Rain - African Campfire Stories Naturally the African weather
played the most vital part in the lives of the Hottentots, just
as with the Bushmen, but the former had livestock to care for.
They needed good rain for grazing and had many feasting and
dancing rituals to bring on the desired rainfall. They also sent
parties into the veld to search for the elusive chameleon, which
was supposed to bring rain. When found it was buried stomach
upwards in the earth, and special care was taken not to injure
it. The people firmly believed that it would rain the same day.
When this happened (hopefully for the chameleon's sake this was
often), and after sufficient rain had fallen, or the rolls of
thunder had grown quite frightening, the chameleon was dug up
and set free. A substitute for the chameleon was the yellow
cobra which, however, did not fare so well. It was half killed
before burial, and only finished off when no more rain was
required. Other practices to bring on rain were the burying of
round stones in the veld