The legendary monsters series
continues with some scary stories from Africa. There are so many
nations and discrete communities in Africa that the problem here was not
finding the legendary stories, but whittling down the list to a
manageable number.
1. Inkanyamba
The
Inkanyamba
is a huge carnivorous eel-like animal in the legends of the Zulu and
Xhosa people of South Africa. The ancient legends say Inkanyambas can
control the weather. They are said to have fins and/or flippers and grow
to tremendous size. There are actually freshwater eels abundant in
South Africa that grow to around six feet long, but that pales in
comparison to the stories of the Inkanyamba.
2. Kongamato
A flying monster called
Kongamato
in Zambia, Angola, and Congo is described as a flying reptile we may
recognize as a pterosaur. It was first described in English by explorer
Frank Welland in 1932, although local legend goes back much further.
This cryptid lives in rivers and swamps and has a huge wingspan, but no
feathers. A similar creature goes by other names in other parts of
Africa. Theories on
Kongomato
sightings range from bad lighting to the possibility that an unknown
species may exist in inaccessible places. Of course, the image is
familiar to us thanks to Hollywood.
3. Impundulu
The
Impundulu or
Lightning Bird
is a supernatural bird from Pondo, Zulu, and Xhosa folklore. The South
African bird is as big as a human and can summon lightning and storms,
hence the name. The bird is sometimes a shape shifter that can appear as
a human, and sometimes said to be a supernatural familiar that guards a
witch or witch doctor. It will attack people and drink their blood.
However, parts of the Impundulu or its eggs have medicinal powers.
Image by DeviantART member Amadoodles.
4. Adze
The
Adze
is a vampire in the legends of the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. It
takes the form of a firefly, but if you capture one, it will revert to
human appearance. This can be dangerous in itself, because in its human
form the adze may attack and eat your organs, but it can be defeated.
However, in the insect form, the adze will suck your blood while you
sleep and spread disease, which is a possible explanation for malarial
outbreaks. Its preferred victims are young children. The victim of an
adze
becomes a witch who is possessed by the adze’s spirit.
5. Bili Ape
There
are plenty of legends of mysterious unknown ape species in Africa. Many
of these cryptids are described as something between a chimpanzee and a
gorilla. A ghost ape fitting this description is called
Ufiti
in Malawi. In other areas it became known as the Bondo Mystery Ape,
leading to speculation that there was an unknown species waiting to be
discovered. Reports led researchers to believe it was a large chimpanzee
species that behaved more like gorillas. Various expeditions tried to
find this species in Central Africa since skulls were found
near the village of Bili in 1908. In the 21st century,
evidence
of a large subspecies of chimpanzee was found and the apes were later
observed in the Bili forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now
called
the Bili Ape, they are classified as a subspecies of chimp.
6. Gbahali
The
Gbahali
is a reptilian creature of Liberia, resembling a crocodile. It grows to
30 feet long, has a snout shorter than a croc’s, and somewhat longer
legs. Although this species is not confirmed by science, it is not
considered a legendary monster among Liberian hunters, but a real
creature they have caught and eaten. It is possible, however, that
descriptions are exaggerated. Witnesses were shown a picture of the
extinct animal
Postosuchus, and they recognized it as the Gbahali.
Image by Nobu Tamura.
7. Ninki Nanka
Ninki Nanka
is a monster that lives in the Gambia River in Gambia. It is a
dragon-like creature with the body of a crocodile, the head of a horse
(with horns) and a long neck like a giraffe. And it’s huge – 30 to 50
feet long!
An expedition
in 2006 yielded an object said to be a scale from the monster, but it
turned out to be non-biological – possibly a piece of celluloid film.
8. Popobawa
The
Popobawa
is a fairly recent manifestation reported in Zanzibar and Tanzania. The
creature is a demon who appears as a normal human by day, and a
one-eyed, bat-winged monster at night. The Popobawa attacks and
sodomizes both men and women in the dark of night, and is particularly
vicious to those who don’t believe in him. Attacks were first reported
in 1965
on the island of Pemba. Reports of attacks come every few years, with a
large number in 1995 attributed to mass hysteria. Some think that the
attacks of the Popobawa
can be traced
to “waking dreams” or “night terrors,” in which the person experiences
hallucinations somewhere in between lucidity and sleep. The name
Popobawa in Swahili translates to “bat wing.”
9. Grootslang
Grootslang
is an Afrikaans word meaning “great snake.” The monster of that name
lives in a cave called the Wonder Hole in the Richtersveld area of South
Africa. The story is that the original Grootslang was found to be too
powerful, so the gods subdivided the animal into two species: the
elephant and the snake. However, a Grootslang or two escaped this fate
and reproduced. The monster can grow up to 60 feet long. Supposedly, its
cave is full of diamonds, but no one knows for sure because the
Grootslang guards it well. The Grootslang pictured was featured on the
Cartoon Network series
The Secret Saturdays.
10. Mokèlé-mbèmbé
The
Mokèlé-mbèmbé
is a cryptid resembling a dinosaur from the Congo River region. The
name means “one who stops the flow of rivers” referring to its size.
Dozens of expeditions have sought to find this huge creature, but come
back with only secondhand accounts and mysterious footprints. The 1985 Disney film
Baby is based on the legend of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé.
11. Tikoloshe
A
Tikoloshe
(or Tokoloshe) is an evil-spirited gremlin in Zulu mythology. A shaman
may send a Tikoloshe to vex his enemies, causing anything from harmless
fright to illness or death. Tikoloshes are described as short hairy
humanoid figures that can render themselves invisible by swallowing a
pebble – all the better to sneak up on their victims.
Photograph by Toanke.
), interviewed "Gator Doc"
Barr back in 2009 about his job:
