The Popobawa A.K.A. The Night Demon of Tanzania

Starting in 1965, residents of Tanzania and Zanzibar reported being attacked and haunted by a mysterious bat-winged figure. The demonic spirit was soon named the Popobawa, winged-bat in Swahili, to describe what its victims saw before they were attacked. The Popobawa has deep cultural, societal, and maybe even political roots, using times of fear and unrest to strike. After hundreds of attacks, mass hysteria, and way too much pig lard, the origin of the Popobawa is still a mystery. But one thing is certain: never deny its existence. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, or wherever streaming platform you use. For pictures and more information, please follow us on Instagram & Threads @thespectralpod and check out our resources below. If you want to support the pod in a quick & free way, please leave us a five star review on your preferred listening platform, and comment, like, or share us on social media. Thanks for listening! Resources Anthony. “The Popobawa.” Brooklyn Paranormal Society, 11 Jan. 2023, https://bkps.co/2023/the-popobawa/. Daly Thompson, Katrina. “Occult Sex as a Conversational Resource.” CSW, Accessed 5 Dec. 2023, https://escholarship.org/content/qt0789b6jb/qt0789b6jb_noSplash_0a726b92539ca8281c1d04563ec2b7f8.pdf?t=lnrjht. Dobler, Russ. “That Time a Raping Demon Appeared on Cartoon Network: The Popobawa.” Skeptical Inquirer, 9 May 2019, https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/that-time-a-raping-demon-appeared-on-cartoon-network-the-popobawa/. Pitcher, Gemma. “The Shetani of Zanzibar.” Zanzibar Travel Guide, Accessed 6 Dec. 2023, http://www.zanzibar-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=1847. Plumbley, J.M. “Hit the panic button: The Popobawa.” JM Pembley, 11 Apr. 2017, https://www.jmplumbley.com/2017/04/11/the-popobawa/. “Popobawa.” Scribd, Accessed 5 Dec. 2023, https://www.scribd.com/document/452113087/Popobawa. Saleh, Ally. “Sex-mad ‘ghost’ scares Zanzibaris.” BBC News, 19 July 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1446733.stm. “Sex attacks blamed on bat demon.” BBC News, 21 Feb. 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6383833.stm#:~:text=The%20story%20goes%20that%20the,witches%20to%20torment%20their%20opponents. “The Creepiest Ghost and Monster Stories From Around The World”. CPR News, 31 Oct. 2014, https://www.cpr.org/2014/10/31/the-creepiest-ghost-and-monster-stories-from-around-the-world/. “The Night of the Popobawa.” The Orbis, 23 Mar. 2020, https://theorbis.blog/2020/03/23/popobawa/. Walsh, Martin. “The Politicization of Popobawa: Changing Explanations of a Collective Panic in Zanzibar.” Scribd, 2009, https://www.scribd.com/document/17111963/The-Politicisation-of-Popobawa-Changing-Explanations-of-a-Collective-Panic-in-Zanzibar.