From The Adze to the Tikoloshe, Africa has it’s share of paranormal activity and a large range of beliefs in Occult as well as those based on cryptids. They are all steeped in legends of the land and told through the generations making them have a stronghold on the regions belief system. The Adze is a legend of the Ewe people of Ghana and it’s close neighbor, Togo.
They believe the Adze is like that of a vampire which takes the form of a firefly, but if you capture one, it will revert to that of a human form. The Ewe people believe once the Adze turns into it’s human form this human like creature may attack and eat your organs. However, they believe when it is in the insect form, the Adze will suck out your blood while your sleeping and spread many forms of disease, which is one of their possible explanations for the huge malarial outbreaks in their country. It seems the Adze prefers that it’s victims are small or young children. They also believe the victim of an Adze will become a witch who will be possessed by the Adze’s spirit when the blood is drained.
This region also holds dear the legend of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé. The Mokèlé-mbèmbé is a cryptid type creature which resembles a dinosaur from the Congo River region. The name means “one who stops the flow of rivers” which is perfect due to it’s large size, much like that of a Brontosaurus. There have been dozens of expeditions trying to find this elusive creature, but all that has come back with the exploration teams are second hand accounts and mysterious footprints. The 1985 Disney film Baby is based on the legend of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé.
Another cryptid this area holds to legend is that of the Gbahali from the country of Liberia. This massive reptilian resembles that of a huge crocodile. Growing up to 30 feet long, this cryptid has a snout shorter than any crocodile’s and 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. Eye witnesses were shown a picture of the extinct animal Postosuchus, and they recognized it as the Gbahali.
Whether you travel here for business or pleasure, this region has prolific beliefs in it’s legends and generational stories. Many of the crytids could be exaggerated in it’s description, however I myself would be wary to see a Ninka Nanka or a Popawa should I ever travel to these parts of the world and may just be wary of any so called fireflies!
Source – Mental Floss, Nobu Tamura.
Katie Snow
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