One-Sided Villagers of Ntotoatsana’s Tale

Overview

A whirlwind carries the cattle-herding Ntotoatsana far from her father’s country to a village whose inhabitants each have one leg, one arm, one ear and one eye. She is married to the chief’s son, Selo-se-Maqoma. Horns buried in her hut call out whenever she tries to leave, bringing the villagers to restrain her. She remains long enough to have twin daughters, who resemble their mother. At a fountain the children encounter their maternal uncle; their answers reveal who their mother is and allow him to arrange a secret reunion.

The uncle obtains a meeting by giving the girls reeds and having them make their mother responsible for replacing the broken pieces. Ntotoatsana explains the horns’ surveillance. After she muffles them, she takes her daughters out at midnight and joins her brother’s company. The first faint alarm is mistaken for dogs, but the horns later speak clearly and the villagers pursue by hopping. A black sheep repeatedly sings and dances so compellingly that the pursuers stop to watch, although they resolve to ignore it next time. Each time it disappears and rejoins the escaping family.

The chase ends when the villagers acknowledge that their child has been taken away. Selo-se-Maqoma returns sadly, while Ntotoatsana reaches her mother, still wearing the long mourning tuft left for the absent daughter. Jacottet’s edition calls the imaginary villagers Ma-Tebele, using a historical social label inside the tale; its commentary explains their fantastical half-body form and compares different one-legged or pigeon figures elsewhere. Those comparisons do not make this village an account of the physical appearance of real Ndebele, Zulu or Xhosa people, nor does this episode call its pursuers cannibals.

Origins & earliest records

Jacottet publishes the complete episode in Se-Suto with a literal English translation and explanatory notes. The inspected account does not attach an individual contributor name; the general contributor list in introduction xxii is not used to invent one.

Records & interpretation

Jacottet (1908), XXIII Ntotoatsana, complete bilingual pp. 160–165; English narrative pp. 160, 162, 164 and final explanatory notes pp. 164–165; one-sided body description p. 160, comparative distinctions pp. 160–161, complete escape and reunion p. 164.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   The Treasury of Ba-suto Lore, vol. I

   Édouard Jacottet, collector and translator; J. C. Smith, English text assistance · 1908

   Jacottet (1908), XXIII Ntotoatsana, complete bilingual pp. 160–165; English narrative pp. 160, 162, 164 and final explanatory notes pp. 164–165; one-sided body description p. 160, comparative distinctions pp. 160–161, complete escape and reunion p. 164.

2. 02

   The Treasury of Ba-suto Lore, volume I

   Unnamed Sesotho narrative contributor; Édouard Jacottet, editor and translator; J. C. Smith, English text correction · 1908

   The Treasury of Ba-suto Lore, volume I, Morija: Sesuto Book Depot; London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1908, actual title-page OCR. Full preface and collection/translation statement introductionxxii independently read, alongside complete chaptersXXII–XXIII, Englishpp152/154/156/158 and160/162/164 with corresponding facing pages and notes; selected historical witness only.

Family & connections

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Located primary passages

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

References

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

1. Collected Se-Suto text with literal English translation and notesJacottet — One-Sided Villagers of Ntotoatsana’s TaleResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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