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This giant snake named Napolo. This Napolo is mentioned in many forms, either as a spirit, a fierce wild animal, or as a snake. Most of the time, Napolo is often seen as a large underground snake spirit related to water. It is said that this giant snake lives in a mountain in a deep sacred pond at the place where the spirits live.
People are unable to see his Napolo snake, but it’s said that Napolo is shaped like a giant snake, often moves like a wild animal, and often destroys people and property. It is said that on his way to the lake, it rains periodically. Every time it comes out of a sacred pool deep inside the valley to Lake Chilwa and comes down the stream, it destroys everything that is in its way, including trees, homes, and people, or even causes landslides. It’s also said that if there is anyone who can see these souls that are not meant to be seen, that person will never survive.
There is also a story told that whenever Napolo starts moving to a new place, there will be widespread death and destruction every moment it moves. The story of the Napolo snake is talked about again during 1945 – 1946 when a cyclone hit Zomba. It had been raining for a long time and this heavy rain had caused flash floods and landslides down the highlands, damaging homes, bridges, and property, and causing massive casualties. It is said that the reason was that the Napolo snake began to move from the depths of the Zomba Plateau to swamp Lake Chilwa. Moreover, in 1991, it was also said that Napolo caused flash floods and landslides in Phalombe, killing hundreds of people.
This belief is seen in catastrophic phenomena such as floods, and landslides because in the past, it was impossible to find an explanation due to the lack of scientific knowledge, many local people turned to spirits like Napolo snakes to explain these disaster phenomena. The legend of the Napolo snake is still passed down from generation to generation and has appeared in many songs, short stories and poems.
