DITAOLANE
allyHero
Ditaolane, also named Litaolane or Moshanyana wa Senkatana, is a hero — sometimes qualified as a deity — of the Basotho mythology of southern Africa. His name comes from the divining bones, the ditaola, that he carries at birth, which makes him a diviner. The narrative opens on a monster, Kammapa, sometimes called Kholumolumo or Kgodumodumo, a shapeless, voracious creature that has devoured almost all of humanity. Sole survivor, Ditaolane's mother gives birth to a child who grows up at once. The hero confronts the monster, lets himself be swallowed, then kills it by cutting it open from within, freeing the swallowed people still alive. In several versions, the men, frightened by his power, then seek to kill him, and the narrative ends with his metamorphosis into stone or with his death, his heart becoming a bird.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Voice of its pantheon. DITAOLANE carries the memory of its tradition and weaves a thread into the Mabioni. Bound to the Sotho pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of fired clay, bronze and fossilised roots, engraved with symbols of supernatural powers, embodiment of the power of Ditaolane
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Against which monster does Ditaolane fight?
Against Kammapa, also called Kholumolumo or Kgodumodumo, a voracious creature that had engulfed almost all of humanity. Ditaolane kills it by cutting it open from within.
Why does he bear this name?
Ditaolane comes from the ditaola, the divining bones he carries from birth, which makes him a diviner. He is also named Litaolane or Moshanyana wa Senkatana.
How does his story end?
Depending on the versions, the men, frightened by his power, seek to kill him, and the narrative ends with his transformation into stone or with his death, his heart sometimes changing into a bird.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ditaolane
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamappa