Jan van Hunks
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Jan van Hunks, also known as Orts van Hunks, is a legendary figure in the history of Cape Town. His smoking challenge with the devil is the cause of the well-known "tablecloth" lying on Table Mountain as the Cape Doctor (the southeast wind) blows.
Legend[edit]
The legend is that Van Hunks was a retired Dutch pirate who sat on the slopes of Table Mountain and Devil's Peak in the early 18th century (thus in the time of the Dutch East India Company) and enjoyed the view as he smoked and drank rum. One summer's day, when the south-east winds blow again, a stranger passed by and asked Van Hunks for a stop of tobacco. The visitor highly appreciated the particular tobacco blend and Van Hunks boasted of his own unique tobacco blend and smoking ability. This led to a challenge and an angry smoke that lasted for days and a thick cloud of smoke covering Table Mountain. Suddenly, the challenger dropped his pipe and collapsed. Van Hunks bent over to bring the stranger round with a sip of rum. When he pulled the challenger's hat off his head, he saw the horns and realized that he was dealing with the devil. In a bright flash of lightning both smokers disappeared, leaving only a huge cloud of smoke. Thus, according to legend, Devil's Peak came by its name.[1]
Origin[edit]
That it is a native Cape legend derived from the history of Cape Malay slaves, is unfounded. This is simply an assertion by British journalist Ian Colvin in his book "South Africa: Romance of Empire". Colvin's story is based on the "Ballad of Jan van Hunks" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Rossetti, in turn, was inspired by a story set in the Netherlands. So the legend has nothing to do with the name Devil's Peak.
References[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Nasou, 1974. ISBN 0625003268 Search this book on
. OCLC 174336138 - Van Hunks: Devils and Giants of Table Mountain
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