African Mythology

Hey everybody and welcome back to Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog. Today I will be introducing 10 Mythological Creatures from African Mythology.

Today's first two creatures will be Bakulu and Bankita, two African demons. The ancestors usually help their relatives and stay with them, taking on the incorporeal, spiritual form. In the Congo it is called Bakulu. If the ancestor died a tragic, sudden death, then his spirit is called Bankita.

Impundulu is a mythological bird that brings lightning to its world using its talons. It has origins in many different African Mythologies. Some people describe it has having black and white feathers and being as tall as a human. A myth about this creature tells that a village girl claimed to say that it looked like a rooster. Impundulu scratched the girl with her own hoe and flew off.

Jengu is an African water spirit that the people of Cameroon believe exist. The people describe the creature as a beautiful mermaid like character, and they live in rivers and seas to bring good luck to the people of Cameroon. A myth about Jengu says that it also cures diseases.

Ninki Nanka is an African dragon like creature that lives in swamps. It is said to be very dangerous and giant. A tale about Ninki Nanka is that sometimes children disobey their parents' instructions and go into the swamp. The Ninki Nanka will then kidnap the child and the parents will be very worried.

Aziza are African fairies. They live in the forest and they make good wishes to hunters nearby. They are said to live in trees with silk cotton and anthills. A myth about them tells that they have very good spiritual knowledge and they provide some of that to humans.

Tikoloshe is a water sprite that lives in West Africa. Some people call them over to cause trouble for others. It can be used to scare children, but sometimes things go a little too far and he causes illnesses and even kills people! A myth about Tikoloshe tells that the mischievous and evil spirit can become invisible, just by drinking water. 

A werehyena is a creature that is a human, but underneath it is a hyena. The people of Africa believe that some one or two villages were entirely populated by these creatures. A myth about them tells that they were witches they could turn into hyenas, which were cleverly disguised as humans.

Eloko are creatures that are like dwarves, and they live in the forest. I found two interesting myths about them: One of them is that they were the ancestral spirits of the people that live there. The other is that they are vicious and they haunt them because they sometimes quarrel about were to settle. 

Lastly, Nyami Nyami is a very important god to the Tonga people. He is described as having snake's body and the body of a fish. The Tongas believe that Nyami Nyami protects them from danger, he is the god of the Zambezi Valley, where Zambia and Zimbabwe meet, which is where the Tongas live. A myth about the creature tells that it lives in the water and controls the living things in and on it.

Thank you for reading today's blog! See you tomorrow! Bye!