The Adze is a vampiric being from Ewe folklore in Togo and Ghana. It normally looks like a firefly, but it will transform into human shape when captured. In its human form, the Adze has the power to possess ordinary humans and turn them into witches. A person is suspected of being possessed in…… Continue reading African Mythological Creatures: Adze, The Vampire
Category: Ken Wilson-Max
Bultungin, The Werehyena
In the Kanuri language of the Bornu Empire in the Lake Chad region, Werehyenas were called ‘Bultungin’ (“I change myself into a hyena”). It was traditionally believed that one or two of the villages in the region was populated entirely by Bultungin.
African Mythical Creatures: Abada ‘The Unicorn’
In the Kongo language of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Abada is a mythical animal not unlike a unicorn. The Abada, however, has two crooked horns as opposed to a unicorn’s single one…
Mythological African Creatures: Yumboes
Yumboes, are a type of fairies in Wolof mythology (Senegal, West Africa).Legend has it that they live on Goree Island, just off the coast of the capital, Dakar.
Creatures from African Mythology: Tokoloshe
The mythical Southern African creature, the Tokoloshe is a dwarf-like, mischievous and evil spirit can make itself invisible by swallowing a pebble. Tokoloshes are called upon to cause trouble for others. Its power extends from scaring children to causing illness and even death to its target. Only the N’anga (witch doctor) has the power to…… Continue reading Creatures from African Mythology: Tokoloshe
Creatures from African Mythology: Jengu
The Jengu, from Cameroon, differs in appearance from person to person, but it is said to be a beautiful, mermaid-like figures with long, hair and gap-toothed smiles. A Jengu (plural Miengu) is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa ethnic groups of Cameroon. They live in rivers and the sea and bring…… Continue reading Creatures from African Mythology: Jengu
The Illustrationist 