The Oorlam or Orlam people (also known as Orlaam, Oorlammers, Oerlams, or Orlamse Hottentots) are a subtribe of the Nama people, largely assimilated after their migration from the Cape Colony (today, part of South Africa) to Namaqualand and Damaraland (now in Namibia).
Oorlam clans were originally formed from mixed-race descendants of indigenousKhoikhoi, Europeans and slaves from Mozambique, Madagascar, India and Indonesia. Similar to the other Afrikaans-speaking group at the time, the Trekboers, Oorlam originally populated the frontiers of the infant Cape Colony, later living as semi-nomadic commandos of mounted gunmen. Also like the Boers, they migrated inland from the Cape, and established several states in what are now South Africa and Namibia. The Oorlam migration in South Africa also produced the related Griqua people.[1]
Mixed-race "Afrikander" Trekboer nomads in the Cape Colony, ancestral people to the Oorlam and Griqua migrations.
Beginning in the late 18th century, Oorlam communities migrated from the Cape Colony north to Namaqualand. They settled places earlier occupied by the Nama. They came partly to escape the colonial Dutch East India Company conscription, partly to raid and trade, and partly to obtain herding lands.[2] Some of these emigrant Oorlams (including the band led by the outlaw Jager Afrikaner and his son Jonker Afrikaner in the Transgariep) retained links to Oorlam communities in or close to the borders of the Cape Colony. In the face of gradual Boer expansion and then large-scale Boer migrations, such as the Dorsland Trek, away from British rule in the Cape, Jonker Afrikaner brought his people into Namaqualand by the mid-19th century, becoming a formidable force for Oorlam domination over the Nama and against the Bantu-speakingHereros for a period.[3]
Emerging from populations of Khoikhoi servants raised on Boer farms, many of them having been orphaned and captured in Dutch commando raids, Oorlams primarily spoke a version of Dutch or proto-Afrikaans and were much influenced by Cape Dutch colonial ways of life, including adoption of horses and guns, European clothing, and Christianity.[4]
However, after two centuries of assimilation into the Nama culture, many Oorlams today regard Khoekhoe (Damara/Nama) as their mother tongue. The distinction between Namas and Oorlams has gradually disappeared, such that they are regarded as a single ethnic group, despite their differing origins.[5]
Clansedit
The Orlam people comprise various subtribes, clans and families. In South Africa, the Griqua are an influential Oorlam group.
The clans that migrated across the Oranje into South West Africa are, in order of their time of arrival:
The ǀAixaǀaen (Orlam Afrikaners), the first group to enter and permanently settle in Namibia. Their leader Klaas Afrikaner left the Cape Colony around 1770. The clan first built the fortress of ǁKhauxaǃnas, then moved to Blydeverwacht, and finally settled at Windhoek.[6]
The ǃAman (Bethanie Orlam) subtribe settled at Bethanie at the turn of the eighteenth century.[7]
The Kaiǀkhauan (Khauas Nama) subtribe formed in the 1830s, when the Vlermuis clan merged with the Amraal family.[7] Their home settlement became Naosanabis (now Leonardville), which they occupied from 1840 onward.[8] This clan ceased to exist after military defeat by Imperial GermanSchutztruppe in 1894 and 1896.[9]
The ǀHaiǀkhauan (Berseba Orlam) subtribe formed in 1850, when the Tibot and Goliath families split from the ǃAman to found Berseba.[7]
The ǀKhowesin (Witbooi Orlam) subtribe was the last to take up settlement in Namibia. They originated at Pella, south of the Orange River. Their home town became Gibeon.[7]
^. Institute for the Study of Slavery and its Legacy – South Africa. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^J. D. Omer-Cooper, History of Southern Africa (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1987), 263; Nigel Penn, "Drosters of the Bokkeveld and the Roggeveld, 1770–1800," in Slavery in South Africa: Captive Labor on the Dutch Frontier, ed. Elizabeth A. Eldredge and Fred Morton (Boulder, CO: Westview, 1994), 42; Martin Legassick, "The Northern Frontier to ca. 1840: The rise and decline of the Griqua people," in The Shaping of South African Society, 1652–1840, ed. Richard Elphick & Hermann Giliomee (Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan U. Press, 1988), 373–74.
^Malan, Johan S (1998). Die Völker Namibias [The Tribes of Namibia] (in German). Windhoek, Göttingen: Klaus Hess. pp. 120–121.
^Dierks, Klaus. "Biographies of Namibian Personalities, A". Retrieved 24 June 2010.
^ abcdDedering, Tilman (1997). Hate the old and follow the new: Khoekhoe and missionaries in early nineteenth-century Namibia. Vol. 2 (Missionsgeschichtliches Archiv ed.). Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 59–61. ISBN978-3-515-06872-7.
^Dierks, Klaus. "Biographies of Namibian Personalities, L". Retrieved 14 January 2011.
^Shiremo, Shampapi (14 January 2011). "Captain Andreas Lambert: A brave warrior and a martyr of the Namibian anti-colonial resistance". New Era. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
Further readingedit
Kienetz, Alvin (1977). "The Key Role of the Orlam Migrations in the Early Europeanization of South West Africa (Namibia)". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. Boston University African Studies Center. 10 (4): 553–572. doi:10.2307/216929. ISSN 0361-7882. JSTOR 216929.
November 27, 2023
oorlam, people, oorlam, orlam, people, also, known, orlaam, oorlammers, oerlams, orlamse, hottentots, subtribe, nama, people, largely, assimilated, after, their, migration, from, cape, colony, today, part, south, africa, namaqualand, damaraland, namibia, oorla. The Oorlam or Orlam people also known as Orlaam Oorlammers Oerlams or Orlamse Hottentots are a subtribe of the Nama people largely assimilated after their migration from the Cape Colony today part of South Africa to Namaqualand and Damaraland now in Namibia OorlamOrlaam Oorlammers Oerlams Orlamse HottentotsJan Jonker Afrikaner 1785 1861 an early OrlamRegions with significant populations Namibia South AfricaLanguagesAfrikaans Oorlams Creole English KhoekhoeReligionChristianityRelated ethnic groupsAfrikaners Nama Coloureds GriquaThis article contains click symbols from the Khoekhoe language Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols Oorlam clans were originally formed from mixed race descendants of indigenous Khoikhoi Europeans and slaves from Mozambique Madagascar India and Indonesia Similar to the other Afrikaans speaking group at the time the Trekboers Oorlam originally populated the frontiers of the infant Cape Colony later living as semi nomadic commandos of mounted gunmen Also like the Boers they migrated inland from the Cape and established several states in what are now South Africa and Namibia The Oorlam migration in South Africa also produced the related Griqua people 1 Contents 1 History 2 Clans 3 Notable Oorlam people 4 See also 5 Notes 6 Further readingHistory edit nbsp Mixed race Afrikander Trekboer nomads in the Cape Colony ancestral people to the Oorlam and Griqua migrations Beginning in the late 18th century Oorlam communities migrated from the Cape Colony north to Namaqualand They settled places earlier occupied by the Nama They came partly to escape the colonial Dutch East India Company conscription partly to raid and trade and partly to obtain herding lands 2 Some of these emigrant Oorlams including the band led by the outlaw Jager Afrikaner and his son Jonker Afrikaner in the Transgariep retained links to Oorlam communities in or close to the borders of the Cape Colony In the face of gradual Boer expansion and then large scale Boer migrations such as the Dorsland Trek away from British rule in the Cape Jonker Afrikaner brought his people into Namaqualand by the mid 19th century becoming a formidable force for Oorlam domination over the Nama and against the Bantu speaking Hereros for a period 3 Emerging from populations of Khoikhoi servants raised on Boer farms many of them having been orphaned and captured in Dutch commando raids Oorlams primarily spoke a version of Dutch or proto Afrikaans and were much influenced by Cape Dutch colonial ways of life including adoption of horses and guns European clothing and Christianity 4 However after two centuries of assimilation into the Nama culture many Oorlams today regard Khoekhoe Damara Nama as their mother tongue The distinction between Namas and Oorlams has gradually disappeared such that they are regarded as a single ethnic group despite their differing origins 5 Clans editThe Orlam people comprise various subtribes clans and families In South Africa the Griqua are an influential Oorlam group The clans that migrated across the Oranje into South West Africa are in order of their time of arrival The ǀAixaǀaen Orlam Afrikaners the first group to enter and permanently settle in Namibia Their leader Klaas Afrikaner left the Cape Colony around 1770 The clan first built the fortress of ǁKhauxaǃnas then moved to Blydeverwacht and finally settled at Windhoek 6 The ǃAman Bethanie Orlam subtribe settled at Bethanie at the turn of the eighteenth century 7 The Kaiǀkhauan Khauas Nama subtribe formed in the 1830s when the Vlermuis clan merged with the Amraal family 7 Their home settlement became Naosanabis now Leonardville which they occupied from 1840 onward 8 This clan ceased to exist after military defeat by Imperial German Schutztruppe in 1894 and 1896 9 The ǀHaiǀkhauan Berseba Orlam subtribe formed in 1850 when the Tibot and Goliath families split from the ǃAman to found Berseba 7 The ǀKhowesin Witbooi Orlam subtribe was the last to take up settlement in Namibia They originated at Pella south of the Orange River Their home town became Gibeon 7 Notable Oorlam people editOude Ram Afrikaner Klaas Afrikaner Jager Afrikaner Jonker Afrikaner Christian Afrikaner Jan Jonker Afrikaner Hendrina Afrikaner Amraal Lambert Kido WitbooiSee also editOorlams creole Coloured Griqua people Basters Nama people Khoikhoi GoffalNotes edit Slavery in the Cape Institute for the Study of Slavery and its Legacy South Africa Archived from the original on 27 August 2011 Retrieved 8 July 2010 J D Omer Cooper History of Southern Africa Portsmouth NH Heinemann 1987 263 Nigel Penn Drosters of the Bokkeveld and the Roggeveld 1770 1800 in Slavery in South Africa Captive Labor on the Dutch Frontier ed Elizabeth A Eldredge and Fred Morton Boulder CO Westview 1994 42 Martin Legassick The Northern Frontier to ca 1840 The rise and decline of the Griqua people in The Shaping of South African Society 1652 1840 ed Richard Elphick amp Hermann Giliomee Middletown Connecticut Wesleyan U Press 1988 373 74 Omer Cooper 263 64 Legassick 368 69 Penn 42 Malan Johan S 1998 Die Volker Namibias The Tribes of Namibia in German Windhoek Gottingen Klaus Hess pp 120 121 Dierks Klaus Biographies of Namibian Personalities A Retrieved 24 June 2010 a b c d Dedering Tilman 1997 Hate the old and follow the new Khoekhoe and missionaries in early nineteenth century Namibia Vol 2 Missionsgeschichtliches Archiv ed Franz Steiner Verlag pp 59 61 ISBN 978 3 515 06872 7 Dierks Klaus Biographies of Namibian Personalities L Retrieved 14 January 2011 Shiremo Shampapi 14 January 2011 Captain Andreas Lambert A brave warrior and a martyr of the Namibian anti colonial resistance New Era Archived from the original on 8 December 2012 Retrieved 7 February 2011 Further reading editKienetz Alvin 1977 The Key Role of the Orlam Migrations in the Early Europeanization of South West Africa Namibia The International Journal of African Historical Studies Boston University African Studies Center 10 4 553 572 doi 10 2307 216929 ISSN 0361 7882 JSTOR 216929 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oorlam people amp oldid 1177204546, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
