The Inkanyamba ~heather

Howick Falls in Howick, South Africa, is a place of mystery with strange happenings. One of the major tourist attractions in the area of the KwaZulu Natal Midlands, it is also feared by local Zulu-speakers because of the spirits of a giant, mythical creature known as the Inkanyamba.

The local monster shot to fame after a reward was advertised in a local paper for anyone who could produce photographic evidence of the serpent. Two photos followed. While neither were convincing, one photo (pictured below) did give an idea of the perceptions of the monster. The sighting also created great interest in local and national media. **photo omitted**



Many people suggest that the serpent is no more than the mistaken identity of a giant eel. This view is emphasised with the facts that Inkanyamba shares many traits with eels, which are common in the rivers and dams. Examples inlcude the long brown-finned eel Anguilla mossambica, which can grow to a length of 5ft. The Madagascan mottled eel Anguilla marmorata, which can grow to a length of 6ft. Both are dark in colour with mane-like fins that cover half the length of their bodies. It is thought that eels migrate short distances over land from one body of water to another, although it hasn't ever been observed.

is believed to live in large bodies of water like the pool below the Howick Falls. Other sites in the area include the Midmar Dam which covers 500 square miles, the Mkomazi River which is about 43.5 miles South of Howick, and damns on farms in the Dargle area of the Midlands.

The slippery beast is said to get the travel bug when fighting over territory with another Inkanyamba, when it feels amorous, or if the water has dried up. The serpent is believed to travel in dark and angry clouds which push their weighty black shadows over the land. Violent storms with fierce winds, rain and hail, even tornadoes are often ascribed to a vengeful Inkanyamba on the warpath again.

A terrible storm hit the Greytown, Ingwavuma and Pongola regions KwaZulu in March 1998. The winds reached speeds of 52mph, tearing sheeting from shaky houses, ripping them apart. Thousands of people lost their homes. To discourage the serpent from destroying property, many locals paint their tin roofs a dark colour believing that it won't attract the attention of the serpent.

A complicated mythology has been built about the Inkanyamba, it has become hard to seperate fact from fiction, and decide if some fiction has been built on fact. Lake monsters and sea serpents around the world have often been linked to severe climatic conditions throughout history.

('Legend Of The Falls' by Sian Hall, Fortean Times, Issue 123 June 1999 (Page 42-44).

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