Selomakupu

Overview

Selomakupu owns the enormous hut beside the marsh to which Bulane’s son and his bird-hunting companions have travelled. They find cooked and uncooked eggs and beans inside and spend the night there. Only the chief’s son remains awake when she arrives smelling human flesh. He sees a frightfully long tooth and a single long, knife-sharp nail used to rip animals open. She fries lizards and crabs in a large potsherd, then inspects the sleepers and plans the order in which to eat them.

The youths remain long enough to obtain the particular bird wanted for a head ornament. They tie their legs together with a grass rope so that one alert sleeper can wake the others. Selomakupu returns, eats and sleeps again; in the morning she goes to invite other Kupus to share the people. The hunters leave, but Bulane’s son discovers that he has forgotten his ornament and returns alone. The invited Kupus are already quarrelling with their hostess because the promised prey has disappeared.

The youth retrieves his ornament. The Kupus smell him and chase, nearly catching him, but he escapes and rejoins his companions; the planted spear he left as a sign of danger shakes and then stands upright. All reach their mourning village alive. The Kupus return home, kill and eat the large Kupu, and chop her nail open. Many cattle, goats and sheep emerge, which they also eat. A comparative note describes a fabulous bird in another version; the main tale’s tooth, nail and hut mistress are not silently changed into that bird.

Origins & earliest records

Jacottet’s complete bilingual narrative and notes supply this located account. No individual teller is named in the inspected episode. Compared stories remain separate witnesses rather than additional attributes of this being.

Records & interpretation

XXXI, Selomakupu, complete bilingual pp. 208–215; English pp. 208, 210, 212, 214. Tooth and nail p. 210; pursuit and internecine killing pp. 212–214; variant bird identity in p. 210 note.

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

   XXXI, Selomakupu, complete bilingual pp. 208–215; English pp. 208, 210, 212, 214. Tooth and nail p. 210; pursuit and internecine killing pp. 212–214; variant bird identity in p. 210 note.

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/London, 1908, actual title-page OCR. Full preface and introduction xxii method statement read; complete XXXI–XXXII, bilingual pp.208–221, English narratives and all explanatory notes independently read. Facing Sesotho placement inspected without independent translation.

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.

References

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

1. Collected Se-Suto text with English translation and notesJacottet — complete selected bilingual taleResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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