38:
45:
232:
296:
depictions of birds and an unusual winged figure with zigzag legs, believed to represent a shaman or priest who had assumed a bird-like form to undertake the journey to the spirit world. Flight is a widespread and recurring metaphor for altered states of consciousness in South
African rock art and folklore.
295:
of the pre-colonial era. The site above the mission was declared a
National Monument in 1936. It has been abused by visitors who have vandalized the paintings or splashed water to bring out the colours (depositing a film of salts, causing them to fade). The main panel at the site contains remarkable
265:
Coplan indicates that these rites are but a part of a larger phenomenon of re-occupation, by re-use, of heritage and ritual sites in the Free State-Lesotho frontier. He notes that “Pilgrims to the sacred caves practise every form of
African religion from pre-Christian Basotho ritual and medicine to
245:
In the cemetery alongside the Priory lie the remains, besides those of missionary brothers and other former residents, of the legendary BaSotho prophet ‘Mantsopa, who died here on 11 November 1906. Makhetha
Mantsopa was born in the region in about 1795. In 1851 she predicted that the BaSotho would
282:
times, provided the first
Anglican missionaries with shelter and their first place of worship. A century later, in 1970, members of the Zionist Christian Church (ZCC) began using it as an important pilgrimage site where the ancestors are felt to be strongly present. Offerings are typically placed
173:
purchased the farms
Modderpoort and Modderpoort Spruit in 1865 as a base for missionary work in the area. The property was situated within the so-called ‘Conquered Territory’ lost by the BaSotho through conquest in the years 1843-1869. It was in fact not before 1869 that Canon Henry Beckett, the
261:
in recent years, when offerings are sometimes placed at her grave or in the nearby Cave Church. Particularly, a sacred spring of fresh water at
Modderpoort is associated with the Matsopa cult. Pilgrims collect “Matsopa Water” (now bottled) from the sacred spring, well regarded for its healing
246:
triumph over colonial troops led by Major Warden. Renowned amongst her people for her seeing into the future and communicating with the ancestors, she was recognized instantly as a prophetess. Legend has it that over the years her influence became a threat to the power of the
Basotho King
184:
Alongside the Priory is the cemetery, containing inter alia the graves of the
Anglican Brothers who served at Modderpoort. Their graves are capped with beautifully carved sandstone which was quarried from the surrounding hills (the sandstone for the
250:. So it is said, Matsopa fled, finding refuge in the valley of Modderpoort. Here she was Christianised, baptized on 13 March 1870, and took the name Anna. (Moshoeshoe was to have been baptized on the same day, but died two days previously).
283:
here – snuff, that the ancestors may ‘breathe’ better; gambling tokens; scratch-and-win cards; crockery; food; money; written appeals and so forth. Candles are burnt during ceremonies which can involve several hundred people.
177:
In 1871 the Priory was built while the sandstone Chapel, badly damaged in a mountain fire, was enlarged and rededicated in 1903. Meanwhile, Modderpoort had been taken over, in 1902, by the
Anglican
200:
By 1928, the SSM had established a School and a Training College for black teachers. Both these institutions were closed down in 1955, however, following the introduction of
472:
376:. Prepared for the Free State Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in connection with site worthy of consideration for World Heritage Sites status.
291:
Additionally, rock painting sites form part of this ‘sacred landscape’ where the rock art relates to the beliefs and shamanistic ritual performances of San
487:
477:
174:
Superior of the Society of St Augustine, accompanied by four brothers, set up the mission, initially in a cave converted as church and dwelling.
37:
253:‘Mantsopa, it is suggested, practised a combination of Christian and traditional African rites which probably anticipated those of the modern
139:
124:
65:
170:
81:
418:
482:
372:
178:
223:
St Augustine’s operated subsequently as a Conference and Synod Centre and today includes Bed & Breakfast facilities.
391:
Coplan, David B. (2003). "Land from the Ancestors: Popular Religious Pilgrimage along the South Africa-Lesotho Border".
320:
304:
254:
213:
453:
308:
217:
205:
193:
came from the same source). The sparrow that features in some of the carvings has reference to
400:
292:
279:
186:
311:
inscription on June 30, 1998 in the Cultural category, and removed from the list in 2011
340:
240:
151:
466:
209:
158:
143:
247:
128:
69:
442:
404:
275:
258:
194:
135:
96:
83:
231:
201:
257:. Her memory is revered to this day, with Modderpoort becoming a site of
190:
132:
155:
147:
266:
independent Apostolic to established mission church Christianity.”
230:
345:
The Free State Mission: The Anglican Church in the OFS, 1863-1883
307:
has been placed on South Africa's Tentative List for UNESCO
443:
Modderpoort Sacred Sites (#) - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
278:, also known as the Rose Chapel, having been inhabited in
235:
The cave of the local prophetess, Anna Mantsopa Makhetha
154:, while the ‘sacred landscape’ in the vicinity includes
123:
or ‘The Pass of the Lions’, is the site in the eastern
369:
Heritage site of the Free State: Magical Modderpoort
75:
60:
146:in the late 1860s. It is also associated with the
419:"Winkie Direko A Remarkable Woman of Free State"
8:
19:
18:
208:of 1953. Alumni from Modderpoort include
386:
384:
382:
362:
360:
358:
356:
354:
332:
473:Landforms of the Free State (province)
454:Former Tentative Sites of South Africa
7:
140:Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo
393:Journal of Southern African Studies
44:
488:Christian missions in South Africa
14:
300:Tentative World Heritage listing
43:
36:
478:Anglican orders and communities
204:and the implementation of the
1:
373:National Museum, Bloemfontein
179:Society of the Sacred Mission
423:National Museum Publications
142:, was established by Bishop
405:10.1080/0305707032000135923
321:Sacred caves of the Basotho
504:
238:
97:29.0999556°S 27.4509556°E
52:Shown within South Africa
31:
24:
305:Modderpoort Sacred Sites
255:Zionist Christian Church
16:Location in South Africa
102:-29.0999556; 27.4509556
456:at World Heritage Site
371:, Roc Art Department,
236:
234:
483:Anglican monasteries
367:Ouzman, S. (1998),
309:World Heritage Site
218:Free State Province
206:Bantu Education Act
120:Lekhalong la Bo Tau
93: /
26:Lekhalong la Bo Tau
21:
237:
347:. pp. 19–21.
169:Bishop Twells of
138:Brotherhood, the
112:
111:
495:
457:
451:
445:
440:
434:
433:
431:
430:
415:
409:
408:
388:
377:
375:
364:
349:
348:
337:
293:hunter-gatherers
117:, also known as
108:
107:
105:
104:
103:
98:
94:
91:
90:
89:
86:
47:
46:
40:
22:
503:
502:
498:
497:
496:
494:
493:
492:
463:
462:
461:
460:
452:
448:
441:
437:
428:
426:
417:
416:
412:
390:
389:
380:
366:
365:
352:
339:
338:
334:
329:
317:
302:
289:
280:Later Stone Age
272:
243:
229:
187:Union Buildings
167:
101:
99:
95:
92:
87:
84:
82:
80:
79:
56:
55:
54:
53:
50:
49:
48:
27:
17:
12:
11:
5:
501:
499:
491:
490:
485:
480:
475:
465:
464:
459:
458:
446:
435:
410:
378:
350:
341:Karel Schoeman
331:
330:
328:
325:
324:
323:
316:
313:
301:
298:
288:
285:
271:
268:
239:Main article:
228:
225:
166:
165:St Augustine’s
163:
110:
109:
77:
73:
72:
62:
58:
57:
51:
42:
41:
35:
34:
33:
32:
29:
28:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
500:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
470:
468:
455:
450:
447:
444:
439:
436:
424:
420:
414:
411:
406:
402:
398:
394:
387:
385:
383:
379:
374:
370:
363:
361:
359:
357:
355:
351:
346:
342:
336:
333:
326:
322:
319:
318:
314:
312:
310:
306:
299:
297:
294:
286:
284:
281:
277:
269:
267:
263:
260:
256:
251:
249:
242:
233:
226:
224:
221:
219:
215:
211:
210:Winkie Direko
207:
203:
198:
196:
192:
188:
182:
180:
175:
172:
164:
162:
160:
159:rock painting
157:
153:
149:
145:
144:Edward Twells
141:
137:
134:
130:
126:
122:
121:
116:
106:
78:
74:
71:
67:
63:
59:
39:
30:
23:
449:
438:
427:. Retrieved
425:. 2020-08-06
422:
413:
396:
392:
368:
344:
335:
303:
290:
287:San rock art
273:
264:
252:
244:
222:
199:
183:
176:
171:Bloemfontein
168:
131:, where the
129:South Africa
119:
118:
114:
113:
88:27°27′3.44″E
85:29°5′59.84″S
70:South Africa
276:Cave Church
270:Cave Church
262:qualities.
115:Modderpoort
100: /
76:Coordinates
20:Modderpoort
467:Categories
429:2022-08-12
327:References
259:pilgrimage
248:Moshoeshoe
197:10:29-30.
195:St Matthew
136:Missionary
125:Free State
66:Free State
241:‘Mantsopa
202:Apartheid
152:‘Mantsopa
343:(1986).
315:See also
227:Mantsopa
191:Pretoria
150:prophet
133:Anglican
64:Eastern
61:Location
216:of the
214:Premier
181:(SSM).
161:sites.
148:BaSotho
399:(4).
274:The
212:, a
401:doi
189:in
156:San
469::
421:.
397:29
395:.
381:^
353:^
220:.
127:,
68:,
432:.
407:.
403::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
