 Mat Sedge, Matjiesgoed, Imisi
(Cyperus textilis): How do we use it? |
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- Mat Sedge is used to make sleeping mats and
matjieshuise.
People harvest the reeds, dry them and sew them together to make a mat.
- The Khoe first designed the matjieshuis as a
portable home that they could take with them as they migrated with their
cattle and sheep. They built a circular frame of wooden poles and tied
the mats onto the frame. When they wanted to move on, they could easily
roll up the mats, gather up the poles and carry them to their next
campsite.
- Many people in Namaqualand build matjieshuise today because they are
comfortable to live in. In summer, the reeds dry out, leaving small gaps
in the mats. The wind can blow through these gaps, like natural air
conditioning. In winter when it rains, the reeds swell and close the
gaps so that the house doesn’t leak and it is cosy inside.
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