Uthikoloshe

Variations: Uhili

The Xhosa people of southeastern South Africa say that the uthikoloshe is one of the most powerful types of familiars that a witch could hope to have. The uthikoloshe is a small and hairy vampiric creature, either male or female, that wears clothes made of sheepskin (see HAIR). It also wears a necklace that has a magical stone charm on it that will allow it to become invisible, as well as being able to send realistic and terrifying dreams to people of themselves being strangled.

The uthikoloshe speaks with a lisp and is fond of playing with children and drinking milk. Normally it is a compassionate creature that keeps to itself and will do no harm to others intentionally, unless it is compelled to do so by its witch. It, like the UMAMLAMBO, lives in a hut under the water where it is attended to by its lizard servants.

SALT is like poison to the uthikoloshe, and poisoned food left for it to find is perhaps the safest way to kill it, if not the surest. The fat from the body of a dead uthikoloshe can be rendered into oil that can be used to kill others of its kind.

Source: Broster, Amagqirha, 58­60; Mayer, Townsmen or Tribesmen, 161, 162; Royal Anthropological Institute, Man, 129