r/mythologymemes 6d ago

African Werehyenas in Ethiopia

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u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003 6d ago

For those who never heard of them, werehyenas are creatures found in folklores from various regions in Africa, including Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, the ability to transform into a hyena is known there as "buda". In Ethiopian folklore, wizards, witches, and blacksmiths to a less extent, are thought to have the buda; the buda is caused by the vice of envy, and is inherited from a witch, a wizard, or a blacksmith's paternal lineage. The buda is used to pass off as a hyena and hide oneself's human form, while attacking other humans; it's thought, in Ethiopia, that talismans and priests can defeat werehyenas, though they occasionally resist exorcism practiced by priests. In Ethiopia, the belief about werehyenas and the buda was just to justify the persecution of jews, them having been accused of eating human corpses.

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u/AwakenedDreamer__44 6d ago

Ok but why blacksmiths of all people lol? Seems weirdly specific.

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u/From_Deep_Space That one guy who likes egyptian memes 6d ago

Metalworking in the ancient world is often treated as similar to magic or alchemy. It was defined by trade secrets passed down through esoteric traditions and provided a level of technology otherwise impossible