Herrie, the famous imaginary elephant in Klein Karoo

Some characters from our favourite books gain a life of their own. These include hobbits, fairies and our Jungle Book friends. The Klein Karoo has its very own larger-than-life fictional character - Herrie, the elephant, that has over the last century become a popular figure who has captured our imaginations and hearts.

Side sign of Herrie the elephant, Klein karoo

Created by CJ Langenhoven (1873-1932), Herrie became popular in the children’s stories ‘Sonde met die bure’ (Sin with the neighbours), written in 1921, and ‘Herrie op die ou tremspoor’ (Herrie on the old tram track) (1925), a story about a family on holiday in a vehicle drawn by Herrie the elephant.

Poet and writer, Langenhoven was known for his sharp wit and gentle demeanour (he was nicknamed ‘Sagmoedige Neelsie’ - Gentle Neelsie). He was also known for being instrumental in having the Afrikaans language recognised and the language in schools changed from Dutch to Afrikaans in 1914; for his writing of ‘Die Stem, South Africa’s national anthem, of which two uplifting verses are still included in the national anthem ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica’ (God Bless Africa) today; for his poems, prose, stories and books for ‘kinders van ag-tot-ag-en-taggentig’ (children from eight to eighty-eight); for translating the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam into Afrikaans - and for Herrie, his imaginary elephant.

CJ Langenhoven (1873-1932), who created Herrie the imaginary elephant of Klein Karoo

Walking through his and his wife Lenie’s (Vroutijie’s) beloved home, ‘Arbeidsgenot’ (Labour’s Delight) in Oudtshoorn, now a well-kept museum, there is a collection of small elephants on the mantelpiece, given to him as gifts after the publication of his books about Herrie and his adventures, a large elephant statue in the garden and outside the kitchen door a postbox for receiving letters addressed to Herrie, where many children have posted their letters to him over the years.

Langenhoven carved Herrie’s name into a rock in Meiringspoort, at one of the stops along the route from Prince Albert to De Rust, now called ‘Herrieklip’ or ‘Herrie se klip’ (Herrie’s Stone). The site was declared a national monument for Langenhoven on the centenary of his birth in 1973.