Across the mainland of Africa, opposite the small isle of Gorée, the Jaloff people tell of a mysterious race of beings known as the Yumboes. These spirits are believed to be no taller than two feet, their skin pale white, an appearance that, in the eyes of the people, marks everything beyond the natural world. The Yumboes, also called Bakhna Rakhna or “Good People,” live in ways that strikingly imitate human customs, and their legends have been whispered through generations.
The Jaloff describe the Yumboes with vivid precision. Their dress mirrors that of the local people, and their daily actions mimic human routines so closely that one might mistake them for shadows of men and women. Unlike malevolent spirits, the Yumboes are not feared but acknowledged with cautious respect. They often attach themselves to particular families, watching quietly over their lives. When a member of such a family dies, the Yumboes lament with haunting voices and are said to dance solemnly upon the grave of the departed. Among the Moors, these mysterious beings are even believed to embody the very souls of deceased friends, lingering between two worlds.
The Yumboes’ dwelling is said to be hidden deep within the earth. Their chief abode lies beneath the Paps, a cluster of hills about three miles inland from the coast. In this subterranean palace, they are said to live in magnificent splendour, surrounded by wonders that few mortals have ever seen. Those rare individuals, often Europeans, who claim to have entered the Yumboes’ home tell astonishing tales. They describe being seated at grandly furnished tables, where invisible hands and feet laid down dishes and swiftly carried them away. The underground halls, it is said, spread into many chambers and levels, connected by passages that needed no stairs. The entire space seemed to defy the ordinary rules of the human world.
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As night descends, the Yumboes emerge from their hidden halls. Wrapped tightly in their pangs, garments that cover their entire bodies and leave only their eyes and noses visible, they descend quietly into the lands of men. With watchful eyes, they creep toward the huts where women pound coos-coos, a staple corn meal. They wait patiently for the pounders to leave, often stepping away in search of sieves to refine the meal. Only then do the Yumboes approach, slipping stealthily to the mortars, scooping the grain, and tucking it carefully into their pangs. Every moment, they glance behind them, wary of being seen or pursued. Sometimes, they carry the stolen meal in calabashes, passing it from hand to hand in long, playful rows, like monkeys conveying fruit, until the food is secured in hiding.
But grain is not the only treasure the Yumboes seek. On dark nights, they may be glimpsed paddling tiny canoes across the bay, their pale figures outlined by moonlight. They fish quietly, their movements so skilled and precise that few ever notice them. When they bring their catch to shore, they seek out the fires that the Jaloff kindle at night to keep away wild beasts. With quick hands, each Yumbo steals just enough flame to roast his fish. In these small acts, their lives seem a reflection of human necessity, lived in parallel yet apart.
The Yumboes also find delight in drink. They are said to bury palm wine beneath the earth, waiting patiently until it sours. Once it has fermented, they return to it, drinking deeply until intoxication overtakes them. In such moments of revelry, their hidden presence is no longer quiet. They gather on the hills, their laughter loud, their songs echoing into the night. They beat on Jaloff drums with furious joy, their music carrying across the land, reminding all who hear it that the “Good People” are never far away.
For the Jaloff, the Yumboes embody the closeness of the spirit world to everyday life. Their behaviour mirrors human customs, eating, drinking, fishing, mourning, yet their pale forms, subterranean halls, and invisible servants remind all that they belong to a realm just beyond sight. Whether guardians, tricksters, or ancestral souls, the Yumboes remain a living thread in the cultural fabric of West African folklore.
Moral Lesson
The story of the Yumboes teaches that the spirit world is deeply intertwined with human existence. Their actions, stealing grain, fishing, drinking, mourning the dead, mirror the daily rhythms of the living, reminding us that the boundary between the seen and unseen is thin. From their reverence for family ties to their playful mischief, the Yumboes show that even the most mysterious forces reflect human values of community, survival, and remembrance.
Above all, the tale urges respect for the unseen. Just as the Jaloff people honour the Yumboes as the “Good People,” we too are reminded to live with awareness that the world may hold hidden presences, worthy of reverence and caution.
Knowledge Check
1. Who are the Yumboes in Jaloff folklore?
The Yumboes are small, pale supernatural beings believed to imitate human customs while living in subterranean dwellings.
2. What other name are the Yumboes known by?
They are also called Bakhna Rakhna, meaning “Good People.”
3. Where do the Yumboes live according to legend?
Their main dwelling lies beneath the Paps, hills about three miles from the coast.
4. How do the Yumboes obtain food from humans?
They steal coos-coos meal from mortars or carry it in calabashes, passing it in rows like monkeys.
5. How do the Yumboes celebrate when intoxicated?
They drink sour palm wine, beat Jaloff drums, and make loud noises on the hills.
6. What cultural belief do the Moors hold about the Yumboes?
They believe the Yumboes are the souls of deceased friends.
Source: Wolof (Jaloff) Folktale, The Gambia, West Africa. Recorded in Thomas Keightley’s The Fairy Mythology (1828).
