The Adze
In Ewe folklore, a firefly in the night may be a spirit that drains the strength of the young and healthy.
What was reported
The adze is a creature of the folklore of the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. It's said to travel as a firefly, slipping into homes at night to drain the blood of sleepers, especially children, and to take human form when caught.
Sudden illness and misfortune, especially among children, were sometimes blamed on it, and families took care to protect their homes at night.
Explanations offered
Folklorists see the adze as one way communities explained sudden illness and death, especially of children, at a time when diseases like malaria were poorly understood. Malaria, carried by tiny insects that bite at night, fits the legend strikingly well.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Volta Region, Ghana
- Witnesses
- Ewe tradition in Ghana and Togo
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.