An obayifo is a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...
/witch-like mythological creature from
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
coming from the folklore of the
Ashanti. In Ashanti folklore, obayifo are very common and may inhabit the bodies of any man or woman. They are described as having shifty eyes and being obsessed with food. When travelling at night they are said to emit a
phosphorescent
Phosphorescence is a type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. When exposed to light (radiation) of a shorter wavelength, a phosphorescent substance will glow, absorbing the light and reemitting it at a longer wavelength. Unlike fluor ...
light from their
armpits and
anus. The obayifo is known as a similar entity to the asiman by the
Dahomey people, a creature that can shapeshift and fly, turning itself into a ball of light and hunting for prey in the night sky.
Origin
In Ashanti
Twi
Twi () is a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana by several million people, mainly of the Akan people, the largest of the seventeen major ethnic groups in Ghana. Twi has about 17-18 million speakers in total, includ ...
, the word used to describe "
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...
" is ''bayi.'' Despite this, the
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
of ''bayi'' is still uncertain. Another possible variation is ''oba'' meaning "child" and ''yi'' meaning to remove. "To remove a child" in this case highlights a close association of
infant mortality and
fertility
Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...
to the likes of witchcraft. Alternatively, ''bayi'' also may have a history in representing blood or family lineage. People, typically women, who practiced bayi turned into the obayifo. Although obayifo is used to describe both the men and women who practiced bayi and turned into the monster, a distinction can be drawn between the men and women who practiced bayi, as ''obansam,'' meaning wizard, was a term used for the males exclusively as obayifo was sometimes only used for women exclusively.
See also
*
Asanbosam
The Asanbosam, or more commonly Sasabonsam,
is a vampire-like folkloric being from the Akan people. It belongs to the folklore of the Akan of southern Ghana, as well as Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and 18th century Jamaica from enslaved Akan. It is sai ...
*
Adze
An adze (; alternative spelling: adz) is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing ...
*
Soucouyant
The soucouyant or soucriant in Dominica, St. Lucian, Trinidadian, Guadeloupean folklore (also known as Loogaroo or Lougarou) in Haiti, Louisiana, Grenada and elsewhere in the Caribbean or Ole-Higue (also Ole Haig) in Guyana, Belize and Jamaica o ...
References
“Africa, Vampires In.” ''The Free Dictionary'', Farlex,
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Africa%2C+Vampires+in.
Allman, Jean Marie, and John Parker. ''Tongnaab: The History of a West African God''. Indiana University Press, 2006.
West African legendary creatures
African witchcraft
Ghanaian culture
Ivorian culture
Togolese culture
Vampires
{{Africa-myth-stub