South African Myths and Legends

I've always been intrigued by legends, myths and tales that have been passed on from generation to generation.
Every country, land and all kinds of people have their own stories to tell.

Sometimes these stories transcend geographical, ethnical and cultural barriers.
Some of these stories have travelled across the globe by explorers who share them by means of word or writing.
These stories are sometimes taken from real events or simply just plain myths

Van Hunks & The Devil

Jan van Hunks, a Dutch pirate in the early 18th century, retired from his eventful life at sea to live on the slopes of Devil's Peak, Table Mountain. To escape from his wife's sharp tongue he often walked up the mountain where he settled down to smoke his pipe. One day a mysterious stranger approached him and asked the retired pirate to borrow some tobacco. After a bit of bragging, a smoking contest ensued, with the winner's prize a ship full of gold. After several days, Van Hunks finally defeated the stranger, who unfortunately turned out to be the devil. Suddenly, thunder rolled, the clouds closed in and Van Hunks disappeared, leaving behind only a scorched patch of ground. Legend has it that the cloud of tobacco smoke they left became the "table-cloth" - the famous white cloud that spills over Table Mountain when the south-easter blows in summer. When that happens, it is said that Van Hunks and the Devil are at it again.