A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Hinazinci and his sister leave their grandfather to visit their parents, although he warns that their mother is a cannibal. Their father hides them under skins, but she detects their scent when she arrives with an animal and a human body. She acknowledges that she must eat people, cooks the animal for her family and keeps the human flesh for herself. Her husband tells the children to listen for dancing people, roaring beasts and barking dogs inside her stomach: those sounds announce that she is sleeping and they can escape.

The mother wakes and pursues them with an axe. The girl’s song briefly sends her running home, where she threatens her husband, before she resumes the chase. She swallows both children, the people at their grandfather’s village and its cattle. A beautiful valley bird grows to the size of a hut, takes her axe and overcomes her. When it opens her stomach, people emerge alive or dead; the mother recaptures some, while the two children escape. Her death ends the pursuit, and the surviving children become rulers and marry into the chief’s family. The stomach’s multitude and her repeated swallowing distinguish this particular mother from Nomagoda’s separate pursuit tale.

Scent detectionCaptive voices inside stomachAxe-bearing pursuitSwallows people and cattleDefeated by expanding bird
01

Origins & earliest records

Theal’s introduction attributes the main collection to Xhosa contributors. His preface distinguishes their narration, writing and collective revision from his direction and notes; no individual narrator is named for this tale.

02

Records & interpretation

Complete selected tale read: The Story of the Cannibal Mother and Her Children, pp. 137–143; sleeping stomach p. 139, swallowing pp. 140–141, bird confrontation pp. 141–143.

In the literature

“she caught them and swallowed them again.”
George McCall Theal, collection director and annotator; unnamed Xhosa contributors · Kaffir Folk-Lore, second edition
THE STORY OF THE CANNIBAL MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN. Complete selected published episode, printed pp.137–143 · Episode’s individual English translator not identified

The father is expressly not a cannibal, while the mother brings human prey and harbors audible swallowed life. The children initially escape, a daughter’s singing briefly turns the pursuit, but the mother swallows both and the grandfather’s village inhabitants and cattle. A growing valley bird eventually opens her; many emerge alive, some already dead, and she recaptures some before finally dying. The surviving children become rulers and marry the great chief’s children. No name is invented for the cannibal mother.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Kaffir Folk-Lore, second edition

    George McCall Theal, collection director and annotator; unnamed Xhosa contributors · 1886

    The Story of the Cannibal Mother and Her Children, pp. 137–143; sleeping stomach p. 139, swallowing pp. 140–141, bird confrontation pp. 141–143.; preface and introductory chapter distinguish contributor roles.

  2. 02

    Kaffir Folk-Lore — Cannibal Mother of Hinazinci complete selected episode

    George McCall Theal, collection director/annotator; unnamed Xhosa contributors · 1886

    Actual1886 second edition, London Swan Sonnenschein, Le Bas & Lowrey, independently read title; preface datedJan1882. Theal directs native telling/copying/revision and claims only explanatory notes as his own. Individual episode tellers and English translators not identified in inspected text.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

Kaffir Folk-Lore — Cannibal Mother of Hinazinci complete selected episode

Actual1886 second edition, London Swan Sonnenschein, Le Bas & Lowrey, independently read title; preface datedJan1882. Theal directs native telling/copying/revision and claims only explanatory notes as his own. Individual episode tellers and English translators not identified in inspected text.

  1. The father is expressly not a cannibal, while the mother brings human prey and harbors audible swallowed life. The children initially escape, a daughter’s singing briefly turns the pursuit, but the mother swallows both and the grandfather’s village inhabitants and cattle. A growing valley bird eventually opens her; many emerge alive, some already dead, and she recaptures some before finally dying. The surviving children become rulers and marry the great chief’s children. No name is invented for the cannibal mother.

    THE STORY OF THE CANNIBAL MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN. Complete selected published episode, printed pp.137–143

No whole collection/introduction or original oral recording reviewed. Publication-fragment status retained where editor states it; colonial racial hierarchies and descriptions not endorsed.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Collected primary narrative; digitized second editionTheal 1886 — Cannibal Mother of HinazinciResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

FT·2981 · RESEARCH EDITION 01Back to top ↑