"The locals here have always known it....it has always been a thing of Africa. The Kinyago almost is the spirit of this land. Never has there been a time or story I have heard here that does not tell of the creature's existence."--Dr. Joseph Jericho (1886)
It possesses various parts of indigenous animals, the legs and body of the gerenuk, the tail of a lion, an exaggerated neck of an ostrich, though its body looks as if it is wooden and is segmented at the major joints like that of an over-sized puppet or toy although it can clearly support itself. It's neck is covered by a thick mane of fur and is quite dextrous. As the spirit moved, it was said to make a sound like that of a rain stick slowly turning over. It does not speak or make any sort of call though its breathing has been said to be like that of a man.
Local villages use it as an omen: if the Kinyago passes through/by their homes, then bad times are coming or if bad times are already upon the people, then the suffering will stay. The opposite of that is when the Kinyago dances. If it dances, then blessings will be upon the people.
A chief tells of the infamous dance, "It will jump high in the air, sticking its neck and legs out... and it will spin, like our men do when they dance for ceremony."
Other forms of Kinyago exist, all of them keeping to a bipedal/quadruped body plan (the latter being more common). The Kinyago pictured above is the poster child of the creatures. He (although it is not sure if they have genders) has been seen all throughout Africa and has the most stories written/orally told about him.
So here is the Kinyago. I hope you enjoy it. I'll come back and post more to this entry once I get the rest of the pictures uploaded and inked in Ps. More are to come.
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