Totius (poet)

Jacob Daniël du Toit (21 February 1877 – 1 July 1953), better known by his pen name Totius, was an Afrikaner poet.

On the behalf of the nation, the FAK presented him with a Van Wouw-statuette as a token of gratitude for his work as a poet, Bible translator, cultural leader and academic.

His small son died of an infection and his young daughter, Wilhelmina, was killed by lightning, falling into his arms dead as she ran towards him.

His poetry was in the main lyrical and dealt, inter alia, with faith and with nature, as well as more political themes such as British imperialism and the Afrikaner nation.

He left behind many collections of poems, including Trekkerswee (1915; “Trekkers' Grief”), Passieblomme (1934; “Passion Flowers”), "Uit donker Afrika" (1936; "From deep inside Africa") as well as a volume of poetry rhymed Psalms were published.