If an individual showed signs of jealousy, mental illness, bad luck, addiction, marriage problems, or the inability to conceive a child-just to name a few-adze possession was often considered the culprit.Īccording to historian Brian P. In the 19th century, after Christian missionaries from Europe established colonies in the region, the adze evolved into a scapegoat for a range of other evils-personal, cosmic, biological. Gerhard Pettersson / EyeEm / Getty Images
Historians believe the adze originated as an explanation of and warning against malaria and other insect-borne diseases that the Ewe people felt powerless against. Archaeological evidence shows that the Ewe people settled the coast of West Africa, in the tropical region of what is now Ghana and Togo, around the 13th century. There’s no record of when the lore of the adze first began. Witches in this culture are real, not mythical.” (He did not respond to further requests for comment.) When asked about the adze, one Ewe professor based in the United States replied, “I’ve come across adze, but only as a witch. The adze will either drain the person of life, or possess them, consigning them to madness or misery-if not both. As legend goes, there’s no potion, spell, or weapon that can ward one off, and no cure for the bitten.
The adze prey on men and women, but enjoy the blood of children most of all.įor centuries, the Ewe people of West Africa have lived in fear of the adze. They fly to the bodies of the sleeping, appearing as mosquitos, beetles, fireflies, or simply balls of light.
ADZE VAMPIRE SERIES
Atlas Obscura and Epic Magazine have teamed up for Monster Mythology, an ongoing series about things that go bump in the night around the world-their origins, their evolution, their modern cultural relevance.Īs night settles across Togo and Ghana, the adze, it is said, slips through keyholes, under windows, around doors.
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