16th full circle in the forest

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KNYSNA NEWS - Family and admirers of the legendary Afrikaans author Dalene Matthee paid tribute to her at her memorial at Krisjan-se-Nek on the 16th anniversary of her death.

The group that gathered at the memorial on Saturday 20 February was made up of individuals from various corners of Afrikaans culture. Under the branches of the mighty tree which was aptly named after Dalene Matthee in 2008, Die Dameskring (The Women's Circle), FAK-Kultuurnetwerk (FAK Culture Network), and the Voortrekkers branch of George all gathered alongside family of Matthee to pay homage to the life of one of South Africa's best-loved authors and proponents of the Afrikaans language.

The special occasion on Saturday was a chance for the various organisations and Matthee's family to share their memories of Matthee the author and the difference her works made in their lives.

Matthee's niece Alta Scott remembered her aunt fondly, recalling her rebellious and 'misfit' nature that would often lead to the telling of anecdotes at family gatherings.

Many a tale was shared, and it was evident Matthee's legacy continues to live on in ways only those closest to her can fully comprehend.

Chair of the Mossel Bay FAK branch Denise Lloyd; FAK member Petronel Baard; Matthee's niece Alta Scott; Matthee's sister-in-law Minee Scott; and FAK coordinator in the Western, Southern, and Eastern Cape regions Elizma Smith.

Matthee's literary works brought the very best of the power of the Afrikaans language to the fore and presented it to the world in an unprecedented way. She was a great admirer of the forests around Knysna, and based a series of books in around them – Circles in a Forest, Fiela's Child, The Mulberry Forest, and Dreamforest.

Photo gallery: Dalene Matthee remembered

She died on 20 February 2005 of sudden heart failure, and on 23 February 2008 her memorial was unveiled at Krisjan-se-Nek in the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park, just outside Rheenendal, where her ashes were also scattered following her death.

At the unveiling of the memorial, the enormous Yellowwood tree of over 880 years at Krisjan-se-Nek was named after her and is now called the Dalene Matthee Big Tree.

The hiking trail starting at Krisjan-se-Nek was renamed and is now called the Circles in a Forest Trail. After the stories and laying of flowers at the memorial, Petronel Baard serenaded those in attendance with a quick song before everyone embarked on a walk along the the Circles in a Forest Trail.

Members of the Mossel Bay branch of Die Dameskring, Maretha Alberts, Elize Barnardt, and Annette Ipland-Erasmus remembered Dalene Matthee fondly. On the right is coordinator of the FAK in the Western, Southern, and Eastern Cape regions Elizma Smith. Photos: Blake Linder