The Covenant

The Covenant is a historical novel by American author James A. Michener, published in 1980. Overview The novel is set in South Africa, home to five distinct populations: Bantu (native Black tribes), Coloured (the result of generations of racial mixture between persons of European descent and the indigenous occupants of South Africa along with slaves brought in from Angola, Indonesia, India, Madagascar and the east Coast of Africa), British, Afrikaner, and Indian, Chinese, and other foreign workers. The novel traces the history, interaction, and conflicts between these populations, from prehistoric times up to the 1970s. Chapters The text is divided into 14 chapters, each accompanied by local fauna (which sometimes feature in the events of that chapter): "Prologue" (Eland): Set circa 13,000 BC, it follows a wandering group of San, including their hunting and cave painting practices. "Zimbabwe" (Rhinoceros): Starting in 1453, it covers the culture of areas economically connected to Great Zimbabwe, including Arab traders. "A Hedge of Bitter Almond" (Hippopotamus): Covers the Portuguese explorations east via Africa in the 1490s, European rivalry over the Spice Islands, and the founding of the Cape Colony. "The Huguenots" (Leopard): Details the 17th-century intermingling of African, Asian and European cultures in the colony, including the arrival of French religious refugees and the founding of the wine industry. "The Trekboers" (Hyena): Follows the 18th-century expansion of the colony as Boers are drawn to the open farmlands to the east (and conflicts with the Xhosa) as authorities seek to organise legal and religious control. “The Missionary” (Wildebeest): Covers the 19th-century British takeover of the colony, Black Circuit courts and the events at Slagter’s Nek, the confrontation at Grahamstown, the missionary work of the LMS, and arrival of English settlers. "Mfecane" (Lion): Details the lifestyles of the various tribes in the Natal region, particularly the Zulu. It focuses on the rise of Shaka, his military reforms, the expansion of the Zulu state from 1816, and the anguish of the Mfecane. "The Voortrekkers" (Sable Antelope): Follows the ongoing tensions, into the 1830s, of the settlers and the Xhosa. The passing of the Slavery Abolition Act then led to increased dissatisfaction culminating in the Great Trek and conflicts with Mzilikazi and Dingane. "The Englishmen" (Zebra): Details the disastrous prophecy of Nongqause in the 1850s.