In Khoikhoi mythology, Ga-gorib is a mythological monster who sat by a deep hole in the ground and dared passers-by to throw rocks at him. The rocks bounced off and killed the passer-by, who then fell into the hole. One time, Heitsi-eibib distracted Ga-gorib and hit it below its ear with a rock; it fell into the pit. In an alternate version, Heitsi-eibib was chased around the hole until he slipped and fell inside. He eventually escaped and pushed Ga-gorib into the pit.
Gorib is 'the spotted one' (meaning leopard, cheetah, or leguaan ) in Central Khoisan languages , so the Ga-gorib probably has some connection with this formidable species. The element ga- remains to be explained, possibly it is a negative: 'Not-a-leopard', not only on comparative morphological grounds, but also because its adversary himself has many symbolic connotations of the leopard (rain, stars, speckledness)
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