Lone Men of Namibia
We spent a long time in Namibia during and after COVID and fortunately were able to travel even during lockdown. We spent much of it in isolation in the North West looking for Lone Men (Stone Men) statues.
The artist who I’ve spoken to on a couple of occasions is fine with their locations being known. So let’s put that silly rumour to bed. The only people who don’t want them published are the tour guides who can offer tours at silly prices to guide you to them, spouting garbage about nobody knows who or why they are there etc. Well I can absolutely tell you many people know who the artist is and why and where they are. I can even tell you where they live.
The number of people we’ve spoken to who think “the artist doesn’t want anyone to know where they are” is quite astonishing and just shows you how stupid people are and they literally believe anything they are told. Urban myth and mass hysteria springs to mind.
Unfortunately almost any web site you read references the rumour and although the artist wishes their identity to remain anonymous (many call the artist Renn) the locations were never meant to be secret. Why would you make art you don’t want people to see. It’s quite illogical if you think about it.
There’s a bit of mystery and fun to it all and finding them is really fun but it’s also bloody dangerous to go looking if you are a tourist in a rental vehicle and one who’s never been to the north before. Some of the locations are quite remote. It’s not to be done lightly. We know what we are doing and we’re up there solo for long periods and used a lot of money and fuel looking.
Personally I think there are 23 men but again the rumour mill says there’s thirty something again with the same made up information perpetually copied from one web site to another. Even national news sites do the copying with no facts, just theft of previously made up information. It’s laughable. If it’s on the internet it must be true.
6 Comments
Sam
Nice post and photos! We’re off to Namibia on a self-drive in 59 days (not that I’m counting ????), but unfortunately not going as far north as Kaokoland. Do you by any chance know whether any of them are in Damaraland? I’d love to see one.
Nelly
There’s one in Windhoek called “no answer”. The farthest south one in the bush, so to speak, is between Sesfontein and Puros unfortunately.
No Answer aka Telephone Man GPS
-22.56397 17.07045
Pingback:
Boesman Nel
Hi
Busy planning a overland trip through Botswana, Caprivi up to Epupa Falls and then back through the Kaokaland, Spitzkoppe and the back to South Africa.
I have read your article on the Lone Men and I have through my research and personal experience have found 4 of these stone men:
Thinking man
Sitting man
Crawling man
Going to meeting man.
Any chance that you would be willing to share GPS coordinates of some of the other man, e.g. Hanging man?
Do appreciate it that you did all the work finding them, will just make finding them easier.
Nelly
in the facebook group. i’ve just re uploaded it.
Overlanding GPS Logs & Tracks
Pj
Please send link to this Facebook group