on the Afrikaner psyche. HCB featured the war extensively in his work, most notably in “Mafeking Road”, “The Traitor’s Wife”, “Peaches Ripening in the Sun” and “The Rooinek”. See Rooinek and Other Boer War Stories, The.

Aniescu, Gris Romanian-born SA citizen and dilettante; friend of Louis Wassenaar, and ‘student of legs’; aka Schtroppski (OTS: 90 “Louis Wassenaar”).

Annie (no surname given) Petrus Lemmer’s step-niece; outspoken, spunky young lady who holds her own when it comes to witty retorts during a Marico tale (S&H: 47 “Marico Moon”).

Anniversary Edition (of the Works of H. C. Bosman) Fourteen-volume series under the general co-editorship of Stephen Gray and Craig MacKenzie, produced between 1998 and 2005. The series was given this name because planning for it began in late 1997, the fiftieth anniversary of the first publication of Mafeking Road, and it was scheduled for completion in 2005, the centenary of HCB’s birth. The purpose of the series was to release all of HCB’s works in unabridged and uncensored versions, and the editing used original texts (some of them never before published). The series began with a completely re-edited Mafeking Road and Other Stories (1998) and Willemsdorp (1998). Other volumes in the series are Cold Stone Jug (1999) and Idle Talk: Voorkamer Stories (I) (1999), which put into print for the first time the first half of HCB’s ‘Voorkamer’ sequence, Jacaranda in the Night (2000) and Old Transvaal Stories (2000), which gathers together all the stories not written by HCB in series – that is, ‘non-Oom Schalk’, ‘non-Voorkamer’ stories. Verborge Skatte (2000; edited by Leon de Kock) gathers all of the stories HCB wrote in Afrikaans, together with his commentaries on Afrikaans literature. Seed-time and Harvest and Other Stories (2001) and Unto Dust and Other Stories (2002) are two further Oom Schalk Lourens collections that feature the remaining stories in this sequence; while A Cask of Jerepigo: Sketches and Essays (2002) and My Life and Opinions (2003) are two collections of HCB’s journalism – general and autobiographical, respectively. Young Bosman (2003) draws together HCB’s early writings, while Wild Seed (2004) is the most complete edition of HCB’s poetry to date. The Anniversary Edition was concluded with Homecoming: Voorkamer Stories (II) (2005).

Anselm, Archbishop Archbishop of Canterbury in the eleventh century (IT: 45 “Ghost Trouble”).

antipassaat Anti-trade winds (IT: 143 “Dreams of Rain”).

antisyncline It is probable that HCB got this wrong by mixing up a geological term: a syncline is a curving fold in a rock formation that moves downward where the strata dip toward the centre of the geological structure; the opposite – where the rock formation curves upward – is called an anticline, not an antisyncline (W: 169).

“Anxious to Hear” (H: 38) A follow-on to “Laugh, Clown, Laugh”. Schoolmaster Vermaak goes off on a tangent about an archaeological find in the area while trying to avoid more weighty matters (i.e. his presumed relationship with Pauline Gerber). A wry look at early twentieth-century moral values. “‘Now, this Jurassic, that you’re talking about,’ Oupa Bekker asked the schoolmaster. ‘Has it got anything to do with Jurie Steyn?’”

Apollo The Greek sun god; son of Zeus and Leto (CJ: 103 “Playing Sane”).

appearance

“He didn’t ever carry himself well, but I wouldn’t say he was a weedy-looking type. He was average in stature” (Stanley Jackson, RB: 15). “He was physically extremely attractive, his astonishing blue eyes scintillating with mischief, and glowing with intelligence. He must have made many a girl student miss a heartbeat” (Sachs, IKH: 42). “On my very first day [at college] I met Herman Bosman, whom I would describe as a very retiring student. He was very good looking – he was tall, over six feet, and very blond. Always he was most courteous” (Serita Dales, RB: 21). This account has to be reconciled with HCB’s own statement on his height, when giving evidence in court after murdering David Russell: “My height is 5’ 8”” (L&O: 65). In Cold Stone Jug (192), he gives his suit measurements to the warder in the tailor shop: 24 inch (inside) leg (60 cm) and 33 inch long (outside leg? 82,5 cm). Lago Clifford was a fellow prisoner with HCB in 1928–29: “[H]e has no trace whatever of any Colonial accent. His aspect is a bright and cheerful one; he has clear blue vital eyes” (The Sjambok, 5 July 1929: 19). That his spoken English was uninflected by an Afrikaans accent was also attested to by schoolmate Stanley Jackson, who also remembered that HCB pronounced his name in the Anglicised way (‘Bozz-min’) (see Stanley Jackson interview, RB: 14). George Howard met him in his early thirties, and described him as a “tallish, broad, blue-eyed young man, with a high forehead, thinning wild fair hair, knitted tie, wide black leather belt, a high merry laugh, large actor’s hands and a wide-brimmed hat, worn like a ship with a heavy list” (RB: 32). His pupil, acolyte and, later, influential editor Lionel Abrahams remembers him as he was in his early forties: “What caught the eye was probably his hat, the usual trilby or fedora of the 1940s, but worn tipped far to one side and forward, at an angle that expressed both jauntiness and a desire for concealment. Or it may have been the eager way he seemed to plunge into conversation with his wife while they walked, or the emphatic way he moved and gestured, or the rolled-up magazine he usually hugged under one arm” (RB: 121). Abrahams also vividly recalls his mannerisms as a teacher: “[T]he idiosyncratic play of his hands, presenting us with his words and intentions as though with conjured visible entities; the silvery-soft voice and strangely paced, hesitant speech with its rapid brief phrases punctuated by pauses, slow weighty emphases and sharp, appealing exclamations testing agreement (‘Hey? Hey!’)” (RB: 121). See Dales, Serita.

Bosman at 21 (NELM)

Bosman in his mid-twenties (Eli Weinberg), and early forties

Apuleius, Lucius Latin prose writer of Algerian descent most famous for his bawdy The Golden Ass, the only ancient novel to have survived in its entirety (CJ: 138 “Talk of the Town”; CSJ: 114). The novel deals with the protagonist’s search to find and practise magic (OTS: 90 “Louis Wassenaar”).

Aquinas, Thomas, St (c. 1226–74) Neapolitan philosopher and theologian; the leading figure in the school of Scholasticism; introduced Aristotelian principles into Christian theology (IT: 45 “Ghost Trouble”).

Areopagitica See Milton, John.

arrased Walls hung with decorated fabrics (CSJ: 163).

“Arrival of Another Spring, The” (L&O: 115) Lively editorial by HCB (The Zoutpansberg Review and Mining Journal, 17 September 1943) on spring. Acknowledging that while spring brings unstoppable rebirth, some practices, once dead, can never be revived.

arse Buttocks; rare four-letter word usage by HCB, though justified in the context of banter on a building site (JN: 43).

“Art and Feudalism” (CJ: 71) Essay on how art needs great disparities between rich and poor classes to be meaningful. Naïve view that the redeeming magic of art can only be found through hardship. “And talking of trade unions, it seems to be that they do a lot to make workmen discontented, without doing anything to elevate them.”

“Art Criticism” (IT: 123) The voorkamer crowd talk about fine art and changing fashions. Meandering discourse on the interpretation of art, containing some surrealistic flights of fancy.

“Art Notes on Charlie Chaplin” (CJ: 30) A retrospective look at the movies and career of Charlie Chaplin. A back-handed compliment to Chaplin’s genius upon the release of The Great Dictator, a satire on Hitler and Mussolini. HCB remarks that Chaplin rejected the Oscar/ Academy Award (CJ: 31); this is not true, what is true is that he did not think much of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but nonetheless received three Oscars in his lifetime. “And it seems that in this respect it is with Charlie Chaplin as with Shakespeare. What he pulls off unconsciously is eternal. What he does consciously is tin.”

“Artist, The” (YB: 93) Musings on the origin and future of art and literature. Early examples of HCB’s ambivalence regarding either starving as an artist or betraying your calling by working as an artist within a commercial setting. “The good liar is always assured of a steady income, either as a salesman or as an author – although in this latter case the income is perhaps not so steady.”

“Artist in South Africa, The” (WS: 155) Piece by HCB on the difficulties confronting the artist in Africa. Contains typical HCB sarcasm about the deleterious effects of dull academicism: “In this respect, Africa is suffering the same tragic fate which has to a large extent befallen the ancient world. Rome and Greece have been ruined by the researches and interpretations of scholarship.” He ends by affirming the vitality and mystery of Johannesburg as a valid subject of artistic attention. “The minedumps are no less authentic an expression of Africa than are the Pyramids, and they are more of a mystery than the Pyramids. The minedumps have no entrance.”

artwork One of the least-known aspects of HCB’s life and work is his interest in art. The HRHRC (see Bosman Papers) houses some 70 artworks in pencil, watercolour and pen and watercolour by HCB. These date from the mid-1940s to the end of his life, apparently under the influence of his artist wife Helena (see Stegmann, Helena). Indeed, many of them are portraits of her. A few depict rural scenes (one bears an indication of being on the Transvaal–Bechuanaland Protectorate border), but most are city scenes, and several of these appear to date from the Bosmans’ brief stay in Buitenkant Street, Cape Town, from March to May/June 1947.

“As Deep as a Well” (L&O: 111) Philosophical musings on methods and difficulties of seeking the deeper meanings in life by means of quotations from Romeo and Juliet; see also Alby Stewart. After meandering somewhat, HCB’s argument reaches the conclusion that the search for enlightenment is all-consuming, but once attained the achievement is hollow. “The tall ships rot at their anchors and the winds blow seaward no more.”

As jy my weer stamp sal ek jou donder (Afr.) Lit. ‘If you bump me again I’ll beat you up’ (CSJ: 48).

askoek (Afr.) Lit. ‘ash cake’ (cake baked in the ashes); it could also refer to a Khoi dance, but in the context of this story it means “you rascal” (IT: 119 “Lath and Plaster”).

“Aspects of South African Literature” (L&O: 168) An attempt to summarise and define South African (English) literature. HCB observes that SA literature in English has taken a “back seat” to Afrikaans literature, despite its promising beginnings with Pringle (HCB refers to Pringle’s progressive poem “The Caffer” approvingly) and Schreiner; gives as part of the explanation for this notion that the “Afrikaner accepts himself as part of Africa”; also offers interesting and outspoken commentary on the future of black and township writing. See kaffir.

asphodel Day lily; any of several flowering plants belonging to the family Asphodelaceae (MR: 124 “Veld Maiden”).

Two of HCB’s artworks. See colour section for a selection of others.

assegai tree Southern African tree (Curtisia dentata), suitable for making assegais (short stabbing spears) (OTS: 34 “A Tale Writ in Water”).

“At Ease on the Dung Heap” (H: 224) The work-shy farmers doubt the practicality of scientific advice given by an agricultural radio programme. An indictment of farming methods in an area that is notoriously hard to farm. The neat ending shows the intimate relationship between farmers and their land. “And he applied no more than just that simple test of tasting the ground, Oupa Bekker said, when, many years ago, he bought his present farm.”

“… At this Time of Year” (IT: 156) As the year comes to a close Jurie Steyn longs for his birthplace in the Cape. Melancholic and wistful story featuring a tree as the main character. “Oupa Bekker’s sigh would have been even more prolonged than Jurie Steyn’s had been. Only, because of his advanced years, Oupa Bekker didn’t have the breath for it.”

au/hau Exclamation of surprise or amazement, commonly used by black South Africans (H: 29 “Black Magic”).

Augusta Leigh née Byron Lord Byron’s half-sister, with whom it was rumoured he had an incestuous relationship (YB: 141 “Mara”).

Aunt Susann Editor of the Cape Town Church Magazine of the Sunshine Children’s Club, who upsets the Marico locals by referring to the Marico as a backwater (IT: 70 “White Ant”).

aut redita nobis Aurora diemque reducit (Lat.) Lit. ‘the sun goes to light another hemisphere when it leaves our horizon’; line from Virgil (CJ: 94 “The Disappearance of Latin”; WS: 149 “Theodore Herman van Beek”).

Avalon Legendary island to which King Arthur went to convalesce from his wounds following the Battle of Camlann (CSJ: 163).