Tikoloshe
The tikoloshe (tokoloshe) is a small, hairy spirit summoned by jealous people to cause illness, nightmares, or death. Invisible unless sprinkled with magical powder, it can be thwarted by raising beds on bricks or using protective charms.
Story beats
- 1) A sorcerer sends a tikoloshe to torment a target, creeping into homes at night.
- 2) Victims suffer sleep paralysis, choking sensations, or mysterious sickness; livestock may die.
- 3) Healers identify the presence using ash or seeing powders, then prescribe charms or raise beds high to keep it from reaching sleepers.
- 4) Counterspells or confronting the jealous summoner ends the haunting; the creature flees or is banished to rivers.
Context & symbolism
Tikoloshe tales articulate social tensions—envy within communities, fear of hidden malice, and repercussions of gossip or unequal wealth. Nighttime attacks map onto sleep paralysis, explaining a sensed presence weighing on the chest.
Raising beds on bricks or cans literalizes vigilance; protective charms reclaim agency against unseen harms. Modern stories link tikoloshe to broader themes of sabotage and spiritual insecurity.
Motifs
- Small hairy figure, often invisible
- Sleep paralysis and choking nightmares
- Beds raised on bricks, protective charms
- Jealous summoner as true antagonist
Use it in play
- Investigate a string of night terrors; discover someone in town hired a tikoloshe.
- Hold vigil in a hut with raised beds, fending off an invisible attacker using ash to reveal footprints.
- Track the jealous summoner; confront them before the spirit harms more livestock.
- Capture the tikoloshe in a snare of river reeds, bargaining for who truly deserves its wrath.