The bori leaves chicken tracks when it steps in ash.

Introduction

The bori is a mischievous vampiric spirit found in West African lore. It is often depicted as a human with hoofed feet or without a head, but can shape-shift into animals, most often as a python. They like to live in dark forests and they play jokes on the residents in West Africa by shape-shifting into family members or spouses. There are a few ways to tell if a family member is actually a Bori. They don’t act like themselves, they may have a dreamy look to them, or if they walk in ashes, their footprints will look like rooster claw prints.

Avoiding their Wrath

One can avoid an attack from a bori by keeping it happy with its favorite things. It will even enjoy helping people with domestic activities and healing. If one calls it by name it turns into a slave, however, if its name is used without meaning or in vain the bori will become offended and very angry. It will kill by sucking the life out of a person, and they become very sick and eventually die.

Hausan Beliefs

In Hausa, they believe all illnesses are caused by a specific bori and practice dance rituals to enter a trancelike state which enables them to each speak for a bori. In Australian lore, the bori is an invisible spirit who injects people with harmful diseases.Protection against the bori involves prayers, charms, and iron. Iron is the best defense, even saying the word iron will sometimes get rid of the spirit.