15 Fascinating (& Creepy) Creatures from African Mythology

Discover the legendary creatures & monsters of African folklore

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: January 20, 2026 Fact Checked

African folklore is filled with an incredible (and terrifying) collection of mythical creatures. Are you prepared to meet Africa’s most famous (and infamous) beasts? Below, we’ll introduce you to 15 of Africa’s most well-known legendary monsters–a lineup that includes brain-eating bears, vampiric fireflies, grave-robbing werehyenas, and much more. Come with us as we delve into the incredible world of African legend. Fair warning: some of these eerie creatures might keep you up at night!

Famous Creatures from African Mythology

An illustration featuring famous creatures from African folklore.

Adze: A shape-shifting vampire that appears in the form of a firefly.
Tokoloshe: Small, gremlin-like water sprites that torment humans.
Nandi Bear: An enormous, bear-like predator that feasts on brains.
Kongamato: A massive, winged, reptilian monster that attacks boats.
Grootslang: A greedy and powerful elephant-serpent hybrid that covets gems.

1

Kongamato

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The Kongamato is a flying reptilian monster that attacks boats. “Kongamato” means “breaker of boats” or “overturner of boats.” This winged, river-dwelling creature is said to swoop down from the skies and attack people in canoes or those who venture too close to the water. It’s reddish-brown in color, with huge membrane-like wings and a beak full of long, sharp teeth. It eats fish but, being aggressive and territorial, it capsizes boats and attacks humans for fun.^{[1]
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- Associated with: Cryptozoology, rivers, prehistoric creatures, canoes, boats
- Region: Central Africa

2

Impundulu

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The Impundulu is a shapeshifting vampiric creature. By day, the Impundulu (aka The Lightning Bird) appears as a large black and white bird that can summon lightning and thunder by flapping its wings. At night, it transforms into a handsome man that seduces women and drinks their blood or drains their life force through strange illnesses. The Impundulu is said to be immortal, often serves as a witch’s familiar, and can only be destroyed by fire.^{[2]
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- Associated with: Witchcraft, bad luck, unexplained storms, blood magic
- Represents: The thin veil between the material and spiritual worlds
- Region: South Africa

3

Nandi Bear

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The Nandi Bear is an enormous, brain-eating, bear-like predator. Although this cryptid creature is referred to as a bear, it’s often described as being a massive “forest hyena," or in some cases, a baboon-hyena hybrid that’s as large as a bear. The Nandi Bear stalks its prey in the forests at night and is known to crush its victims’ skulls, consuming only their brains and leaving the mutilated bodies behind.^{[3]
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- Associated with: Wilderness attacks, trauma, mutilation, eating brains
- Represents: Fear of the wilderness
- Region: East Africa

4

Adze

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The adze is a shape-shifting vampire that appears as a firefly. The creature’s natural appearance is that of a firefly, but it can shape-shift into a human in order to possess you, drink your blood, and drive you mad. They especially love consuming the blood of children! They’re able to sneak into homes in firefly form by going through keyholes, under windows, and around doors. The legends say there are no potions, spells, or weapons that can be used against it, and once bitten, you cannot be cured.^{[4]
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- Associated with: Envy, demonic possession, hidden threats
- Represents: The dangers of malaria and other diseases spread by insects
- Region: West Africa

5

Grootslang

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The Grootslang is a powerful and ancient elephant-serpent hybrid. This legendary cryptid has the head of an elephant and the body of a python. It lurks in a deep cave filled with diamonds called the “Wonder Hole.” If the Grootslang captures you, it might allow you to live in exchange for gems (which the creature covets). According to legend, after the gods created the Grootslang, they realized it was a mistake–the creature was too strong and cunning. So, they split the creature in two, resulting in the individual species (snakes and elephants) that we know today.^{[5]
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- Associated with: Greed, guarding and hoarding gems, divine errors
- Region: South Africa

6

Mokele-mbembe

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The Mokele-mbembe is a river-dwelling, dinosaur-like creature. It’s described as being a reptilian herbivore with a long tail, small head, smooth skin, one tooth, and a long, flexible neck that dwells in the rivers of the Congo. In some tales, the single tooth is actually a horn. Its name means “one who stops the flow of rivers” because of its massive size, and it has a penchant for attacking humans in canoes. It’s believed to be a prehistoric water beast that has survived the passage of time.^{[6]
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- Associated with: Cryptozoology, swamps, rivers, the Congo, prehistoric beasts
- Represents: The unknown mysteries of the rainforest and Congo River Basin
- Region: Central Africa

7

Mamlambo

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The Mamlambo is a powerful, wealth-giving snake deity. This creature, also known as “The Brain Sucker,” is a river-dwelling entity with the power to offer immense wealth, but also demands strict loyalty and can be very dangerous. It’s known for dragging victims underwater and drowning them, and then eating their faces and sucking out their brains! Descriptions vary, but the creature is often said to be a massive snake or reptile with four legs, the body of a crocodile, a serpent’s neck, and a horse’s head. In some myths, it’s bioluminescent, which means it glows in the dark.^{[7]
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- Associated with: Granting immense wealth at a terrible price, greed, drownings
- Represents: Materialism, the dangers of seeking affluence and financial well-being^{[8]
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- Region: South Africa

8

Ninki Nanka

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The Ninki Nanka is a swamp and river-dwelling dragon. Descriptions vary wildly, but it’s often described as a massive snake-like creature with dragon features and reflective black and green scales. It can move silently through the rivers and swamps, and locking eyes with the beast will lead to illness or death instantly (or within days). The creature is extremely powerful and the only known weapon against it is a simple mirror–legends say it hates its own reflection and will perish or retreat when forced to look.^{[9]
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- Associated with: Swamps, rivers (especially the River Gambia), death
- Represents: Destruction, renewal, the balance between humanity and nature
- Region: West Africa

9

Popobawa

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The Popobawa is a smelly, shapeshifting, bat-like entity. The creature often appears as a bat-like humanoid, but it can also take human or animal form, and is described as having a pungent, sulfuric odor. The Popobawa is very aggressive and attacks people in their homes at night. It threatens its victims by saying it will return if they tell anyone they were attacked. It can paralyze you with fear just by looking at you, and rumors of it have caused mass panic and paranoia over the years.^{[10]
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- Associated with: Witchcraft, taboos, mass hysteria, sexuality
- Represents: Paranoia and anxiety due to the threat of sexual assault
- Region: East Africa

10

Sasabonsam (aka Asanbosam)

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The Sasabonsam (aka Asanbosam) is a humanoid vampire creature. This blood-draining monster is described as having iron teeth, hooked claws, bloodshot eyes, long limbs, and an ogre-like appearance. It dwells in the shadows of the forest and can move silently, dropping down from the trees to capture and drain its prey. It has superhuman strength and is said to be able to bewitch or possess humans. In some tales, it can kill you or make you sick just by looking at you.^{[11]
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- Associated with: Witchcraft, forests, shadows, punishing trespassers, bad luck
- Represents: The importance of respecting the forest and the dangers of the wild
- Region: West Africa

11

Dingonek

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The Dingonek is a massive, fish-like beast that lives in rivers. The legends say this man-eating creature is 14-18 feet long, has the head of a cat or a dog (depending on who you talk to), and has long white tusks like a walrus. In some tales, its scales are spotted like a leopard. The creature enjoyed some popularity when it was “spotted” by big game hunter John Alfred Jordan in 1907. It’s said to be exceptionally strong, able to withstand gunshots, and can poison you with its barb-like tail.^{[12]
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- Associated with: Lakes and rivers, ancient fossils, river lore
- Region: East Africa

12

Tokoloshe

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The Tokoloshe is a small, mischievous water sprite. These creatures are hairy, long-eared, dwarf-like humanoids, often described as gremlin-like, that are created from corpses by shamans. The Tokoloshe can be sent or summoned to bring torment and exact revenge in the form of illness, debt, nightmares, and even death, and they feed on the negative energy and despair they cause. These troublesome creatures are also known to scratch children and bite off people’s toes when they’re asleep!^{[13]
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- Associated with: Bad luck, illness, accidents, torment, and witch doctors^{[14]
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- Region: South Africa

13

Bouda (Werehyenas)

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The Bouda is a shape-shifting, grave-robbing hyena creature. In many tales, these creatures are actually human blacksmiths that wield the power of the evil eye and transform into terrifying hyena creatures at night. Blacksmithing, a hereditary trade, was rumored to be connected to witchcraft. Legends say blacksmiths would rob graves at night in hyena form, defiling bones and consuming any remaining human flesh. In some tales, they lure people out of their homes. Supposedly, a tell-tale sign of a werehyena in human form is the smell of rotting flesh.^{[15]
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- Associated with: Blacksmiths, grave-robbing, witchcraft
- Represents: The dangers of wandering off at night, suspicions around hereditary crafts and trades (like blacksmithing)
- Region: East Africa

14

Emela-ntouka

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The Emela-ntouka is an aggressive dinosaur-like cryptid. Its name means “the killer of elephants” or “eater of the tops of trees.” It’s believed to be a prehistoric survivor akin to a dinosaur and lives in the swamps and rivers of the Congo. Descriptions say it’s a massive, horned, rhinoceros-like creature with a heavy, crocodile-esque tail. The Emela-ntouka eats plants, but it has an aggressive and territorial nature–it will kill elephants, hippos, humans, and any other trespassers.^{[16]
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- Associated with: Cryptozoology, swamps and rivers, prehistoric creatures
- Region: Central Africa

15

Mami Wata

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The Mami Wata is a water spirit similar to a mermaid. This female water deity is also known as “Mother of Water” and “Mammy Water.” She is described as being very beautiful, appearing in the shape of a woman from the waist up and a fish or serpent from the waist down (similar to a mermaid). She lives near the ocean and other bodies of water. In some tales, she seduces and abducts humans and causes drownings. In others, she is worshipped for bestowing riches, beauty, and healing.^{[17]
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- Associated with: Beauty, vanity, oceans, mirrors, good fortune, fertility, drownings, destructive floods, seduction, fishing and mariner culture
- Region: Pan-African