Kaatje Kekkelbek, or Life Among the Hottentots

Kaatje Kekkelbek, or Life Among the Hottentots (or Caatje Kekelbek, or Life Among the Hottentots) is a sketch in verse and prose, in the form of a "comic song", by Andrew Geddes Bain and George Rex. (Though the father George Rex, was long seen as the author, Ludwig Binge - 1969, pp3-4 - argues convincingly for the son, Andrew Rex.)

The original text

From Stephen Gray's introduction to South Africa Plays, pg. viii:

"Kaatje Kekkelbek features the popular 'Hottentot Venus' character in full cry against the indignities heaped on her to obtain her co-operation in the colonial enterprise: brandy, fences, prison... The sketch, complete with shrieks and feathers, is a turn that parodies an authentic shuffle-and-chant routine." Gray suggests the subject of the piece is essentially the "po-faced Puritans who forget that theatre must accommodate many South African voices, even if the real world outside systematically excludes them."

Generally accepted as the first piece of performed stage writing incorporating a large chunk of "kitchen-Dutch", or Afrikaans. Very popular and apparently performed (most probably in various forms) a number of times over the years.

Originally published as Caatje Kekelbek, or Life Among the Hottentots in Sam Sly’s Journal Space 1846, also reproduced in its entirety in Laidler (1926: pp. 41-44). Only the first stanza is reproduced (from Laidler) by Bosman (1928, Appendix X: pp. 541-543) and the Wikipedia entry on Andrew Geddes Bain[1].

Performance history in South Africa

There is also some uncertainty about the first performed Grahamstown, with both Laidler (1925) and Fletcher (1991) saying 25 October 1838, Du Toit 5 November 1839, and F.C.L. Bosman arguing that at the earliest it could have been in 1844.

Gray gives its first performance as 1846, by 'an amateur cross-dresser in a Border regiment', and states the piece was regularly included in 'smokers and family entertainments'.

Translations and adaptations

The central character of "Caatje Kekelbek" (or "Kaatje Kekkelbek", as she is more commonly known today), the fiery and articulate housemaid, has become a stock figure in a number of South African works over the years, including plays by Stephen Black and Guy Butler (Cape Charade, 1968). (Laidler for example makes the comment in his 1926 publication that "Kaatje" is well known to Capetonians. See further Binge pp. 4-5 for the general influence of this song, especially on the Afrikaans literary and playwriting tradition.)