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

Overview

The unnamed woman desires the liver of a niamatsane despite her husband’s warning that its flesh is not good to eat. He eventually catches and kills one of the fabulous animals with a spell and brings the liver home. She eats it happily, then feels her inside burning and finds that nothing quenches her thirst. Reaching the great desert lake, she drinks every bit of its water and lies stretched on the ground, unable to move.

The dry lake brings an animal council under the elephant king. A hyena and a lion refuse to open her stomach, each giving a reason about its manner of attacking. The ostrich agrees, approaches with wings spread and delivers a violent kick; water spouts into the air and flows back into the lake in torrents. The animals celebrate the recovered water. The text does not add a new name, giant stature or a later death for the woman, so the extraordinary capacity and final release remain the specific evidence for this profile.

Niamatsane liver consumptionInternal burningDrinks entire lakeWater released by ostrich kick
01

Origins & earliest records

Casalis presents this account among Enigmas and Tales. The selected episode does not name an individual narrator. His missionary interpretation following the story is distinguished from the narrated events.

02

Records & interpretation

Complete IV. The Little Hare, printed pp. 350–355; woman’s craving, burning thirst and lake-drinking pp. 350–351, water release p. 351.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    The Basutos; or, Twenty-three Years in South Africa

    Eugène Casalis, missionary recorder; English edition · 1861

    IV. The Little Hare, complete pp. 350–355; Niamatsane and woman’s lake episode pp. 350–351.

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.

References

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

  1. Digitized historical collected narrativeCasalis — Lake-drinking woman in The Little HareResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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

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