Paul Weinberg South African, b. 1956
The Rain Queen, who is thought to have arrived in South Africa about 400 years ago
from present-day Zimbabwe, is believed to have magical powers including the power to
induce rain. The Balobedu Kingdom is matriarchal, and rule has been passed from mother
to daughter for centuries. Traditionally, the crown is passed down to the queen’s eldest
daughter. The queen is not allowed to formally marry but may have sexual partners. Every
November, the queen oversees a rainmaking ceremony of which the Modjadji Forest forms
the epicentre. This unique forest has the largest collection of certain cycad species in the
world. The Modjadji Forest and the Rain Queen hold an important place in the South African
imagination of indigenous cosmology and the power of animist spirituality.
