29 Feb, 2008

Small creatures inhabit the world created by a huge thorn tree.

This morning the sun came through the cloud cover for the first time in many days in the Hawaan forest, on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of South Africa. We hoped for more activity in the forest as a result of the extra light.

The play of sunlight in these forest glades revealed detail otherwise covered in shadow, and slowly the complexity of this environment came to light.

Various small creatures attracted our attention: first a toad, then some pill millipedes. These armadillo-like arthropods graze on the moss and lichen on the bark surface of trees, and when touched curl into a tight ball.

We spent some time in the shadow of a large buffalo thorn tree (Ziziphus mucronata), known as umLahlankosi by the Zulu people.

The tree’s yellowish flowers produce nectar that attracts insects, and the reddish fruits are eaten by birds and animals. The bark, leaves and fruit also have many traditional medicinal and magical uses for people.

The story goes that when someone dies away from home, three people will go to ‘fetch’ him or her. One of these people will carry the branches of the buffalo thorn to hook and pull the deceased spirit back home. The one who carries the branches must remain silent throughout the journey. If a king dies, then sprays of these branches are placed upon his grave, hence the name umLahlankosi, which means ‘the giving away of the king’ – the burying of the king.

– by Paul Myburgh, Earth-Touch crew © Earth-Touch

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