Dhegdheer, the Woman with the Long Ear
Somali children grow up hearing about a woman with one enormous ear, so sharp she could hear travellers coming from miles away.
What was reported
Dhegdheer, 'long ear', is the most famous monster of Somali folklore. She was a woman who lived alone in a valley and preyed on travellers, and one of her ears was so long and sensitive that she could hear anyone who came near, however quietly.
In the best-known version, her daughter, horrified by what her mother did, escaped with the help of a traveller. Dhegdheer chased them across the land until she fell, and some say the valley where she lived became a lake.
Explanations offered
She is a folk tale told to warn children, and it has been retold in Somali books, songs and radio plays. Some tellers say the story recalls a cruel ruler of long ago, but there's nothing to check it against.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- As told across Somalia
- Witnesses
- Somali folklore
- 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.