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Tokoloshe Or Poltergeist?

 

As I mentioned in my last submission, I visited my brother, Rob, in New Zealand last year and cajoled a few paranormal experiences of his from him. Here is his second one, this also took place while he was still living in South Africa.

Back in late 1987, he was transferred by his work from De Aar (in the Great Karoo), to work at the then Jan Smuts Airport just outside of bustling Johannesburg. After renting for a couple of months, he found a house to buy, in the up-beat suburb of Norkem Park in Kempton Park, which was relatively close to his work. It was an attractive, modern, large house with a pool - all that his wife "L" desired. They moved in with their new baby son, buying gorgeous new furniture to make their home comfortable. All went well for the first two years. During this time a baby girl was added to their family.

It was then that "L" began having strange experiences. Rob's wife would always get up to make him breakfast, as he left early for work on Saturday mornings, then she would return to bed. After Rob had left for work, "L" went back to the bedroom and lay down on the queen size bed, seconds later a body of mass lay down beside her. She could feel this heavy weight on the bed, as if someone was climbing into the bed with her. Naturally, this freaked her out, but lay dead still as she didn't know what to do about this unseen bed partner. Later this weighted body disappeared from the bed. A few months later, she would view the apparition of a black baby/toddler in the passageway outside the same bedroom. This happened multiple times, just prior to a miscarriage.

Rob also encountered an very strange issue one evening, while eating supper.

While watching TV, the 3 seater couch he was seated on suddenly moved from underneath, as if a large dog was trapped under the couch and was struggling to ease its way out. He looked under the couch, but found nothing.

At various times, all members of the family heard voices calling their names, including visitors. On investigation, this was disproved - nobody had called that person's name.

When their eldest son, George, was about ten or twelve years old, things really started heating up. George was outside playing in the back yard. He witnessed their house maid being literally flung face first, with huge force, into the brick wall of the house adjacent to her quarters. George was about four meters away and had a clear view of the happenings. He was naturally terrified by this sight, and all the resulting blood. He ran next door, screaming for help. The maid had to be hospitalised - she looked as if she had been in a traffic accident. Rob mused afterwards; was this a Tokoloshe (African spirit called on to do harm to others), or a poltergeist's work?

Later, two fully packed taxi loads (in those days, a VW Kombi was used as a taxi) of African Church people arrived to cleanse the property. It seems their cleansing worked, as there were no similar incidents afterwards for a while.

One last thing was reported by Rob's neighbours. The next-door neighbours at no 13 would look after the house while they went away. One weekend while Rob's family was away on holiday, curtains were seen being moved aside and someone peeping out. This happened to the neighbours mother and daughter. They had just been inside the house, had locked up, and on leaving the house they witnessed the curtain in the lounge being pulled aside and held back as if someone was watching them.

The neighbours living next door, had also had issues in their house, and would hear sounds of people walking down their passage way at night. The passage way had a clear plastic carpet protector laid over the carpet, and the sounds of something moving down the passage were heard on many occasions by the family.

It was later discovered that the new subdivision was built on an old farm.

Rob and family lived in this house for twelve years.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, Fergie, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-10-22)
2nd1st, thank you for your questions.
Let me start by saying that I believe all S. African indigenous tribes believe in the tokoloshe, though descriptions may differ slightly. In Zulu mythology the tokoloshe is a midget-sized water sprite that has the ability to become invisible by drinking water. Some say that it has no gender, though others say that it has huge manly parts. It is generally accepted that he/it is naked, wearing only a cloak of animal skins.
A tokoloshe is considered evil and malicious. It is called upon by people with bad intentions, to do harm, or at least, mischief, to others.

It is believed that putting a bed up on 'stilts', higher than a normal bed, this dwarf-like creature will walk right under it without noticing that it is occupied.

I have no idea if my family, and/or only the maid/domestic (African) help was targeted. In either case, my best bet would be jealousy.

If you have any more questions, or need more clarification, don't hesitate - ask.
2nd1st (1 stories) (118 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-22)
Thanks for your account. An interesting one. I am not familiar with "Tokoloshe". It is described as something summoned. Any reason why someone would choose to summon it to target your brother and/or immediate co habitants?

Several comments have been made that relate to elevating a bed on props as a counter measure. Could you explain the basis in belief? Is the Tokoloshe somehow associated with floor contact? Sorry, my question is poorly phrased, I'm just wondering
Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-10-22)
Dear Triden, lovely to "hear" from you.

Hmm... I know exactly what you mean by the beds being raised off the ground. Our Domestic's room still contains a bed, pushed up against the wall and raised on bricks, even though the room hasn't been occupied for the past eleven years. It is just a reminder of the strong belief in the tokoloshe.

I honestly don't remember the exact address of where my brother lived. I will email him and find out. I will mail you privately with my findings, if you like.

Thanks for reading, and your comment, Triden. 😁
triden07 (70 stories) (279 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-22)
Dear Fergie. I have been living in Norkem Park since September 2005, funny enough, when you mentioned the neighbors were at number 13 I got chills, even if it is a different street it's funny, I live in number 15 😲

With the African belief in the thokoloshe as strong as it is, I grew up seeing the lengths that African people went through to protect themselves as such. In my entire life, we had 2 Domestic Ladies (in those days Maids). Both were part of the family, the latter is still with us, helping me now raise my boys. The former, who was working for my parents even before I was born, used to push her bed right up against the wall of her room, then put bricks and/or paint cans underneath it to lift it up off of the ground, high enough that she was sure she would not be reached by the Thokoloshe when she slept.

They were very strong people for staying in that house as long as they did with what was happening.
Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-10-21)
Shelby,
Back in those days all new houses were built with maids quarters on the property, and most folks had a maid, even the not so well off. This house was in one of the up-market suburbs. I'm not saying that my brother and his wife were 'filthy rich', just they had jobs that paid well, as did their neighbours.
Let's just say that my sister-in-law treated her maid well.
shelbyloree (5 stories) (285 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-10-21)
Well if folks weren't discrete with their wealth (new house, gorgeous new furniture, a maid), it's bound to draw negative attention, especially if the locals weren't as well to do.
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-10-19)
Fergie:

Absorbing some of the local folklore, beliefs, and traditions is perfectly normal when living in a new country. There are fancy terms like "acculturation" to describe this, but I've always considered it good manners to try to learn about the land you are living in for as long as you are there. (I know a great deal more about the American Revolution and the war of 1812 than many Americans do, even if "my" side lost both of them! 😉)

I was not seeking any sort of political correctness from anyone when I asked my question; I wanted to be sure I'd understood you correctly. I hadn't. While the death of an infant is among the most tragic events anyone can experience, this means the individual entity was *not* a demonic imp, a young shadow person, etc.

[Odd side-note: My family are English because my grandfather's grandfather was stationed in South Africa (I think the Boer war) and he married a local woman. The whole Apartheid thing was responsible for their moving back to England. Ignorant racists may be found anywhere; there's no reason to accuse anyone of racism based on an ambiguous word choice.]

Best,
Biblio.

P.S.: Yay, Val!
Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-19)
Val, I believe congratulations are in order; I see you too are a mod now. Good luck!

Val, jealousy and envy play a large part in many people's lives - I think this may be the case here. My brother and his wife were earning top dollar and paid their maid accordingly. Her quarters were also pretty luxurious, according to normal African standards of the time. In my personal opinion, the tokoloshe was sent in an effort to scare the living daylights out of her so that another maid may take her place.

Thanks for your comment and compliment. 😁
Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-19)
Greetings, Biblio; I think this was one of the most disturbing accounts I have ever narrated on this site.

I wrote this account almost verbatim to my brother's words as he spoke. I apologize if they are not politically correct; I hope I haven't offended some folks. My brother was referring to an African baby. These visions halted with the advent of my (now ex) sister-in-law's miscarriage. Scary, but true.

The question in my title was more my brother's than mine. Although my brother and I are fairly educated after the European fashion, I know that the African nations of our country still believe strongly in the tokoloshe. Perhaps we have become somewhat indoctrinated, to the extent that we too may consider it's existence. 😕

Thank you for your comment and information. 😁
Fergie (40 stories) (1159 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-19)
Micasa, thank you for reading and your compliment.
I agree, if it was me experiencing this, I would also get the hell out of there as soon as possible. 😨
Thank you for your comment. 😊
valkricry (49 stories) (3286 posts) mod
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-18)
Well...dang! I'm with Biblio that this doesn't sound like a poltergeist, but as you called it a tokoloshe. I wonder why it flung the maid?
Great account!
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-18)
Greetings, Fergie; that was a disturbing and captivating narrative!

I do have one question, though. When you wrote, "she would view the apparition of a black baby/toddler in the passageway outside the same bedroom," did you mean the word 'black' to describe the ethnicity of the baby (i.e.: dark-skinned), or to describe a complete absence of features (as in a 'shadow person')? The first of these options would be tragic, but the second option would be dangerous.

Speculative note: The second option may also indicate that the entity was seeking to possess the unborn infant. I'm just predicating this idea upon your consequent statement that, "This happened multiple times, just prior to a miscarriage" but no mention of the entity reappearing after that point. Miscarriages are tragic, too --I'm never going to think otherwise-- but I would have been more concerned if the events occurred until the baby was born, or if the entity continued to be visible *after* your sister-in-law's miscarriage.

Poltergeist phenomena, to answer the question in your title, most often are projected by a stressed individual who is living or working in the environment where the activity is taking place. The events you've presented here are NOT consistent with poltergeist phenomena. This may have been a malicious manifestation, an angry spirit, etc., but not a poltergeist.

Best,
Biblio.
micasa (17 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2016-10-18)
WOW! She was thrown face first into the brick wall!? No matter the cleansing, nothing could ever keep me in that house any longer than it would take to find another.
Excellent telling, by the way. Had me rivetted the whole way. 😲

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