There is a long-held belief by the local Manyika people that a vindictive spiritual presence resides on Mt. Nyangani in Zimbabwe. Local folklore says the mountain is a sacred place, long feared by its people, and should only be approached with caution.
It is located within the breathtakingly scenic forests of the Nyanga National Park in the Eastern Highlands in Southern Africa. Its perpetually mist-covered peak gives it an imposing and mysterious appearance.
Several fatalities have occurred on the mountain when visitors have lost their way and fallen down ravines or cliffs when a mysterious fog appears out of nowhere. Hikers have disappeared without a trace over many decades. The weather is said to have a malevolent mind of its own on the mountain, with gusts of wind striking at the most inopportune times.
There are numerous reports of visitors becoming dazed, confused or disoriented for no apparent reason. Locals say when you come across a strange colorful snake, a smoldering clay pot with no fire, or a brick of gold, it’s best to pretend you have not seen anything and move on.
For this reason, visitors to the mountain are encouraged to seek permission from elders living around the area before venturing onto it. Although, some state this as an excuse for payments to be made for so-called “spirit protection” to dubious individuals who claim they have supernatural powers.
A senior government official in the early 1980s said he once got “lost” for nearly four days when he was a young man. But when he was eventually found, it was as if he had been missing for just a few hours. He said he was not hungry nor did he show any signs of fatigue or dehydration.
Like Mt. Shasta or Crater Lake in the United States, Mt. Nyangani seems to be a place of mystery that can catch out the unprepared visitor.
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