In the mid 19th century, five |Xam prisoners were released from a convict station into the custody of two dedicated linguists. The captives, against all odds, taught the linguists their |Xam language and told their timeless myths, just a few decades before |Xam as a living language was lost forever. But the linguists had faithfully written down and translated them word by word, and miraculously the stories survived.
||Kabbo, (meaning “Dream”)
who was a Shaman and Rainmaker, as well as a transmitter of the myths..
|Han≠kass’o
a gifted young transmitter of the ancient |Xam mythology
!Kweiten ta ||ken
All the narrators had the stories from their mothers.
Wilhelm Bleek
a German linguist who secured the prisoners into his custody, and recorded their stories.
Lucy Lloyd,
sister-in-law of Bleek, who worked alongside him, and took over the work after his death.
≠Kasin
who helped the linguists build up a |Xam vocabulary.
|A!kunta
the youngest of the prisoners, was 18 when he was captured.
Dia!kwain
the son of a Shaman, who had a profound grasp of the oral tradition of his people.
