I grew up with what has to be one of the ugliest statues ever.
You may have noticed a faded photo of it in ‘from Africa… with a Bite’ (a FREE eBook all about African paranormals and supernatural creatures, available on my website).
If not, here it is, my family heirloom:
Made of soapstone, the statue is of a Tokolosh (also spelled Togolosh or Tokoloshe), a mythical creature that lives under beds across South Africa. It’s rather like a diminutive version of the boogey man.
The purpose of the statue is to ward off the living version, which is even uglier. It’s also used as a measurement: as long as your bed is higher than the statue, you should be safe from the evil advances of a Tokolosh.
And if you don’t raise your bed on bricks, as many South Africans do? Well, then you are in very real danger of having your toes and other body parts chewed on.
But what is a Tokolosh?
Usually described as a brown, hairy, three-foot high dwarf, it is remarkably similar in habits and appearances to the brownies of European folklore.
There are several stories regarding the origin of the Tokolosh, but they all result in a rather disagreeable looking beast. There is even a zombie version, for which there is a recipe (to be provided in a later post).
Why anyone would want to actually create such a creature is beyond me. The statue is bad enough.
What do you think of my family’s statue?
Don't just sit there - say something!