Beautiful Eliza Meiring
The Witch Of Hex River Valley
In 1863 Carl had bought some horses of his own. Pleasant were the days that followed during which he and Otto explored the Breëde River and Hex River Valleys on horseback. Sometimes on expeditions to hunt antelope and lion or to catch fish in the rivers. Carl and Otto allowed their elder sons along on these trips as they were now older. They would hunt, camp and swim in the clear mountain pools, joke and tell stories to the kids. Their tête-à-tête would encompass Carl’s experience in the Prussian Hussars, which the kids loved, stories about Carl and Otto’s previous hunting episodes and stories about ghost’s. It was during one of these trips that Otto told them the story about the Witch of the Hex River Valley.
‘About 100 years ago in 1768, there was a charming Dutch girl, named Eliza Meiring, living on one of the farms in the Hex River Valley. The farm’s name was Buffelskraal.
Eliza courted by the local young men who all wanted to marry her. She told them that she would only consider marriage to the man who could bring her a flower of a kind which only grew on the most treacherous heights of the mountains.
Elise was an attractive girl. In the whole valley, no one breathed like her. But predestinated, she suffered from pride. When the young men came to visit her, she just shrugged and said, “Someday, the most imposing best and most eloquent young man will find me.”
One day Flip arrives at the farm with his fox. It’s good to hear him laugh and gorgeous to watch without his shirt. He is not frightened of work. Then Elise knew: this was the young man she was awaiting But she is still egotistic. “Go pick me the crimson disa that grows on the highest cliff,” she says. “Then, I will know that you are worthy of my love.”
“I’m leaving,” said Philip.
Flip scales and climbs, and as he rises, he sings.
Flip ascent and surmount with a laugh.
Flip rose until he reached the cliffs.
Far on a rocky point that hangs over the most bottomless abyss, the red disa blooms.
“Now I’m going to pluck you,” said Flip. “My bride is waiting for me.”
But as he bent forward, the stones crumbled under his foot. He clutches, but it’s just the disa he seizes. He lost the flower with his fingers broken and fell to his death.
Philip, the young man, who she wanted very much, so the story goes, was killed in the mountains. Eliza, guilt-stricken, suffered a nervous breakdown. She locked herself in a room and refused to come out. One night Eliza carved her name and the date 1768 into the wooden window sill of her room, and then committed herself to the mountain where Philip died. When Elise heard of Flip’s death, her heart broke. “Philip! Philip! ”She sobs, but it’s too late. Filip! Philip! ”She cries, but it doesn’t help anymore. “Philip! Philip! ”She called, and she climbed the mountain to where the crimson disa stood.
When she saw the broken flower stalk and the traces of Philip’s fall, she could no longer. Filip! Philip! “She gasped and collapsed. And the abyss seizes her the way he took Flip, and she falls to her death.
And now, tell the people, you can see her wandering there. It’s just a ghostly leftover from Elize. Her cry is a whisper of wind, and she couldn’t find the peace. Every moonlight night she came again to look for her Philip, though she would never witness him.
“That’s her earned wage,” the people said. “Her pride cost a young man’s life. She’s a witch! ”
Thus the most beautiful young girl of the valley became the Witch of Hex River.
Her name and the time can still be seen today in the homestead of Buffelskraal.
From this story emanates the legend about the witch “Hex” haunting the Hex River Valley in search of her lover. When the moonlight glistens on the high mountain snows of winter and the mists swirls around the summits, the Witch is on the mountain. Many of the people living in the valley then make sure that their doors and their windows bolted.’
Listening, wide-eyed, the kids packed more wood on the fire and slept poorly that night to the amusement of Carl and Otto.
Carl’s thoughts turned to Wilhelm, his second eldest son. Wilhelm seemingly lived for horses and would not miss an opportunity to imagine himself a Prussian Hussar, charging on horseback down a dusty road with a raised wooden sword he had made himself.
Wilhelm also mastered the ability to track any living thing on horseback. Carl could not help thinking that Wilhelm was waiting in anticipation of some war starting for him to enlist or join up with the Witch of Hex River! Wilhelm had the enthusiasm of Philip and was typical to go on a dangerous mission to please the Girl he loved. He was very proud of Wilhelm for the display of his enthusiasm and reminder of himself, at the same age.
