The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #92940   Message #1783903
Posted By: Azizi
14-Jul-06 - 08:59 PM
Thread Name: Songs & Rhymes That Mention Snakes
Subject: RE: Songs & Rhymes That Mention Snakes
Here's a Zulu {South Africa} children's chant that mentions the snake among other creatures:

Walking Through Africa

Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see inyoka looking at me.
Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see ufudu looking at me.
Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see indlovu looking at me.
Walking through Africa, what do I see?
I can see ikhozi looking at me.

note: This is a Zulu chant the children "sing" while they stalk about. The translation would probably be closer to "walking through the bush...," but my children love to say Africa. I've translated all the words but the animals. These are as follows:

inyoka (een-yoh'-gkah) a snake
ufudu (oo-foo'-doo) a tortoise, /oo/ as in fool
indlovu (een-dloh'-voo) an elephant
ikhozi (ee-koh'zee) an eagle

CanTeach: African Songs, Chants, and Games