Tradition / Region: Malian Mythology
Alternative names: Hira
Category: Cow
The Myth
The Hira is a gigantic and ferocious buffalo known for its immense strength and brutality. It appears in the epic traditions of the Songhai people, particularly among the Bozo communities who lived along the Niger River.
According to the legend of Moussa Gname, a woman once fell asleep beneath a tree inhabited by a spirit and became pregnant by the spirit. Her son was named Moussa, or Mousa-Djinni, and his spirit father later taught him the magical knowledge needed for hunting.
When the Hira began ravaging the countryside, Moussa and his fiancée confronted the monster. Both were skilled in hunting magic, and together they succeeded in defeating the Hira.
A second Hira later appeared and proved equally difficult to kill. A diviner revealed that the monster could only be defeated through the help of a female elephant. The chief’s girlfriend secretly took the form of a female elephant and waited near a pond.
When the Hira came to the pond to drink, he approached the disguised elephant and began licking her. While he was distracted, she pulled four hairs from his tail and secretly gave them to Moussa.
The following day, Moussa confronted the Hira. Instead of fighting the enormous buffalo, he simply showed the monster the hairs taken from its tail. The Hira immediately lay down, allowing Moussa to kill it.
Sources
“Hira (mythical monster).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hira_(mythical_monster)