Tradition / Region: Burkina Faso Mythology
Alternative name: Little Genie
Category: Spirit, Goblin
The Myth
The Kinkirga is a small supernatural being from Moose folklore in Burkina Faso. It is usually described as a genie-like spirit living in the wilderness, rocks, and remote areas of the bush.
In one famous tale, a village chief promised his daughter in marriage to whoever could bring him three impossible objects: milk from a wild she-buffalo, the tendon of a tortoise, and the brain of a kinkirga.
The clever hare decided to attempt the challenge. After tricking a buffalo and obtaining her milk, he searched the bush for a kinkirga. When he found the little spirit, the hare asked whether it could perform a somersault on top of a large rock.
The kinkirga admitted it could not.
Pretending to help, the hare climbed onto the rock first and demonstrated the trick safely. The kinkirga tried to imitate him, but struck its head against the stone and shattered its skull. The hare then took the spirit’s brain and continued on his journey.
The tale portrays the kinkirga as mysterious and supernatural, but also vulnerable to cunning and deception. In Moose folklore, spirits of the bush are often powerful in strange ways, yet they can still be outsmarted by clever tricksters like the hare.
Sources
Sissao, A.-J. (2010). Folktales from the Moose of Burkina Faso. African Books Collective.