Hello One and All!
In Cape Town there are days when the winds blow with a fierce strength. When you are lucky, you can see clouds spill over the iconic Table Mountain, and this white covering is colloquially called the "Table Cloth". One folk tale explains the origin of this phenomenon, a tale with Dutch and Cape Malay roots.
Van Hunks and the Mountain
One day, in the early 1700's, a ship docked in Table Bay, South Africa. A bull of a man came ashore, dressed in the finest silk. This caused throngs of curious people to gather. Some of the older heads recognized him, he was Van Hunks, the Dutch governor's former huntsman. That is, he was until he vanished without a trace and was never heard of again. Back then he had been poor; now the red faced man unloaded chests and trunks of every variety.
In the taverns people the sailors and inhabitants turned to a favourite pastime - gossip.
"He must be a pirate!" one said.
"I saw him unfurl the skull and crossbones!" another replied.
So the people continued with their speculation about how the huntsman came to be a wealthy man.
Captain Van Hunks didn't give the idle chatter any of his attention, and he went straight back to his old house at the foot of a mountainous outcrop called Windberg. On fine days he hiked up the mountain, where he smoked, drank and looked out across the bay as the ships came in.
One afternoon he sat on his usual spot, but became aware of someone else's presence nearby.
"Good Afternoon, Captain" the stranger said.
Van Hunks just nodded and pulled on his pipe.
"Quite a pleasant place day, is it not?" The stranger sat himself down next to the big man.
"Uhuh"
The stranger took out his own pipe. "A nice place to smoke, as well."
"Yes, yes, yes!" the Captain said, irritated by the imposition.
When Van Hunk turned to inspect the stranger he couldn't but help think how peculiar he looked. He was lanky and thin, dressed in all black with a tall hat atop his head. His hollow face was devoid of all colour as well.
The conversation between the two turned to boasting, and soon a row broke out over who was the best smoker.
"Let us smoke for a prize," the stranger said. "If I lose, you'll receive all the kingdoms on earth. If you lose then I'll receive your soul."
"I've seen enough kingdoms to last me several lifetimes, " the old seaman said. "Also, I've lost my soul long ago. So let us just smoke to see who is the greatest."
The two piled two mountains of tobacco in front of them and then started to smoke. The sun set and darkness came but they continued to puff on their pipes. The smoke spread until it became a thick cloud, which gathered over the flat top of Table Mountain.
By the third day, the stranger's face had begun to take on an unpleasant green hue. The Captain was unperturbed though, and continued to tell pirate stories and puff on his pipe. The black clad figure couldn't take it anymore and fell back. His hat toppled off his head and two horns could be seen poking through his hair.
Aaah, I see. You are the Devil." Captain Van Hunks said.
The Devil dusted himself off and said, "I'm here to fetch you."
"B-but...I won!"
A clap of thunder and both of them were gone. Only two burnt places remained, to serve as a reminder where Van Hunks and the Devil sat, and the place came to be known as Devil's Peak.
Van Hunks was a stubborn man, even in death, and he continued to nag the Devil over the competition. When it became unbearable, the Devil would bring Van Hunks to his beloved mountain, where the both of them could smoke again, and white clouds would billow. The old Captain would always win, though.
Thanks for reading!
In Cape Town there are days when the winds blow with a fierce strength. When you are lucky, you can see clouds spill over the iconic Table Mountain, and this white covering is colloquially called the "Table Cloth". One folk tale explains the origin of this phenomenon, a tale with Dutch and Cape Malay roots.
Van Hunks and the Mountain
One day, in the early 1700's, a ship docked in Table Bay, South Africa. A bull of a man came ashore, dressed in the finest silk. This caused throngs of curious people to gather. Some of the older heads recognized him, he was Van Hunks, the Dutch governor's former huntsman. That is, he was until he vanished without a trace and was never heard of again. Back then he had been poor; now the red faced man unloaded chests and trunks of every variety.
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| A View of the Cape of Good Hope, 1792. By William Hodges. |
In the taverns people the sailors and inhabitants turned to a favourite pastime - gossip.
"He must be a pirate!" one said.
"I saw him unfurl the skull and crossbones!" another replied.
So the people continued with their speculation about how the huntsman came to be a wealthy man.
Captain Van Hunks didn't give the idle chatter any of his attention, and he went straight back to his old house at the foot of a mountainous outcrop called Windberg. On fine days he hiked up the mountain, where he smoked, drank and looked out across the bay as the ships came in.
One afternoon he sat on his usual spot, but became aware of someone else's presence nearby.
"Good Afternoon, Captain" the stranger said.
Van Hunks just nodded and pulled on his pipe.
"Quite a pleasant place day, is it not?" The stranger sat himself down next to the big man.
"Uhuh"
The stranger took out his own pipe. "A nice place to smoke, as well."
"Yes, yes, yes!" the Captain said, irritated by the imposition.
When Van Hunk turned to inspect the stranger he couldn't but help think how peculiar he looked. He was lanky and thin, dressed in all black with a tall hat atop his head. His hollow face was devoid of all colour as well.
The conversation between the two turned to boasting, and soon a row broke out over who was the best smoker.
"Let us smoke for a prize," the stranger said. "If I lose, you'll receive all the kingdoms on earth. If you lose then I'll receive your soul."
"I've seen enough kingdoms to last me several lifetimes, " the old seaman said. "Also, I've lost my soul long ago. So let us just smoke to see who is the greatest."
The two piled two mountains of tobacco in front of them and then started to smoke. The sun set and darkness came but they continued to puff on their pipes. The smoke spread until it became a thick cloud, which gathered over the flat top of Table Mountain.
By the third day, the stranger's face had begun to take on an unpleasant green hue. The Captain was unperturbed though, and continued to tell pirate stories and puff on his pipe. The black clad figure couldn't take it anymore and fell back. His hat toppled off his head and two horns could be seen poking through his hair.
Aaah, I see. You are the Devil." Captain Van Hunks said.
The Devil dusted himself off and said, "I'm here to fetch you."
"B-but...I won!"
A clap of thunder and both of them were gone. Only two burnt places remained, to serve as a reminder where Van Hunks and the Devil sat, and the place came to be known as Devil's Peak.
Van Hunks was a stubborn man, even in death, and he continued to nag the Devil over the competition. When it became unbearable, the Devil would bring Van Hunks to his beloved mountain, where the both of them could smoke again, and white clouds would billow. The old Captain would always win, though.
Thanks for reading!
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