South African novelist, poet, and dramatist whose work helped establish Afrikaans as the cultural language of South Africa. He published many volumes of poetry and drama but is known primarily as a novelist for such works as Vergeet nil (1913; “Don't Forget”), an extremely popular novel about the South African (Boer) War; Die Meulenaar (1936; “The Miller”); Saul (1933–37), a biblical trilogy; and En die wawiele rol (1945; “And the Wagon Wheels Roll On”), which describes the Great Trek. He served as professor of literature at the University of Bloemfontein (1922–42).