Grootslang

Region: Africa
Location:Northern Cape, South Africa (Richtersveld caves), with related mining-camp legends extending into West African diamond lore

The Grootslang — Afrikaans for “great snake” — is a massive, primeval creature said to inhabit deep caves and rocky ravines of the Richtersveld. In legend, it was one of the first beings created by the gods, who mistakenly gave it too much strength and cunning. Realizing the error, the gods split the creature into two species — elephants and snakes. But one original Grootslang escaped the process and fled into the earth, where it multiplied and persists to this day. Descriptions portray it as an enormous serpent, sometimes with elephant-like features such as tusks or a massive head.
  Stories place the Grootslang deep within the so-called “Wonder Hole” or “Bottomless Pit,” a cavern believed to connect to underground tunnels stretching across Africa. The creature is said to hoard diamonds and precious stones — a detail that blends indigenous lore with colonial-era mining myth. Travelers who sought wealth in the wilderness were warned that the Grootslang could lure them with glittering gems only to devour them. Its eyes reportedly glow like lanterns in the dark, and its roar echoes through stone passages.
  The legend reflects both the harsh terrain and the dangers of diamond-rush greed. Early prospectors in South Africa and later laborers in West African mines adopted the Grootslang as a symbol of hidden dangers beneath the earth. To local communities, it also represents a primordial force older than humanity — a reminder that deep caves and untouched landscapes have their own guardians, far beyond human control or comprehension.

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Koina
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kaixabu
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The spark is human. The polish is digital.

 

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