The Creation from the Cave

In the beginning, all creatures lived underground in a great cave called Lowe. The creator god, Modimo, decided it was time for them to enter the world. He opened the mouth of the cave, and the first being to emerge was Man, who walked out cautiously. After him came all the animals: the cattle, the sheep, the lion, the giraffe, and all the others. The ground was soft and wet from a recent rain, and as they all emerged, they left their footprints in the mud around the cave mouth. These footprints hardened into rock and can still be seen today at a place called Matsieng. However, Man, being clever but also destructive, began to make fire and hunt the animals as soon as he emerged. The other animals, terrified, fled into the wilderness. Modimo, seeing the chaos Man had created, sealed the entrance to Lowe, leaving many creatures still inside. This is why the world is as it is, populated by the descendants of those who first emerged, and why Man is forever separated from the other creatures who were once his brothers in the cave.