DXUI
neutralSpirit
Dxui is the name of a creator spirit in the mythology of the San of southern Africa. According to the reference works that draw on the collections of Bushman folklore, creation was the work of a spirit named Dxui, by turns a man and a multitude of other forms — now a flower, now a bird, now a lizard. This capacity to pass from one state to another makes him a figure of metamorphosis and origin, close to the demiurge who runs through the forms of the living before fixing that of the human. A little-documented character, Dxui is sometimes likened to or confused with Cagn or ǀKaggen, the mantis-shaped creator of the San. He illustrates a constant trait of this cosmology, in which the borders between humans, animals, plants and elements remain porous.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Voice of its pantheon. DXUI carries the memory of its tradition and weaves a thread into the Mabioni. Bound to the Khoisan pantheon. Its alignment depends on the invoker's protocol.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of transformation, embodiment of the power of Dxui
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dxui in San mythology?
Dxui is a creator spirit of the San of southern Africa. Tradition, as the reference works report it, credits him with the creation of the world while himself passing through multiple forms — man, flower, bird or lizard — before becoming fully human.
What does the metamorphosis of Dxui symbolise?
His successive transformations illustrate the idea of a fluid origin of the living, in which the creator explores the plant and animal forms before the appearance of humanity. This motif of metamorphosis is recurrent in San mythology, steeped in correspondences between humans, animals and elements.
Is Dxui the same as Cagn?
Not exactly. Dxui and Cagn (ǀKaggen) are two names of San creator figures sometimes likened or confused in the sources. Cagn is above all associated with the praying mantis, while Dxui is defined by his series of metamorphoses. The documentation nevertheless remains thin.