GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - South Africans often celebrate the country’s rich cultural diversity, but keeping indigenous languages and traditions alive requires the ongoing work of poets, translators and activists.
Poet Lynthia Julius, born in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape, knows this intimately. She won the Afrikaans category of the AVBOB Poetry Competition in 2017 with her poem Vir Aljarreau.
Her debut collection, Uit die Kroes (Kwela, 2020), explores her Nama heritage and the complicated relationship she has with her roots.
As Heritage Day approaches, Julius’ poetry highlights the importance of preserving indigenous memory, language and storytelling.
Finding her roots through poetry
In her evocative poem Ontheeming (Displacement), Julius reflects on how her relationship with her Nama heritage changed after she and her mother moved to Kimberley when she was a child.
Although she feels distanced from her roots at times, Julius says her heritage remains central to her identity as a poet.
“I am the poet I am today because of where I come from. Because of my heritage.”
Her poem Intellektualisme van Goed (Intellectualising Stuff) similarly captures her longing for home and the familiar language and stories of the Northern Cape.
Julius recalls writing the poem while studying Philosophy at the University of the Free State, when she found herself missing home and feeling disconnected from academic life.
“I was sick of academia. I sat there, and I was homesick. I felt estranged while sitting in that class, and I desperately needed to be human again,” she says.
What does ‘komvandaan’ mean?
For Julius, Heritage Day is closely linked to the Afrikaans word ‘komvandaan’ - the place you come from, or your origins.
“I cannot make sense of the world without my heritage. Without acknowledging my ‘komvandaan’.”
She says her heritage influences the way she understands and expresses the world through poetry.
Julius also highlights the important role played by translators in bringing indigenous voices to wider audiences. She praises Douglas Reid Skinner, who has translated some of her poems into English, for approaching her work with respect for her heritage, language and dialect.
Write about your own roots
Julius’ story is a reminder that heritage can be found in language, family stories, places, memories and everyday experiences.
In the coming days, readers are encouraged to write a poem exploring an aspect of their own linguistic or cultural ‘komvandaan’.
The AVBOB Poetry Competition is open for submissions until 30 November. Visit here and familiarise yourself with the competition rules before submitting.
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