Obayifo

The West African has a different name for the vampire, they call her Obayifo.  But it is different from the Western and European vampire where the main course is the blood of the victim.  Obayifo is a witch-vampire who feed on the fear of the people, more like a boogeyman.

Obayifo also consume blood especially those of the children.  But the Obayifo is not an undead creature; it is a living creature that was possessed by an evil spirit causing it to do evil deeds.  They live a normal life and they are often a close member of the community which makes it hard to arouse suspicion on them.  It is said that only a White wizard can tell an Obayifo from a normal people.  The White Wizard is called the Okomfo, who is said to be the only defense against the creature.

The Obayifo would turn into a light orb during night time and would terrorize the town.  He is also blamed for the infestation of the crops and vegetable, since this creature is also known to consume vegetables.  The Obayifo use vegetable as an alternative for her food during the time that he cannot search for children.  When the Obayifo would fly on the night you would notice that her armpit and anus is glowing making it easier to identify an Obayifo.

People were often accused of being an Obayifo, when they are jealous about their neighbors, when they refuse to offer foods even if he’s a passerby or if some of her children died.  An Obayifo is often held responsible for the death of a victim when their crops are infested, if their children is suffering from illness particularly consumption, or if a family member dies while undergoing a ritual with the Okomfo.  The Obayifo does not intend to kill children, she just sucks enough blood to satisfy himself but their saliva is thought to carry disease that will be transferred to the victim once they’ve been bitten.

There are contradicting stories on how an Obayifo was born.  Some says that someone was destined to be an Obayifo from the day that they were born other says that it was a curse.  There are also accounts stating that if you accidentally drink blood or eat the flesh of a human, then you will become an Obayifo.  An Obayifo can only be killed by strangling or drowning.