Tokoloshe – how to chase this African goblin

The Tokoloshe is a very big part of South African mythology – alive and well and making trouble in African lives. Getting rid of a tokoloshe is no easy matter. You can buy a silver charm of protection. This naughty goblin like creature is from South Africa and creates all sorts of nonsense in Africans’ lives. The small, dwarf like creature is said to have a long beard and a very large penis.

Tokoloshe - protect yourself with this charm

Not many people have actually seen a tokoloshe – but many have experienced it’s mischievous ways. It makes friends with children, and it seems that children are the only ones that it does no harm to – in fact if a witch doctor has control of a tokoloshe and gives it a command to hurt a child it is the only time that the tokoloshe will disobey it’s master. Invisible to most humans, it can be seen by a powerful witch or sangoma.

Although a tokoloshe is not a good spirit or entity, it rarely does serious harm to humans unless under the control of an evil person or witch doctor.

Other names for a tokolshe are: Tokolosh, Tokoloshi, Thokolosi, Tikaloshe, hili, gilikango. Although it is a South Africa spirit, the belief in the tikolshe is widely believed throughout Africa.

A personal protection charm

Although a tokolshe is said to be invisible – if you do see one – do not point or look at the entity – this will upset the tokoloshe – and nobody in their right mind wants to do that! The tokoloshi becomes invisible by placing a magic pebble in its mouth.

It is said that tokoloshes are created by removing the eyes and tongue from an adult corpse. The body supposedly shrinks after a hot iron rod is pushed into the skull of the corpse. A secret powder is then blown into the mouth of the corpse and in this way life  is given to the tokoloshe – and obedience.However the tokoloshe is created -  it is said a relative  will die within that year. In creating a tokolshe their is a price to be paid – and in this case it is the life of the living in exchange for a spirit.

It is said that the penis of the thokolosi is long, so long  that it has to be hung over his shoulder. Part of what the tokolosh is blamed for is making love to witches  that control it. The witch rewards the tokolishe with milk and food. In common with European myths and legends concerning familiars, salt must not be added to food offerings for tokoloshes. Bad witches control the tokoloshe by cutting the entities fringe hanging over its eyes. Tokoloshes are also blamed for rape and impregnating woman. The tokoloshe is said to be friends with the leguaan which is a monitor lizard. It sometimes shares a home with the reptile. The tokoloshe is supposedly a water spirit, and prefers a home by a river or near water). When a leguaan stamps its feet,it is believed that it is dancing with a Thokolosi.

The word Tokoloshe or Tikoloshe comes from the Xhosa word uthikoloshe. The way to get rid of a tokoloshe is to call in the sangoma or n’anga or witch-doctor who has the geatest power, they will be able to banish this evil entity from your house or village.

The tokolosh like to steal milk from cows. The tokoloshe, or tikoloshe, can be trapped and chased by a by a powerful medicine man or witch doctor (inyanga or sangoma). The Inyange make a magical potion from the body of a dead tokoloshe. By rubbing the substance at the back door of a cattle kraal, the sangoma can catch and kill the Thokolosi. (Once this is done the tikolshe becomes visible), Traders in muti (traditional medicine), have small spaza shops in many places in South Africa. They advertise cures and remedies that can be used for protection against the gilikango. These potions also have (supposidly) fat from the tokoloshi. This is smeared on the skin as a cream against the tikolosh. It must leave a cold feeling on the spot it is rubbed to be genuine.Remember it is also called the Tokolosh, Tokoloshi, Thokolosi, Tikaloshe, hili or the gilikango.