October is the tenth month of the year: autumn up in the northern hemisphere and spring here down south, though a bit chilly if it’s still 5 0C in the morning. It also doesn’t quite fit a friend’s remark that South African spring is always just ten minutes long, and if you happen to be inside, you’ll miss it altogether.
This year, however, the cold spells keep rolling in. But they still get rain down in the Western Cape, and after the drought they’ve had, they deserve all the rain they need, so, I’ll put the woollies on, and I won’t make a peep about the wintry weather.
The Romans
But where did October get its name if octo means eight and October is the tenth month? The original Roman calendar had only ten months in a year consisting of 304 days. October was thus originally the eighth month and the Romans simply ignored the 61 days that fell smack bam in the middle of winter. One could wonder what they did during those 61 days. Would all manners of mischief be ignored for that time as well? When January and February were added, October’s name remained, as did September, November and December. Was it pure laziness or a lack of creativity? Or did it simply not matter because what, oh what’s in a name?
Leipoldt
But no October column of mine could go to print without reference to Leipoldt’s poem. Oktobermaand, he says, is the prettiest month of the year. Die mooiste mooiste maand. It’s the month of the Jacarandas in Pretoria and the arum lilies in the Boland. It’s the month of fresh, new twitterings emanating from little baby beaks, hidden away in the freshly adorned, spring-green trees.
Leipoldt has inspired at least four composers to set his poem to music. Pompecki’s setting is in the old FAK-sangbundel, and, unfortunately, I couldn’t find a recording of it. The setting by DJ Roode, was recorded by Palesa Malieloa. What a wonderful surprise.
John Pescod’s version is perhaps the most well-known. I’ve known it since I was a pert little four-year-old and my admiration for my mother knew no bounds because she sang the same Oktobermaand as tannie Mimi Coertse on the radio.
And then, especially for the mood that 2020 impresses on all the world, there is a rare recording of Ivan Rebroff, in the minor, from his album Vir jou Suid-Afrika.
With thanks to the Safrean photographers who so freely offered their images for this article. There are enough for a series of spring articles.
8 Responses
Yay! You’re back! I missed these.
I missed them too, so, I’ll always be back. But thank you. 🙂
I felt a major pang when you mentioned the jacarandas, and remembered that it’s a year since I was in South Africa.
Some day, over the rainbow…
Was thinking the same thing all through the writing of this column.
A journey into a world of surprises. I now know a whole lot about October that I didn’t know before. I love the variety you always offer.
Thanks, Melody. You’re very kind.
I like the information. Especially about C Louis Leipolt and the October song. We were never told at school what the C stood for, nor did we care much as kids. I was wondering whether you knew as a ‘pert little 4 year-old’. I am trying to picture that.
Thanks for the belly laugh, Peter. I’m almost certain that I didn’t know. I went to check the C now and saw that he had three names, in fact – Christian Frederik Louis Leipoldt. 🙂