What are some myths about meerkats?

Answer 1

Like most of Africa's creatures, Meerkat's have myths and stories about them, unfortunately, the only one with the meerkat I could find is the Ichnuemon variation of the Eland myth. The Eland was the favorite creature of Cagn, the creator, trickster god and shape-shifter. In the original, he had two sons who, jealous of the Eland killed it and were forced to use its blood to create a new heard to please their father. In the Ichneumon variation recounted by Scholar David Lewis-Williams involved Meerkats. In this version Cagn's daughter the porcupine married Kwammang-a, a meerkat and had a song called Ichneumon, who was very close to his grandfather. Cagn would bring honey to the Eland, his favorite and when people grew curious they sent Ichneumon to spy on him, and when he saw the Cagn giving honey to the Eland he reported what he was to his brothers the meerkats who then persuaded him to tell them where the Eland was, and they found it and killed it. Another variation of this story is called "The Mantis, the Eland and the Meerkats". There are several versions many of which can be found in the books below.

There are also some books on African myths that you can look up too, specifically about the Kwammang-a. such include: Stories that float from afar: Ancestral folklore of the San of South Africa, edited by David Lewis-Williams, A cosmos in stone: interpreting religion and society through rock art by J. David Lewis-Williams