Ossewa

An ox wagon, carriage, cart or in my native tongue, an ossewa ! Most people's ancestors used some variety of this well-known animal-drawn vehicle.

The ossewa can be seen throughout South Africa's early history especially during the Great Trek. Growing up and living at the final destination of Louis Trichardt's Great Trek Route, I have heard lots of stories and tales from my grandma which were told to her by her parents. The most famous of those include the stories of Racheltjie de Beer and Jock of the Bushveld.

My idea is a scale model of an ossewa with a fully functional chassis and brake system, designed and crafted by the brilliant minds of the boere. Three people in traditional Voortrekker clothing as well as a dog accompany the ossewa . Lastly, it can't be completed without a couple of Afrikaner oxen and iron-rimmed wheels to leave clouds of dust in your wake !

My main references and inspiration for this idea were the ossewaens that can be seen at the Voortrekker Monument as well as a detailed DIY one that my father got back in the 80's.

I used Lego Technic to build the moving parts. The design for the chassis is relatively simple though I used a couple of interesting techniques. The brake system makes use of various gears to simulate a screwing mechanism. Once you turn it and let go it will be locked in place until it is turned again !

I had a really fun time designing and building this idea and also making use of various techniques and pieces in unique ways.

Pieces : 2 969