Nyaminyami, the Zambezi River God or Zambezi Snake Spirit, is regularly depicted as a snake-like being or dragon-like creature with a snake’s torso and the head of a fish. According to legend he lives under a large rock in Lake Kariba, which located upwards of the Victoria Falls. According to lore, Nyaminyami has been in hiding since the white man arrived at the Victoria Falls.
Rising in Zambia, flowing through Angola along the borders of Namibia and Botswana through Zimbabwe to Mozambique, the Zambezi River is the fourth largest ecosystem in African. As Africa’s largest East flowing river it might be considered a prime conduit for transport, however, the various rapids, gorges, and waterfalls make it impossible. In some areas, the river regularly floods and instead of being seen as an inconvenience it celebrated with a Kuomboka ceremony in Zambia, which means “to move out of the water”.
Watch this documentary to learn more about The Zambezi River God and role he plays in the lives of people who live along the banks of Africa’s fourth largest river.
