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

Overview

Demane and Demazana are orphaned twins living behind a strongly fastened cave door. When Zim detects the smell of roasting meat, he attempts to imitate the absent brother’s voice in a song asking admission. Demazana rejects the voice twice. The cannibal seeks advice and changes his throat, returning with a sound that convinces her. He seizes her and takes her home, but she drops ashes along the path. Demane follows the trail and finds her confined in a bag awaiting the return of Zim’s family with firewood.

The brother asks Zim for drinking water and promises not to touch the bag. While the captor is away, he releases his sister and puts his recently gathered bees inside. The arriving daughter, son and wife each encounter stings when sent to fetch the supposed food. Zim opens it himself and is overwhelmed, especially around his eyes. He escapes through the thatch, plunges headfirst into a pool and becomes a wooden block resembling a tree stump. The bees make their home there, but any hand trying to take the honey sticks fast. The ending links this adhesive wooden remnant to the same named cannibal, rather than introducing another unrelated stump monster.

Voice mimicryChanged vocal soundBag captivityTransformation into a stumpAdhesive honey refuge
01

Origins & earliest records

Theal’s introduction identifies Xhosa contributors for the main collection; his preface attributes narration, writing and collective revision to contributors while he directed the work and supplied notes. No individual narrator is named for this selected tale.

02

Records & interpretation

Complete selected narrative independently read: The Story of Demane and Demazana, pp. 118–121; failed voice deception and altered voice pp. 119–120, named Zim and bag rescue p. 120, wooden transformation and sticky honey p. 121.

In the literature

“he became a block of wood like the stump of a tree.”
George McCall Theal, collection director and annotator; unnamed Xhosa contributors · Kaffir Folk-Lore, second edition
THE STORY OF DEMANE AND DEMAZANA. Complete selected published episode, printed pp.118–121 · Episode’s individual English translator not identified

The cannibal initially fails to imitate the orphan twin brother’s voice but later deceives Demazana after changing it. Her ash trail guides Demane to the bagged captive; he substitutes bees and rescues her. Zim successively sends daughter, son and wife before opening the bag himself; stung and blinded, he falls headfirst into a pond and becomes a wooden stump. The bees inhabit it, but attempted honey-taking traps the hand; the twins obtain his property. Familial address to Zim is not biological kinship. Practical throat-treatment details and song text omitted.

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; Xhosa contributors not individually named for this episode · 1886

    The Story of Demane and Demazana, pp. 118–121; failed voice deception and altered voice pp. 119–120, named Zim and bag rescue p. 120, wooden transformation and sticky honey p. 121.; preface and introductory chapter for contributor context.

  2. 02

    Kaffir Folk-Lore — Zim in the Tale of Demane and Demazana 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, second edition

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 cannibal initially fails to imitate the orphan twin brother’s voice but later deceives Demazana after changing it. Her ash trail guides Demane to the bagged captive; he substitutes bees and rescues her. Zim successively sends daughter, son and wife before opening the bag himself; stung and blinded, he falls headfirst into a pond and becomes a wooden stump. The bees inhabit it, but attempted honey-taking traps the hand; the twins obtain his property. Familial address to Zim is not biological kinship. Practical throat-treatment details and song text omitted.

    THE STORY OF DEMANE AND DEMAZANA. Complete selected published episode, printed pp.118–121

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 — Zim in the Tale of Demane and DemazanaResearch 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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