The Jackal and the Sacred Cow

Every Herero clan has a sacred cow (ozohivirikwa), which is revered and never slaughtered. A clever but disrespectful Jackal saw one of these magnificent cows and desired its meat. He went to the owner of the cow and said, "Your ancestors are angry. They have sent me as a messenger. They say this cow is too old and you must sacrifice it to appease them." The man was devout but also wise. He replied, "If the ancestors sent you, then you must know the secret name of this cow, a name known only to our family and the spirits." The Jackal, of course, did not know the name and was stumped. He tried to guess, but failed. The man knew then that the Jackal was a liar and chased him away. The story teaches that sacred traditions are protected by secret knowledge and that an outsider who tries to use the names of the ancestors for his own greedy purposes will always be exposed as a fraud.