The 1950s Kitami forest spirit traditions in Zambia

Record summary

Bemba and neighboring northern Zambian traditions include named forest beings and dangerous powers associated with hunting, illness, taboo and encounters in wild places. “Kitami” appears in English-language discussions of such traditions, although the term and its referent require careful checking in the original ethnographic context. This lead is suitable for comparing African forest-lore categories with later monster narratives, especially where colonial observers interpreted spirits as creatures. The documentation is not a single famous incident, and regional variation makes precise identification of the being essential.