Mythology @ FreshCaffeine.com

Folklore of Southeastern Africa

This is the name of a gigantic monster in the legends and folk beliefs of the SOTHO people of southeastern Africa. KHOLOMODUMO existed from the time of creation and was so voracious that it ate every living human except one. This woman survived by hiding and eventually gave birth to twin boys. They and a dog decided to track and destroy KHOLOMODUMO. When they succeeded, the whole of the devoured humanity was restored and came out from inside.

Source: Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth

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Afro-Brazilian Mythology
Religious Mythology
Curing Spirits

Originally applied as the name of uneducated backwoodsmen or the original inhabitants of Brazil, this name has been used by association for the nature spirits revered by those people and has come to include that group of SPIRITS in the pantheon of the Afro-Brazilian BATUQUE CULT. These SPIRITS are regarded as the lower-status ENCANTADOS and are characterized by unrefined behavior in possession of devotes; however, they are renowned for helping the sick in curing sessions. The most prominent of the CABOCLES are BOIADERIO DA VASURA, CONSTANTINO, ANTONIO LUIZ CORRE-BEIRADO, HERONDINA, and MESTRE MARAJO.

SOURCE: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia

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Muslim Mythology
Arabic Mythology
A group of Jinn

The AFRIT is not one single being but a classification of five types of powerful JINNS of Muslim and Arabic mythology and folklore. They also go by the names AFREET, AFRITE, EFRIT, IFREET, and IFRIT in various Arabic regions. The AFRIT are described as being enormous both in height and girth and, often, as having horns on the head and hooves instead of feet. The tales associated with these beings tell of their extremely malicious behavior toward any human victim, such that the mere mention of their name inspires unspeakable terror. Ordinarily they inhabit desert wastelands, but the people of Kenya on the east coast of Africa believe they lurk in the muddy depths of pools and rivers. There, like the English Nursery bogie JENNY GREENTEETH, they seize unattended children by the legs and drag them to their deaths. According to Arabic legend, KING SOLOMON compelled an AFREET to become his servent. LORD BYRON, ever interested in the romantic legends of the middle east, wrote an AFRIT into his work "The GIAOUR".

Source: Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth

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African Folklore

This is the name of a gigantic malicious being in the legends and beliefs of the Khoisin people of South Africa. This monster would not let any human pass by unless they performed the challenge of throwing a stone at him on the edge of the pit to make him fall in. What the reluctant travelers did not know was that the stone would boomerang and instead cast the thrower into the pit. Thus GA-GORIB disposed of everyone who attempted to cross his territory. However, the hero HEITSI-EIBIB, who had a special magical birth, passed through the territory and was similarly challenged. He refused to rise to the challenge and engaged the monstrous GA-GORIB in distracting chatter and then quickly threw his stone. The challenger was caught off guard and tumbled into his own pit.

Source: Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth

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Folklore of Chile
Could be a Giant Squid

This is a giant water monster in the folklore of the people of Chile. The CUERO, whose name means "hide" in spanish, was said to have been derived from the hide of a donkey that fell into the river, unfolded, came alive and then engulfed every other living thing that came it's way. It is a described as a flat extended skin like a cow's hide, either with eyes around the perimeter or on top where a head would have been or with eyes on the ends of tentacles that are variously described as having claws. This creature lures and sucks unwary humans down into the eddies of the water, where it folds around there bodies and consumes them. It has also been said to climb out onto the land where it lies in the sun, and it's return to the water, according to legend, is the cause of violent winds. There has been some speculation that it could have been some form of giant squid.

Source: Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth

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Folklore of Chiloc, Chile

This is the name of a giant seagoing monster in the folklore of the people of Chiloc, Chile. The MANTA is said to be the sea-water equivalent of the CUERO. It is described as flat, extended skin, like a cow's hide, with eyes around the perimeter, four more on top, where a head would have been, and tentacles and tail with claws. This creature comes to the surface, where it lures and sucks unwary humans swimming there down under the water, where it enfolds their bodies and consumes them. The creature has been known to climb out onto the land, where it lies in the sun, but its return was said to be the cause of violent gales. The fishermen of Chiloc were naturally terrified of the creature and would leave the fishing grounds if a MANTA were seen. There has been some speculation that it could have been some form of giant squid.

Source: Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth

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Many countries share this mythology
Has many names and many stories

This is the name of a trickster of West African, West Indian, South American, and southern US folklore. As a typical shape shifting, cunning, sly, supernatural SPIRIT of folktales, ANANSI features extensively in moralizing tales, with other animal spirits and sometimes humans as dupes. His origin, according to West African folklore, was human, but he was transformed by the gods to be a used as a spirit messenger.

Continue reading "ANANSI, ANASI" »

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Mythology of West Africa
A type of Spirit

The trickster SPIRIT of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, ESHU is known as ELEGBA and LEGBA to other people of West Africa. He cased discord and misery through his pranks and mischief making but was also a protector of mankind against evil SPIRIT and other dangers. As such, he is the patron of mothers in childbirth and the miners of the Nigerian coalfields. ESHU is depicted as having hair resembling an enormous lock of plaited and sculpted hair resembling a penis, adorned with the fruit of the oil palm, extending from the back of this head. Initiates into his cult both in West African and the Americas wear a mask or their hair resembling this feature.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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West African Folklore
Evil Spirit who Posses Children

These are evil forest SPIRITS of the Dahomey and Yoruba people of West Africa. The ABIKU posses babies and small children, drawing away their life essence until the child dies. The spirits may enter a child in infancy or be permitted by the Creator, MAWU, to be born to a family. Once in possession of the infant, the ABIKU are increasingly hungry and thirsty. They devour all the food intended for the child, often providing for other ABIKU without a host. The host child, in pain and depravation despite the efforts of the parents, ultimately dies, whereupon the ABIKU seeks another host.

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African Mythology
Religious Folklore
Powerful Demon

In the beliefs of the Islamic people of Northern Africa, KARINA is a powerful demon. She may manifest hersElf as a beautiful young woman, as a dog, as an owl or as a snake. She is said to have been a human mother who ate her own 2 children and turned into a fiend. Like SHEELA-NA-GIG she would disgust and curse humans by displaying her genitalia, condemning all those who saw her to a future of still born offspring and sickness. She also brings bareness to the land and it’s animals. A tradition tells of appearing as a beautiful woman to Solomon while he was hunting in the desert. She considered hersElf too powerful for any man to defeat her, but revealed that ARCHANGEL GABRIEL was superior. Solomon immediately invoked the Archangel who subdued her and transformed her into the shape of an old hag.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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African Folklore
Religious Folklore
Folklore of the people who follow Islam
Formed by Allah from the winds of the Sahara
Emperor of the Elementals, Salamanders

Also spelled as: Dgen, Dchin,Genie, Ginn, Jann, Jinn,Jinni, Djin, Jinnee or Jnun.

The belief is that Allah created the angels from light, the Shaitans from the fire of his anger, humans from earth and the Djinn from the Saharan wind (the Simoon).

Taranushi was the first Djinn charged with controlling the rest, the Djinns rebelled and Azazal and Iblis became their most terrifying leaders, being opposed by an army of angels.

The Djinns can be invisible or they can take the form of any shape including that of a gigantic human. They can also be both beautiful or hideously deformed. When a Djinn appears as a beautiful woman, the deception may be detected by noting the vertical eyes and the feet of a goat or a camel.

When benevolent, they may fall in love with and have children with human partners. Their offspring can walk through walls, fly and age very slowly. Djinns can bring great wealth, beauty and possessions to those they like or magicians who know how to control them. To those they dislike or have been directed to do harm to they bring disaster, tortures and horrible deaths.

Continue reading "DJINN" »

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