Welcome back everyone - today was heading to the most southerly country in Africa to
see what tales it has in store for us.
Well, I already know, obviously - and let me tell you - these are up there with some
of the best we've done in this series.
You can believe me when I say that because I don't always say that.
Here we go then, my name is Danny Burke and this is the top 10 scary south African urban legends.
Starting off at number 10 we have
Pinky Pinky - This is a creature steeped in the mist of folklore - known to many South Africans as a symbol of fear, rape, and torment.
Its said to be half man, half woman, its origins date back centuries in Zulu history.
Its said to have risen tinted skin and eyes with shocking pink hair.
It is said to prey on adolescent girls, especially ones wearing pink, both in real life and in
their nightmares and in real life.
People say it tries to corner a girl and then speaks to her in a musical woman's voice and
asks if the girl will play or be friends with Pinky Pinky.
Some parts of South African society are dismissive of all this but authorities do take reports
of the creature seriously.
Headmasters have even closed schools in the past to protect their pupils from the so-called
-myth- … police investigations are not uncommon when reports of the Pinky Pinky come in.
Perhaps real rapists are murderers have contributed to the spread of this myth, but many locals
will tell you there's no smoke without fire and the pinky really is out there …
Next up at number 9 we have
The Ghostly Horseman - In the Tokai Forest lies the Tokai Manor.
The story goes that in the mid 1800s it was owned by a man called Petrus Eksteen.
He loved wild drunken parties and for him, New Year's Eve was the greatest party of them
all.
One New Years Eve, Petrus challenged his son Frederick in front of all the guests.
He made a bet that Frederick to ride his favourite horse up the steep steps of the manor and
into the house.
His son did this and all the guests cheered.
As he went back down the stairs, a slave rang the bell to signal midnight.
The horse got spooked and tumbled down the steps, dragging Frederick to his death.
This violent end is said to have bound Fredericks soul to the house - specifically in the way
that he died.
In the years since then, people who have worked or visited the house report hearing strange
sounds - drunken laughter or the echoing of horse hooves.
Then there are some who swear they've seen a man in old-fashioned clothes, galloping
along on horseback in the forest, especially on New Year's Eve or in the early hours of
the morning …
At number 8 now we have
Highway Sheila - Residents of Chatsworth will know all about this famous ghost.
According to them, Sheila was a young Indian girl who was trying to flag down people to
help fix her broken car by the side of the N2 highway.
A group of men pulled over.
They sexually assaulted her, murdered her and then left her by the roadside.
Her spirit is now said to be bound to that stretch of road - full of vengeance and hate
for all the living.
She now does what was done to her - terrorizing or even killing innocent people on the road.
One story involves a young man who picked up a hitchhiker called Sheila.
The man offered to take her home and noticed the temperature in his car drop when the woman
got in.
He offered her his coat.
He dropped her at her home nearby, at which point she wanted to return the coat.
The man insisted she keep it and said he would fetch it in the morning.
When he went back to the house the following day a middle-aged woman answered the door
and the man asked for Sheila.
The woman was baffled and said that Sheila doesn't live in here any more - the man said
he had just dropped her off the night before.
The woman said that was impossible, as Sheila had died years before.
She told him where her grave was as proof.
He rushed to the spot and there, draped over her gravestone, was the jacket he had given
to Sheila …
Next up at number 7, we have
Mermaids of the Karoo - The Great Karoo is a large desert in South Africa - it doesn't rain often there.
They say that in parts of the Karoo, there are 5-year-old children who have never seen
rain.
It didn't always use to be like this though, 250 million years ago, this whole area was
sea - today you can find fossilized in the desert as evidence.
This seems to tie in with a local legend - that deep below the ground, in water pools in caves,
there lies a mermaid.
Legend says she has lived there ever since a great flood washed her there from the sea.
When the waters receded, she was trapped.
In local folklore, people have seen the mermaid for generations - she lures them in by promising
their hearts desires to them before sending them to a watery grave.
This urban legend picked up the pace when people pointed out that the ancient San rock
paintings in the direst part of Karoo depict Mermaid like creatures.
Skeptics argue otherwise but still, the legend of the Karoo Mermaid has been around for a
very long time - and may continue for just as long …
Moving on to number 6 now we have the
Anti-Occult Police - You've heard of normal police, traffic police, and undercover police - but have you heard
of Anti-Occult Police.
In the 1980s and early 90s, South Africa saw the birth of a real police squad whose role
was to fight back against satanic crimes.
The founder of the unit was Dr. Kobus Jonker, also known as -The Hound of God- … he said
that in the 90s, he was investigating more than 250 cases a year and believed there were
thousands of Satanists active in South Africa.
It was their job to make sure people who practiced Wicca were doing so without harming anyone
else.
There were documented cases of some traditional healers harvesting organs for people, in the
name of their belief or simply for money.
They often believed the victim must be alive when the organs are harvested, and they will
try to find the youngest most innocent victim possible.
The pain and hormones released are what gives the organ its power.
In 2006, the Police unit was officially dissolved - although some people in South Africa feel
they simply went underground to continue a very real fight against the occult …
Next up at number 5 we have
The Lightning Bird - This is a mythical creature in a number of different tribal folklore.
Its said to take the form of a black and white bird which is the size of a person.
It summons thunder and lightning using its wings and talons.
Its also vampiric and has an insatiable appetite for blood.
The Bird is usually the servant of a witch or witch doctor and attacks their enemies.
Some say it manifests itself as lightning to men and a bird to women.
Although people fear the Lightning Bird attacking them and sucking their blood dry - some hope
to hunt it themselves.
You see, the fat of the Lightning Bird is said to be a great source of fuel or an ingredient
for traditional medicine.
However, killing it is said to be no easy task as the Lightning Bird is immune to gunshots
or stabbing, you cant poison it or drown it - it can only be killed by fire.
So, if you've ever wanted to hunt down and kill a vampiric lightning bird that can suck
your blood dry - now you know how …
Moving on to number 4 now we have
Green Point Light House - Built in 1924, the red and white striped Green Point Lighthouse is the oldest working beacon
in South Africa - with all that history, it may not come as a surprise to some people
that the building is famously haunted.
The story goes that the tower is inhabited by a one-legged spirit simply called Daddy
West.
There was actually a lighthouse keeper by the name of West who worked there in 1901
- some believe this adds weight to the claims.
Next up at number 3, we have
The Afterlife Prison - Pieter Gysbert van Noodt was the Governor of Cape Town in the early 1700s.
During his time, four soldiers tried to flee his harsh rule.
They were imprisoned and when they tried to escape, they were sentenced to death.
The governor refused to overturn the sentencing and also attend the hanging.
The last soldier to receive his sentence cursed the governor with his dying breath.
When officers went to report to the governor that the execution had gone as planned, they
found him dead.
He was slumped in his chair with a look of sheer terror on his face.
Locals blamed the curse but some went even further with it.
They believe the curse was not only to kill him - but to tie his soul to the prison forever.
These days, visitors to The Castle of Good Hope have reported seeing him roam the halls.
They say he seems unaware of his situation - and stares at tourists as if they are new
prisoners, ready to be executed for their crimes …
Next up at number 2, we have
The Spook House - This old house in Cape Town has become known over the years as the Spook House.
The story goes that in the 1970s, the basement in this house was home to a cult group.
They practiced their satanic rituals down here, unbeknown to the people at street level.
They eventually left, worried that their rituals were attracting too much attention.
Although they were gone through, their energy wasn't.
Some believe one of their victims still haunts the place to this day.
Over the years, a number of visitors have spotted a translucent old man walking around
the inside of the house.
When the disappears, they hear doors swinging and slamming even though the air is still.
And finally, at number 1, we have
The Ghost of Elsa Cloete - She was a young Dutch woman who lived in the age-old Hout Bay homestead that now houses
the Kitima restaurant.
Back in the 1800s, they say she was in love with a British soldier.
Her father prohibited her from dating and so the soldier hung himself from an oak tree
near the manor.
The girl died soon after as well, at the time - they said it was a broken heart.
Its been well over a century and a half since these deaths but people who work there swear
they see the couple.
The staff at the restaurant occasionally witness bizarre occurrences.
Thes include pots flying off their books on kitchen walls and lights dimming inexplicably.
Others have seen the ghostly figure of a woman standing at one of the windows of the manor
as well as that of a young man lurking near the oak trees, staring longingly at the house.
The staff believes this to be so true that they frequently leave meals out for the couple
and say they have seen them dine together - enjoying what they were denied in life.
That was really cool - I already wanted to go to South Africa before I made this and
now I know some cool urban legends spots to check out too.
I'll probably freak myself out before I ever get there though but hey, its the thought
that counts.
Where are we off to next in the world with our Urban Legends?
You let me know - thanks for watching guys, my name is Danny Burke and Ill see you all
in the next video.
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"Scary South - 10 African Urban Legends / Folklore" |
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