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Zulu and Southern African mythologies: spirits and creatures

30 spirits documented in the Kunda Codex

From the hills of KwaZulu to the plateaus of Zimbabwe, the peoples of Southern Africa developed powerful cosmologies where ancestors, storm spirits and shadow creatures coexist. Zulu tradition tells of Unkulunkulu, the first man, but also of the Tokoloshe and Inkanyamba, the storm serpent. The entries below document their major figures with sources.

INKANYAMBAAirantagonist

INKANYAMBA

The Storm Serpent / Ikanyamba

ZoulouAfrique du Sud

Spirit of the Waters

TOKOLOSHESpiritantagonist

TOKOLOSHE

The Malevolent Dwarf / Tikoloshe

ZoulouAfrique du Sud

Guardian Spirit

UNKULUNKULUSpiritally

UNKULUNKULU

Ancestor-creator

ZoulouAfrique du Sud

Creator Spirit

NYAMI NYAMIWaterally

NYAMI NYAMI

Waters, protection

Shona / TongaZimbabwe / Zambie

Spirit of the Waters

MBABA MWANA WARESASpiritally

MBABA MWANA WARESA

Fertility, rainbow, beer

ZoulouAfrique du Sud

Creator Spirit

HLAKANYANASpiritally

HLAKANYANA

Trickster, childhood morality / Uhlakanyana

ZoulouAfrique du Sud

Ancestral Spirit

LESASpiritally

LESA

Supreme god, benevolence

BembaZambie

Creator Spirit

MAMLAMBOWaterally

MAMLAMBO

Waters, wealth

ZoulouAfrique du Sud

Spirit of the Waters

ABANTUBOMLAMBOWaterneutral

ABANTUBOMLAMBO

Spirit

TranskeiTranskei

Spirit

ABATAWASpiritneutral

ABATAWA

Spirit

ZoulouZoulou

Spirit

CHIPFALAMFULASpiritneutral

CHIPFALAMFULA

Monster

MozambiqueMozambique

Monstrous Spirit

CHIUTASpiritally

CHIUTA

God

TumbukaTumbuka

Deity

DITAOLANEEarthally

DITAOLANE

Hero

SothoSotho

Hero Spirit

EHLOSESpiritneutral

EHLOSE

Spirit

ZoulouZoulou

Spirit

HUVEANESpiritally

HUVEANE

God

BasutoBasuto

Deity

IDLOZISpiritneutral

IDLOZI

Spirit

ZoulouZoulou

Spirit

ILOMBOSpiritneutral

ILOMBO

Monster

ZambieZambie

Monstrous Spirit

IMILOZISoulneutral

IMILOZI

Spirit

ZoulouZoulou

Spirit

INKOSAZANAEarthally

INKOSAZANA

Goddess

ZoulouZoulou

Goddess

INTULOSpiritneutral

INTULO

Spirit

ZoulouZoulou

Spirit

ITONGOSoulneutral

ITONGO

Spirit

ZoulouZoulou

Spirit

MADLEBESpiritally

MADLEBE

Hero

SwaziSwazi

Hero Spirit

MAULISpiritally

MAULI

God

ShonaShona

Deity

MINEPASpiritally

MINEPA

God

ZambieZambie

Deity

MKULUMNCANDESpiritally

MKULUMNCANDE

God

SwaziSwazi

Deity

PAMBASpiritally

PAMBA

God

OvamboOvambo

Deity

PUKQILISpiritally

PUKQILI

God

ZoulouZoulou

Deity

TANGALIMLIBOWaterally

TANGALIMLIBO

Hero

XhosaXhosa

Hero Spirit

UKQILIAirally

UKQILI

God

ZoulouZoulou

Deity

UMVELINQANGIAirally

UMVELINQANGI

God

ZoulouZoulou

Deity