The "!Oroǀõas" ("Ward-girl"), spelled in Dutch as Krotoa or Kroket, otherwise known by her Christian name Eva (c. 1643 – 29 July 1674), was a !Uriǁ'aeǀona translator who worked for the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) during the founding of the Cape Colony.
She is one of the most well-written about women in South African history, with her name appearing in the journals of the United East India Company (VOC) from as early as 1652. She was the first woman mentioned by her Khoi name in early European records of the settlement at ǁHuiǃgaeb (Cape Town).
Name
The name "Krotoa" or "Kroket" was most likely not a name but a Dutch spelling of the designation !Oroǀõas (Khoekhoegowab spelling: !Goroǀgôas), referring to the fact that she was put under guardianship, either of her uncle Autshumato (also known as Kx'aothumathub) or of Jan van Riebeeck and Maria de la Quellerie. Her actual birth name is unknown.
Biography
Early life
"Krotoa" was born in 1643 as a member of the !Uriǁ’aeǀona (Strandlopers) people. She was the niece of Autshumao, a Khoi chieftain, and trader. At the age of twelve, she was taken to work in the household of Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape colony. As a teenager, she learned Dutch and Portuguese and, like her uncle, worked as an interpreter for the Dutch who wanted to trade goods for cattle. "!Oroǀõas" received goods such as tobacco, brandy, bread, beads, copper, and iron for her services. In exchange, when she visited her family her Dutch masters expected her to return with cattle, horses, seed pearls, amber, tusks, and hides. Unlike her uncle, however, "!Oroǀõas" was able to obtain a higher position within the Dutch hierarchy as she additionally served as a trading agent, ambassador for a high-ranking chief and peace negotiator in times of war. Her story exemplifies the initial dependency of the Dutch newcomers on the natives, who were able to provide reasonably reliable information about the local inhabitants.
The initial arrival of the Dutch in April 1652 was not viewed as negative. Many Khoi people saw their arrival as an opportunity for personal gain as middlemen in the livestock trade; others saw them as potential allies against preexisting enemies. At the peak of her career as an interpreter, "Krotoa" held the belief that Dutch presence could bring benefits for both sides.
There are multiple accounts of how "Krotoa" came to work in the household of Jan Van Riebeeck. One account says the Dutch forcefully kidnapped the child as a !oroǀõas, although no hard evidence confirms this account. She was taken in as a companion and as a servant to Riebeeck's wife and children. However, many authors and historians speculate that she most likely lived in a happy space, based on the fondness Van Riebeek showed for her in his journals. Circumstantial evidence supports the theory that at the time of the Dutch arrival, the girl was living with her uncle Autshumato (also known as Harry by the Dutch), the circumstantial evidence being that she showed consistent hostility to the !Uriǁ’aekua and, by association, to her mother, who lived with them. In contrast Krotoa's fate and fortunes were closely aligned to those of her uncle Autshumato and his clan known as the !Uriǁ'aeǀona. The ǃUriǁ'aeǀona people who were sedentary, non-pastoral hunter-gatherers are believed to be one of the first clans to make acquaintance with the Dutch people. Before the Dutch's arrival Autshumato served as a postal agent for passing ships of several countries. If the theory of !Oroǀõas having lived with her uncle is true, then her early service to the VOC may not have been as violent a transition as it was made out to be.
It is believed that the birth of the first baby of chaplain/sick healer Willem Barentssen Wijlant and his wife, coupled with the rapid spreading of a virulent disease in the settlement, sparked the initial negotiations to obtain services from a local girl. As Autshumato had a long history of working for Europeans, it is believed that the VOC first turned to Autshumato for negotiations. It is quite possible that Autshumato offered up his niece for servitude to better his standing with the VOC.
Baptism and marriage
On 3 May 1662 she was baptized by a visiting minister, Petrus Sibelius, in the church inside the Fort de Goede Hoop. The witnesses were Roelof de Man and Pieter van der Stael. On 26 April 1664 she married a Danish surgeon by the name of Peter Havgard, whom the Dutch called Pieter van Meerhof. She was thereafter known as Eva van Meerhof She was the first Khoikoi to marry according to Christian customs. There was a little party in the house of Zacharias Wagenaer.