Today I am telling a short story of African mythology I remember reading last year for a project. I absolutely love African stories, so enjoy:
The Story
Long, long ago a woman met a man from another tribe. Even though courtships outside of one’s own tribe were forbidden, they fell in love and carried on their secret love affair. Soon after the woman became pregnant and no longer was their affair so secret anymore. Shunned from her tribe because of her unwanted pregnancy, the mother was unable to look after her baby and thus decided she would desert it in the African bush. The mother thought that the baby would soon die from the dangers of the African wilderness. The baby did not die but was lost there forever. It turned into a spirit of the night and transformed into a Bushbaby. The soul of the baby now haunts the African wilderness, crying every night for its parents, hoping for rescue. Its cries can always be heard late at night in the bush. This legend originated from the fact that the Bushbaby’s cry sounds remarkably similar to that of a human baby’s cry.
Even though the Bushbaby is not dangerous, it is regarded as an omen of death in some African countries. If one sees a Bushbaby moving around at night with a mat and a magical torchlight (the mat being its tail and the torchlight being its big eyes), they should expect bad news from their loved ones – someone you know will die when you see the Bushbaby at night. (image courtesy of oomfy.com)
Translation
When I think of mythology in my own country (South Africa), one of the most well-known folklore/mythological creatures is the Tokoloshe. This creature is a dwarf-like evil spirit that only comes out at night to cause trouble for others. According to legend, the only way to keep safe from the Tokoloshe is to put a brick beneath each leg of your bed so that the Tokoloshe can’t reach you. I remember hearing stories of it when I was a child and even saw someone who had bricks beneath each leg of their bed!
With all this popular belief and superstition it is inevitable that it pops up in media and advertising. An advert for the real estate search engine Tivvit.com is one such example which uses the story of the Tokoloshe in their teaser advert. The advert, played out as ‘news footage’ of a sighting of the Tokoloshe, went viral in a matter of days and had South African audiences intrigued and confused. Below is the advert for your viewing pleasure.
Pass on the Story 