Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig Tree Forest Where Zulu Sangomas were said to Live with Hyenas that they could
Transform Themselves into.
Hyenas will of course visit human camps at night adding to the belief a sangoma was either
visiting or had sent an emissary. According to old hunting journals the Kikuyu and Tswana of
Botswana would leave the sick or dying out for hyenas to kill or eat the cadavers. It is not
without reason hyenas are called the undertakers of Africa. There is a story that a bush pilot
crashed his plane and broke his leg but managed to crawl to a tree to await rescue. He had a
spray, deodorant as I recall, and a cigarette lighter to protect himself. During the night a hyena
came up to him to kill him and he aimed the spray at the hyena and set the spray alight with the
lighter, burning the hyena and sending it running away. Nguni tribes would bury the dead is
shallow graves covered with stones and buffalo thorn branches to prevent hyena excavation of
bodies. In the case of royalty, they were buried in a sitting squatting position, with arms
wrapped around their legs, often surrounded by royal staff and sometimes wives and harems.
Indeed, Sangomas are believed by many still to this day to have the ability to change
themselves into leopards, hyenas, chameleons, mambas or puff-adders at will. This was
reinforced by the sangomas keeping tame pet hyenas. Hence partly the great fear of snakes for
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