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| Image from the RPG Spears of the Dawn, released into the public domain. |
As promised, after translating a list of creatures from South American folklores and mythologies, here is the list of fantastic beings from African folklore and mythologies. There are 101 creatures and it is divided into three parts. Please enjoy and inspire yourself.
Almost forgetting to say: this list focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, leaving aside beings from Ancient Egypt or ones of Arab origin, such as genies. I wanted to discover what is less known.
1) Abambo (Western Africa) - The plural term for "ghosts". The singular is Ibambo. No one knows where they come from or why they become visible in certain moments. It is understood that they're the souls of the dead. Not good or evil, but they come without being called, sometimes possessing people.
2) Abatwa (Zulu Folklore) - People so small that they are covered by grass and sleep in ant hives. They're nomads, stopping only to eat what they hunt. They hate their own size, going as far as using their bows to kill people that they think have highlighted this fact. The singular of Abatwa is Umutwa. The correct way to greet one of them when he asks "When did you see me?" is to respond "I saw you from far away". This pleases the Umutwa, which answers "So I became big". The Abatwa make journeys to change their hunting grounds, the whole group riding a horse, from the neck to the tail. If they don't find food, they eat the horse. They're to be feared despite their size, for the grass hides them in such a way that they can "sting" a man to death with poisoned arrows without being seen. The poison they use is an anticoagulant, making the person bleed to death.
3) Adroanzi (Lugbara Mythology) - A race of snake-like creatures which actually are the spawn of the evil spirit Adro. The Adroanzi assume human shapes to hunt during the nights, seeking to devour humans. They approach someone from the back, attacking as soon as the person looks behind. But if their prey goes forward without fear, he won't be attacked.
4) Adze (Ewes Folklore) - A vampire that can turn into a firefly. If it is captured in this shape, it turns back to its human form. The firefly shape is used to pass through small spaces and enter houses, so it might suck the blood of sleeping people. This causes sickness and even death. In the human shape, the Adze can possess a person. He or she will be considered a witch, because possession brings bad luck to the people closest to the one possessed.
5) Arro (Dilings and Nubas Folklore) - Bail, supreme god of both peoples, charged the Arro, spirits of the dead, with guiding and helping the living. They would advise chiefs, guard a person, and bring gifts or punish humans according to their actions. One could think of the Arro as a mixture of angel and ancestor.
6) Cannibal Tree of Madagascar (Madagascar Folklore) - As the name indicates, it is a carnivore plant big enough to devour people. It is different from the other beings in this list in that it was invented by a white man for a paper in 1874. In the original article, it is said that the tree receives sacrifices from a "Mkodo tribe", equally fictitious. The plant is described as being pineapple-shaped and being over two meters tall. The trunk is brown and as hard as iron. From the top and going towards the ground, there are several leaves which are four meters long and half meter wide. They are covered by sharp hooks. A big white flower in the middle of the leaves stores a liquid which is sweet, intoxicating and which induces sleep. This flower also has six semi-transparent palps, almost two meters long and in constant motion. From between the flower and the leaves originate many green furry vines, each one two meters long. When a person is put above the trunk, the palps twist around the neck and the arms. Next, the vines curl around the person, followed by the leaves. The human sacrifice is then compressed as if by a hydraulic press. While the plant is feeding, it generates the sweet liquid, collected by the natives which brought the victim, as a type of narcotic which might be addicting.The leaves and vines open ten days later, a white skull being all that's left of the victim.
7) Arwe (Ethiopian Folklore) - A serpent which ruled over the region now called Ethiopia. It was as long as a river and its teeth were as big as a man's arm. It ate whole farms, cattle and people included. If the people refused to feed it, it would writhe itself, causing earthquakes. It was killed by a foreigner which managed to poison it. The locals asked for him to stay and governed them, which he accepted. When he got older, this ruler asked that the people were led by his daughter, Maked, which became the Queen of Sheba.
Almost forgetting to say: this list focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, leaving aside beings from Ancient Egypt or ones of Arab origin, such as genies. I wanted to discover what is less known.
1) Abambo (Western Africa) - The plural term for "ghosts". The singular is Ibambo. No one knows where they come from or why they become visible in certain moments. It is understood that they're the souls of the dead. Not good or evil, but they come without being called, sometimes possessing people.
2) Abatwa (Zulu Folklore) - People so small that they are covered by grass and sleep in ant hives. They're nomads, stopping only to eat what they hunt. They hate their own size, going as far as using their bows to kill people that they think have highlighted this fact. The singular of Abatwa is Umutwa. The correct way to greet one of them when he asks "When did you see me?" is to respond "I saw you from far away". This pleases the Umutwa, which answers "So I became big". The Abatwa make journeys to change their hunting grounds, the whole group riding a horse, from the neck to the tail. If they don't find food, they eat the horse. They're to be feared despite their size, for the grass hides them in such a way that they can "sting" a man to death with poisoned arrows without being seen. The poison they use is an anticoagulant, making the person bleed to death.
3) Adroanzi (Lugbara Mythology) - A race of snake-like creatures which actually are the spawn of the evil spirit Adro. The Adroanzi assume human shapes to hunt during the nights, seeking to devour humans. They approach someone from the back, attacking as soon as the person looks behind. But if their prey goes forward without fear, he won't be attacked.
4) Adze (Ewes Folklore) - A vampire that can turn into a firefly. If it is captured in this shape, it turns back to its human form. The firefly shape is used to pass through small spaces and enter houses, so it might suck the blood of sleeping people. This causes sickness and even death. In the human shape, the Adze can possess a person. He or she will be considered a witch, because possession brings bad luck to the people closest to the one possessed.
5) Arro (Dilings and Nubas Folklore) - Bail, supreme god of both peoples, charged the Arro, spirits of the dead, with guiding and helping the living. They would advise chiefs, guard a person, and bring gifts or punish humans according to their actions. One could think of the Arro as a mixture of angel and ancestor.
6) Cannibal Tree of Madagascar (Madagascar Folklore) - As the name indicates, it is a carnivore plant big enough to devour people. It is different from the other beings in this list in that it was invented by a white man for a paper in 1874. In the original article, it is said that the tree receives sacrifices from a "Mkodo tribe", equally fictitious. The plant is described as being pineapple-shaped and being over two meters tall. The trunk is brown and as hard as iron. From the top and going towards the ground, there are several leaves which are four meters long and half meter wide. They are covered by sharp hooks. A big white flower in the middle of the leaves stores a liquid which is sweet, intoxicating and which induces sleep. This flower also has six semi-transparent palps, almost two meters long and in constant motion. From between the flower and the leaves originate many green furry vines, each one two meters long. When a person is put above the trunk, the palps twist around the neck and the arms. Next, the vines curl around the person, followed by the leaves. The human sacrifice is then compressed as if by a hydraulic press. While the plant is feeding, it generates the sweet liquid, collected by the natives which brought the victim, as a type of narcotic which might be addicting.The leaves and vines open ten days later, a white skull being all that's left of the victim.
7) Arwe (Ethiopian Folklore) - A serpent which ruled over the region now called Ethiopia. It was as long as a river and its teeth were as big as a man's arm. It ate whole farms, cattle and people included. If the people refused to feed it, it would writhe itself, causing earthquakes. It was killed by a foreigner which managed to poison it. The locals asked for him to stay and governed them, which he accepted. When he got older, this ruler asked that the people were led by his daughter, Maked, which became the Queen of Sheba.
8) Asamanukpai (Folklore of the Gold Coast) - Dwarfs with backward feet. They can be white, black or red. The elders are bigger and bearded. The Asamanukpai like to eat and dance on outcrops of polished rock. If you enter their territory, you must appease them with gifts of rum. If you don't, you'll be stoned or led into the depths of the jungle, losing your way home. The dwarfs are sometimes friendly towards someone, teaching what they know. They also rub the juice of a certain fruit in someone's eyes, ears and mouth, making them capable of hearing and seeing thoughts, and predict the future, as well as becoming capable of speaking and singing with the dwarfs. These people become "Gbalo'', a kind of seer and wiseman.
9) Asanbosam (Akan Folklore) - A type of vampire. It is described as having iron teeth, pink skin, iron hooks instead of feet, long and red hair. It lives in the trees, ambushing people from above.
10) Asiman (Dahomey Folklore) - A vampire witch, She gains her powers by casting a certain spell, leaving her human nature behind. The Asiman can remove her own skin and become a flying bright presence that resembles the light of a candle. In this form, she searches for victims from high above. After feeding, she can become an animal. And it is only in the animal form that she can be destroyed.
11) Awiri (Western Africa) - A guardian spirit. The singular is Ombwiri. Most people have their personal Ombwiri, which lives in a tiny house built next to the home of the one which is protected. All good luck one has comes from its Ombwiri: all the problems one didn't have and all the good things one achieved. Awiri are also responsible for everything which is wonderful or mysterious: distinct geographical features, celestial phenomena and even the extraordinary events which happen during one's lifetime. There are no priests serving as intermediaries between humans and Awiri. They must be respected and even feared, but they aren't evil spirits. It seems all Awiri are, or descend from, the souls of the dead. And the Awiri which most often help someone are the ancestors of that person. The greatest fortune they bring is something many Africans desire the most: sons and daughters. Awiri mostly live nearby their original tribe. If it changes location or becomes extinct, the Awiri stay and accept to form relationships with new people who come to occupy the empty land. Awiri become inactive in the dry and cold season, which corresponds from May to September in the equatorial Western Africa. In this period, they're small and almost lifeless. One could think that they're hibernating. There are those which compare the Awiri to the European fairies.
12) Aziza (Yoruba and Jeje Folklore) - This deity and/or forest spirit is also called Aroni. It is described as a one-legged small man, smoking a pipe made from a conch. One of the myths about it is that it stole the fire from the heavens and gave it to humans. It also knows much about healing and medicinal herbs, and is willing to teach this to humans. There are those who believe that the Saci-Pererê from Brazilian Folklore is a variant from the Aziza, brought by the African slaves from Africa.
To prevent confusions, I must clarify there is another type of being called "Aziza''. In this case, they resemble European fairies, being small and possessing wings. These Azizas live in the deep woods, and usually help hunters and bring good luck to whoever invokes them.
13) Badimo (Folklore of the Tswanas) - The Badimo are the souls of the dead. Hostile towards the living, they act more like devils: corrupting and undoing the actions of the Supreme God, as well as convincing people to forget him.
14) Balungwana (Baronga Folklore) - Small beings, which some call dwarfs. It seems the singular is Mulungwana. It is said that they come from the skies when it rains. When people hear the thunder, they say: "the Balungwana are playing up there". During the locust plague of 1894, a man and a woman, both very small, supposedly appeared announcing the plague and saying: "don't kill the locusts, for they belong to us". A Mulungwana also appeared on a hill in 1862, and his appearance seemed to be the sign that a war among two chieftains would soon start.
15) Bida (Soninke Folklore) - A dragon in the shape of a huge serpent. It demanded sacrifices in the form of young maidens so it would generate a rain of gold upon the city called Wagadu. Bida lived in a well next to the city. A hero called Mamadi Sefe Dekote managed to sever its head. It fell down into a region far to the south, which became famous due to all the gold coming from there. Bida was said to be a golden snake, but it isn't clear if this refers to its appearance or the wealth it created.
16) Boio (Folklore of Zambia) - At a place called Chilunga, north of Loango, there was a fetish called Boio, which ruled the region through a princess which represented it. Boio lives inside the earth. People could hear its voice when passing near its shrine. All offerings put there would soon disappear. The spirit inside the fetish, also called Boio, had both the voices of a human and a bird. There is a story about two men carrying a stick as if there was a hammock under it, but nothing could be seen. Some people laughed upon seeing this. They were made prisoners by invisible hands and released only after paying a fine to the princess. There was a hammock under the stick, but it was as invisible as Boio itself. Only two people are capable of seeing Boio, inside its underground lair: the ones that bring it food.
17) Bouda (Folklore from Ethiopia) - Ethiopians believe that blacksmiths are sorcerers capable of turning into hyenas. Some say that these werehyenas dig up graves and steal the bodies. Due to this, many Ethiopians are suspicious of blacksmiths.
18) Bulgu (Guji Oromo Folklore, Ethiopia) - A big and four-eyed cannibal ogre, with a axe-shaped head. It can speak magical formulas that destroy walls.
19) Chameleon (Burkina Faso Folklore) - A symbol associated with change, in particular of a person changing into a spirit. Chameleons are also suspicious, due to being able to change colors and seeing in two directions at once. Chameleons appear in masks, amulets and shrines, serving as spiritual guardians or to increase the power of the one using the fetish. It can also fight against diseases and spells.
In the Yoruba traditions, the chameleon Agemo is the messenger of the supreme god, Olorun. There is a tale in which he helped Olorun to win a competition against Olokun, the sea goddess. She believed to be the best weaver and dyer of cloth, and challenged Olorun. He asked that she showed samples of her skill. But every fabric she produced was perfectly reproduced by Agemo's skin. Olokun declared her own defeat, for if a messenger could duplicate what she did, Olorun must be even more powerful.
20) Cedar of the End (Kenyan Myth) - God created an enormous cedar beneath His throne. It has millions, perhaps billions, of leaves. Every leaf has a name written by God, for He knows each of us by our names. When He wishes, a leaf falls. Before it hits the ground, an angel catches it and reads the name to the Angel of Death, called Ndulo Mtwaa-roho, which means "Taker of Souls". Ndulo then goes to separate the soul of the body of the one whose name was read.
21) Chamma (Folklore of Congo) - The name means "rainbow". It is a giant snake which creates floods when it enters the rivers' sources, destroying fields, trees and entire villages.
22) Chemosit (Nandi Folklore) - A cannibal demon which lives beneath the earth. Half man, half bird, one-legged, it uses a spear-shaped staff as a crutch. It has nine buttocks. Yup, nine. It enjoys devouring children, attracting them with songs at night. The child, hearing the songs and seeing the strong light coming from inside the monster's mouth, thinks a dance around the fire is happening and goes towards it.
23) Chipfalamfula (Folklore of Mozambique) - A huge fish which can control a river. It can make the water flow underground or cause a flood. But it usually saves people drowning and always helps children.
24) Chiruwi (Folklore of Malawi) - A creature which haunts the woods. It has one arm, one leg and one eye. The other half of its body is made of wax. It also carries an axe. When it meets a man, challenges him to unarmed combat. If the man wins, the Chiruwi teaches him how to create supernatural substances and the medicinal properties of herbs and trees. But if the man loses, he dies.
25) Dingonek (Folklore of the lake Victoria) - A monster described as being four meters long; a head as big as the one of a lion but which resembles a leopard; two big and white teeth, like the ones of a saber-toothed tiger; covered in segments like an armadillo; with the coat of a leopard; a long and flat tail, like if made for swimming; the paws leave footprints as large as those of a hippo, but clawed like a reptile. The hunter which saw it, John Alfred Jordan, fired at its head with his 303. rifle from nine meters away, but it only made the creature leave the water. Jordan escaped and searched for it later, but had no luck. The locals worshiped a serpent or reptile which they believed to bring good harvests and big herds of cattle, but it isn't clear if is the same creature.
26) Dhegdheer (Folklore of Somalia) - The name means "which has long ears". It is a cannibal demon which hunts children lost in the woods.
27) Eloko; the plural form is Biloko (Folklore of the Mongo-Nkundo, which live in the margins of the Congo river, in Central Africa) -Dwarfs which might be either the spirits of ancestors or the dead which still have things to settle with the living. They live in the deep jungle, so thick as to have little sunlight. Their treasures are the animals and fruits of the woods. Hunters need powerful magic to enter and survive in the regions dominated by Biloko. If they go unprepared, they risk dying of hunger due to never finding anything to eat. The dwarfs live inside hollow trees and dress themselves in leaves. They have grass instead of hair. They also have snouts with mouths which enlarge until they become big enough to swallow a grown man. Possess long claws. Biloko use bells which bewitch whoever passes near, unless the person carries an amulet or fetish which counters this. They "smell like the woods", and their voices are similar to a child's. Oh, and they eat humans.
28) Emere (Yoruba Folklore) - A child which can travel between the material and the spiritual worlds at will. The word has a negative connotation, because it means that the son or daughter of a family constantly disappears and reappears. An Emere has no patience and desires the best of everything. She is actually a disguised spirit which has mistaken life and death. It is believed that Emeres are more powerful than witches. They usually die of pure happiness: when they get married; when they have children; or when they graduate, etc. Emeres are also beautiful and charming, and are usually women.
29) Fanany (Folklore of Madagascar) - This monster is a seven-headed serpent, all of them horned.
30) Fandrefiala (Folklore of Madagascar) - A snake which lives at the canopies of trees. When an animal or human passes down below, the Fandrefiala throws itself as if it was a javelin, the tail tip pointing in the direction of the victim. It wasn't clear if this tail is sharp, but I like to think it is. The snake is described as being yellow or brown, white the tail is red. The way to know if a Fandrefiala is about to attack is to see three or seven leaves falling from the tree. The creature makes them fall to judge its trajectory.
31) Funkwe (Lamba Folklore) - It is said that this creature has a body as long as the source of the Kafulafuta river down to the junction with the Kafue river. This means that it is a hundred and twenty eight kilometers long! The Funkwes live in a pit below the river source and leave when they want to eat fishes. Their tail has a fin, like a fish's. There is a tale of a Funkwe which became a human and married a woman.
32) Ga-Gorib (Folklore of South Africa) - A big killer monster with a trick. It sat near a great pit and held a stone at its forehead. It challenged passersby to pick the stone and throw at it. When they did this, the stone would ricochet and kill the thrower. Ga-Gorib was killed by the legendary hero Heitsi-Heib, which distracted the creature, hit it behind the ear and threw it inside the pit.
9) Asanbosam (Akan Folklore) - A type of vampire. It is described as having iron teeth, pink skin, iron hooks instead of feet, long and red hair. It lives in the trees, ambushing people from above.
10) Asiman (Dahomey Folklore) - A vampire witch, She gains her powers by casting a certain spell, leaving her human nature behind. The Asiman can remove her own skin and become a flying bright presence that resembles the light of a candle. In this form, she searches for victims from high above. After feeding, she can become an animal. And it is only in the animal form that she can be destroyed.
11) Awiri (Western Africa) - A guardian spirit. The singular is Ombwiri. Most people have their personal Ombwiri, which lives in a tiny house built next to the home of the one which is protected. All good luck one has comes from its Ombwiri: all the problems one didn't have and all the good things one achieved. Awiri are also responsible for everything which is wonderful or mysterious: distinct geographical features, celestial phenomena and even the extraordinary events which happen during one's lifetime. There are no priests serving as intermediaries between humans and Awiri. They must be respected and even feared, but they aren't evil spirits. It seems all Awiri are, or descend from, the souls of the dead. And the Awiri which most often help someone are the ancestors of that person. The greatest fortune they bring is something many Africans desire the most: sons and daughters. Awiri mostly live nearby their original tribe. If it changes location or becomes extinct, the Awiri stay and accept to form relationships with new people who come to occupy the empty land. Awiri become inactive in the dry and cold season, which corresponds from May to September in the equatorial Western Africa. In this period, they're small and almost lifeless. One could think that they're hibernating. There are those which compare the Awiri to the European fairies.
12) Aziza (Yoruba and Jeje Folklore) - This deity and/or forest spirit is also called Aroni. It is described as a one-legged small man, smoking a pipe made from a conch. One of the myths about it is that it stole the fire from the heavens and gave it to humans. It also knows much about healing and medicinal herbs, and is willing to teach this to humans. There are those who believe that the Saci-Pererê from Brazilian Folklore is a variant from the Aziza, brought by the African slaves from Africa.
To prevent confusions, I must clarify there is another type of being called "Aziza''. In this case, they resemble European fairies, being small and possessing wings. These Azizas live in the deep woods, and usually help hunters and bring good luck to whoever invokes them.
13) Badimo (Folklore of the Tswanas) - The Badimo are the souls of the dead. Hostile towards the living, they act more like devils: corrupting and undoing the actions of the Supreme God, as well as convincing people to forget him.
14) Balungwana (Baronga Folklore) - Small beings, which some call dwarfs. It seems the singular is Mulungwana. It is said that they come from the skies when it rains. When people hear the thunder, they say: "the Balungwana are playing up there". During the locust plague of 1894, a man and a woman, both very small, supposedly appeared announcing the plague and saying: "don't kill the locusts, for they belong to us". A Mulungwana also appeared on a hill in 1862, and his appearance seemed to be the sign that a war among two chieftains would soon start.
15) Bida (Soninke Folklore) - A dragon in the shape of a huge serpent. It demanded sacrifices in the form of young maidens so it would generate a rain of gold upon the city called Wagadu. Bida lived in a well next to the city. A hero called Mamadi Sefe Dekote managed to sever its head. It fell down into a region far to the south, which became famous due to all the gold coming from there. Bida was said to be a golden snake, but it isn't clear if this refers to its appearance or the wealth it created.
16) Boio (Folklore of Zambia) - At a place called Chilunga, north of Loango, there was a fetish called Boio, which ruled the region through a princess which represented it. Boio lives inside the earth. People could hear its voice when passing near its shrine. All offerings put there would soon disappear. The spirit inside the fetish, also called Boio, had both the voices of a human and a bird. There is a story about two men carrying a stick as if there was a hammock under it, but nothing could be seen. Some people laughed upon seeing this. They were made prisoners by invisible hands and released only after paying a fine to the princess. There was a hammock under the stick, but it was as invisible as Boio itself. Only two people are capable of seeing Boio, inside its underground lair: the ones that bring it food.
17) Bouda (Folklore from Ethiopia) - Ethiopians believe that blacksmiths are sorcerers capable of turning into hyenas. Some say that these werehyenas dig up graves and steal the bodies. Due to this, many Ethiopians are suspicious of blacksmiths.
18) Bulgu (Guji Oromo Folklore, Ethiopia) - A big and four-eyed cannibal ogre, with a axe-shaped head. It can speak magical formulas that destroy walls.
19) Chameleon (Burkina Faso Folklore) - A symbol associated with change, in particular of a person changing into a spirit. Chameleons are also suspicious, due to being able to change colors and seeing in two directions at once. Chameleons appear in masks, amulets and shrines, serving as spiritual guardians or to increase the power of the one using the fetish. It can also fight against diseases and spells.
In the Yoruba traditions, the chameleon Agemo is the messenger of the supreme god, Olorun. There is a tale in which he helped Olorun to win a competition against Olokun, the sea goddess. She believed to be the best weaver and dyer of cloth, and challenged Olorun. He asked that she showed samples of her skill. But every fabric she produced was perfectly reproduced by Agemo's skin. Olokun declared her own defeat, for if a messenger could duplicate what she did, Olorun must be even more powerful.
20) Cedar of the End (Kenyan Myth) - God created an enormous cedar beneath His throne. It has millions, perhaps billions, of leaves. Every leaf has a name written by God, for He knows each of us by our names. When He wishes, a leaf falls. Before it hits the ground, an angel catches it and reads the name to the Angel of Death, called Ndulo Mtwaa-roho, which means "Taker of Souls". Ndulo then goes to separate the soul of the body of the one whose name was read.
21) Chamma (Folklore of Congo) - The name means "rainbow". It is a giant snake which creates floods when it enters the rivers' sources, destroying fields, trees and entire villages.
22) Chemosit (Nandi Folklore) - A cannibal demon which lives beneath the earth. Half man, half bird, one-legged, it uses a spear-shaped staff as a crutch. It has nine buttocks. Yup, nine. It enjoys devouring children, attracting them with songs at night. The child, hearing the songs and seeing the strong light coming from inside the monster's mouth, thinks a dance around the fire is happening and goes towards it.
23) Chipfalamfula (Folklore of Mozambique) - A huge fish which can control a river. It can make the water flow underground or cause a flood. But it usually saves people drowning and always helps children.
24) Chiruwi (Folklore of Malawi) - A creature which haunts the woods. It has one arm, one leg and one eye. The other half of its body is made of wax. It also carries an axe. When it meets a man, challenges him to unarmed combat. If the man wins, the Chiruwi teaches him how to create supernatural substances and the medicinal properties of herbs and trees. But if the man loses, he dies.
25) Dingonek (Folklore of the lake Victoria) - A monster described as being four meters long; a head as big as the one of a lion but which resembles a leopard; two big and white teeth, like the ones of a saber-toothed tiger; covered in segments like an armadillo; with the coat of a leopard; a long and flat tail, like if made for swimming; the paws leave footprints as large as those of a hippo, but clawed like a reptile. The hunter which saw it, John Alfred Jordan, fired at its head with his 303. rifle from nine meters away, but it only made the creature leave the water. Jordan escaped and searched for it later, but had no luck. The locals worshiped a serpent or reptile which they believed to bring good harvests and big herds of cattle, but it isn't clear if is the same creature.
26) Dhegdheer (Folklore of Somalia) - The name means "which has long ears". It is a cannibal demon which hunts children lost in the woods.
27) Eloko; the plural form is Biloko (Folklore of the Mongo-Nkundo, which live in the margins of the Congo river, in Central Africa) -Dwarfs which might be either the spirits of ancestors or the dead which still have things to settle with the living. They live in the deep jungle, so thick as to have little sunlight. Their treasures are the animals and fruits of the woods. Hunters need powerful magic to enter and survive in the regions dominated by Biloko. If they go unprepared, they risk dying of hunger due to never finding anything to eat. The dwarfs live inside hollow trees and dress themselves in leaves. They have grass instead of hair. They also have snouts with mouths which enlarge until they become big enough to swallow a grown man. Possess long claws. Biloko use bells which bewitch whoever passes near, unless the person carries an amulet or fetish which counters this. They "smell like the woods", and their voices are similar to a child's. Oh, and they eat humans.
28) Emere (Yoruba Folklore) - A child which can travel between the material and the spiritual worlds at will. The word has a negative connotation, because it means that the son or daughter of a family constantly disappears and reappears. An Emere has no patience and desires the best of everything. She is actually a disguised spirit which has mistaken life and death. It is believed that Emeres are more powerful than witches. They usually die of pure happiness: when they get married; when they have children; or when they graduate, etc. Emeres are also beautiful and charming, and are usually women.
29) Fanany (Folklore of Madagascar) - This monster is a seven-headed serpent, all of them horned.
30) Fandrefiala (Folklore of Madagascar) - A snake which lives at the canopies of trees. When an animal or human passes down below, the Fandrefiala throws itself as if it was a javelin, the tail tip pointing in the direction of the victim. It wasn't clear if this tail is sharp, but I like to think it is. The snake is described as being yellow or brown, white the tail is red. The way to know if a Fandrefiala is about to attack is to see three or seven leaves falling from the tree. The creature makes them fall to judge its trajectory.
31) Funkwe (Lamba Folklore) - It is said that this creature has a body as long as the source of the Kafulafuta river down to the junction with the Kafue river. This means that it is a hundred and twenty eight kilometers long! The Funkwes live in a pit below the river source and leave when they want to eat fishes. Their tail has a fin, like a fish's. There is a tale of a Funkwe which became a human and married a woman.
32) Ga-Gorib (Folklore of South Africa) - A big killer monster with a trick. It sat near a great pit and held a stone at its forehead. It challenged passersby to pick the stone and throw at it. When they did this, the stone would ricochet and kill the thrower. Ga-Gorib was killed by the legendary hero Heitsi-Heib, which distracted the creature, hit it behind the ear and threw it inside the pit.
33) Gor the Thunderer (Central African Folklore) - a mythical elephant which serves the pygmy supreme god, Khonvoum, as a messenger.
34) Groot Slang (Khoikhoi Folklore) - I apologize if this disappoints anyone. One can find in several websites and drawings that this creature is a fusion of elephant and snake. Even I depicted it like this when I wrote about African fantasy.
However, for this list, I did further research. And didn't find any of this. What I found was that the creature is a huge serpent from Khoikhoi folklore, but all written sources are from European hunters and explorers. It lives inside a cave called "Wonder Hole" or "Depthless Pit", full of diamonds and connected to the ocean, which is dozens of kilometers away. Its entrance seems to be a great rock in the middle of the Orange river. The Groot Slang has diamonds instead of eyes and an evil aura, felt by all who gaze upon it. People which claim to have seen it say it is about fifteen meters long, and that there are two of them. The locals seem to believe that the creature is actually a serpent-shaped spirit which guards the cave and its diamonds.
Does this mean that the drawings, videos and texts are wrong? I don't think so. Although I'm far beyond being anyone with any authority in the subject, I believe that folklore evolves over time. This capacity for changing is one of the things I like the most about it. Even the "classic" Greek mythology has alternative versions of events, characters and monsters. What would be wrong is to freeze the myth, legend or tale in a single version which can't be altered.
34) Groot Slang (Khoikhoi Folklore) - I apologize if this disappoints anyone. One can find in several websites and drawings that this creature is a fusion of elephant and snake. Even I depicted it like this when I wrote about African fantasy.
However, for this list, I did further research. And didn't find any of this. What I found was that the creature is a huge serpent from Khoikhoi folklore, but all written sources are from European hunters and explorers. It lives inside a cave called "Wonder Hole" or "Depthless Pit", full of diamonds and connected to the ocean, which is dozens of kilometers away. Its entrance seems to be a great rock in the middle of the Orange river. The Groot Slang has diamonds instead of eyes and an evil aura, felt by all who gaze upon it. People which claim to have seen it say it is about fifteen meters long, and that there are two of them. The locals seem to believe that the creature is actually a serpent-shaped spirit which guards the cave and its diamonds.
Does this mean that the drawings, videos and texts are wrong? I don't think so. Although I'm far beyond being anyone with any authority in the subject, I believe that folklore evolves over time. This capacity for changing is one of the things I like the most about it. Even the "classic" Greek mythology has alternative versions of events, characters and monsters. What would be wrong is to freeze the myth, legend or tale in a single version which can't be altered.
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