Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Given the importance of the water spirits, many rivers, pools, and water sources are viewed
with a mixture of awe, fear, and respect by indigenous communities in southern Africa.
Their sanctity has generated numerous taboos surrounding access and use. Frequently, only
healers, kings, and chiefs are allowed to approach such areas. The general populace is for-
bidden to go near sacred pools for fear of being taken under the water, never to return.
Such taboos represent just one small fragment of the great web of influence rivers exert on
humankind, a power that can be traced back to the beginnings of humanity. The ways in
which the flow of rivers has helped to shape history is investigated in more detail in the
following chapter.
