Tokoloshe

Region: Africa
Location:Primarily Zulu and Xhosa regions (South Africa), but known widely across southern Africa

The Tokoloshe is a small, mischievous, and often malevolent spirit in Southern African folklore. Descriptions vary by region, but it is typically portrayed as a dwarf-like being with shaggy hair, elongated limbs, and sometimes missing features or sunken eyes. Some accounts describe it with a gremlin-like appearance; others say it can become invisible or only visible to those it targets. The Tokoloshe is associated with night terrors, household disturbances, and unexplained illness. Its presence is feared enough that many rural homes traditionally raise their beds on bricks — Tokoloshe is said to attack sleepers who rest too close to the ground.
  Folklore says Tokoloshe may be summoned by individuals seeking revenge, jealousy, or mischief. A jealous neighbor or rival might call upon a Tokoloshe to harass a household — knocking things over, causing nightmares, or in more sinister tales, smothering sleepers. Traditional healers known as *sangomas* are called to remove or repel the spirit. They perform cleansing rituals, burn protective herbs, or communicate with ancestors to restore balance. These rituals highlight how the Tokoloshe is woven into broader spiritual and moral systems, not just fear.
  Despite its fearsome reputation, some stories portray Tokoloshe with humor — playing pranks, stealing food, or mimicking voices. Many elders note that Tokoloshe stories historically reinforced social boundaries: warnings to avoid sleeping alone, to keep homes protected, or to discourage feuds between neighbors that might escalate into spiritual retaliation. In modern South Africa, Tokoloshe remains one of the most iconic supernatural beings — equally feared, joked about, and woven into everyday talk.

World
Koina
Owner
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.

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