By Genevieve Azelama
It is said that strange things are always at foot when the sun dies down, as soon as light settles away and the dark comes out to play, the Zulu people speak in hushed, shaky tones, warning each other about the Tokoloshe. A spirit shrouded in mystery, it is described as a small, hairy, dwarf-like being, grotesque in form, powerful in magic, and invisible to the eyes of adults but easily seen by children.
According to Zulu legend, the Tokoloshe is summoned from rivers or stagnant water and is created by sangomas, healers who hold immense knowledge and power of both good and malevolent forces. Once the Tokoloshe is summoned, it can be sent to wreak torment on whoever your enemies are; they bring illness, misfortune, and even death at your behest. The Tokoloshe is bound with a silent ferocity to its matter, carrying out its bidding. 
African Zulu Mythology states that the Tokoloshe has the power of becoming invincible by drinking water or swallowing a stone. According to legend, the final act of animating a tokoloshe is to drive a nail through its forehead.
The Tokoloshe wreaks a peculiar form of torture on those it is sent after, bringing misfortune that can spread wide and far, even consuming entire communities merely by its presence. To the Zulu people, the Tokoloshe is a complex spirit that exists between the divide of living and the dead. Some Zulu people believe the Tokoloshe is a protector who only harms those who have done wrong against culture and people, while to others, the Tokoloshe is a punisher ready to exact revenge at the behest of the one who summoned it.
If you are wondering how to protect yourself from the wrath of the Tokoloshe Zulu legend says to place bricks under their beds, a long-standing protective tradition intended to lift sleepers beyond the reach of the Tokoloshe, who is said to be too short to climb up. The Tokoloshe can also be warded off by placing protective charms in the home, carrying out cleansing rituals, or seeking the advice of Spiritual Leaders.
The tales of Tokoloshe are more than ghost stories; even today, the legend endures even today South Africa’s townships and villages alike, people still sleep with their beds raised to ward off Tokoloshe. For many, Tokoloshe is less about literal interpretation and more about staying connected to ancestral wisdom and sharing in African beliefs that the unseen holds power, and that fear, when shared through story, becomes a binding thread of tradition
