Mythical Creature: Inkanyamba, The Legendary Serpent

Finally, you see one of those tall waterfalls you’ve only  encountered in photos. An inspiring sight. The roaring sound is somehow calming. You step up to the clear water as your companions race by, splashing you as they jump in. You lifted up your camera, glaring at them but failing. How could you stay angry in a place like this? Tall cliffs surround you, making this area your own haven.  Your companions laugh, beckoning you to join them. You shake your head with a smile, bringing the camera to your face and snapping a couple of photos.

It becomes dark. You lower your camera. Angry, grey clouds block out the sun. A deafening snap of thunder disturbs your haven. It cuts off your friend’s laughter. Rain falls, almost like an attack. You quickly put away your camera. Heavy winds try to throw you into the lake. Bright blue lights flash above as lightning split open the sky. Your friends scramble out of the lake towards the surrounding wall where a rock formation gives them cover. You follow. One friend gasps and points to the water. You see the shadow of a snake-like creature, in the water, only it’s larger than any serpent you’ve ever seen.


The Inkanyamba is a supernatural eel-like creature of the Zulu and Xhosa people in South Africa. It lives in pools at the base of waterfalls. Severe weather events like thunderstorms and tornados have wrecked parts of southern Africa. Flooding so bad cars float away. These storms have taken many lives. Many blame these deadly weather events on the Inkanyamba. 
Research varies about this creature’s appearance. Some resources say it has several heads, others say it has the head of a horse. The one constant feature is that the Inkanyamba has the body of a giant serpent. Another story says this beast has wings. It takes to the sky searching for its mate. As it does, it becomes a tornado, devastating all its in its path. 
Outside of searching for its mate, there’s very little talk about why the Inkanyamba causes such terrible storms. There’s little talk about what people do to stop it or appease this beast. It seems to exist just to cause destruction. One resource claims people don’t say its name to avoid attracting the beast. It’s interesting that the beast was never called dragon even though it’s said to be a serpent with wings. 
It’s widely believed residents are mistaking the Inkanyamba for very real, very large eels. They grow to a terrify 6-feet in length.