LAKE FUNDUDZIFrom the viewpoint high up in the Soutpansberg, visitors can enjoy expansive views of Fundudzi, the Sacred Lake of the Venda. Surrounded by mountains, the lake is about 2 km long, 750 m wide and between 4 and 5 m deep. It was formed when a landslide blocked the course of the Mutale River. Lake Fundudzi has been used as a place of worship since the Venda first settled in the area and is associated with many beliefs. The water of the lake is believed to be the remains of the sea that covered the earth before the Creation, and that water from the Mutale River ‘swims’ over the lake, but does not mix with it. Another belief is that it is forbidden to collect water from the lake for domestic use as the container will burst open. Stories abound about Venda baskets (mifaro) which have been seen floating across the lake, and it is said that voices, laughter and the music from shikona dances can sometimes be heard coming from the lake. Among the explanations for the origin of the name Fundudzi is that it is derived from the words fundu (‘to bend’) and dziba (‘large pool’), an apparent reference to the custom, among those who visit the lake, of bowing with their backs to the water and looking at the lake through their legs. |
