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What did the Nyakyusa people of Tanzania believe about witches and pythons?

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Oil painting The Witches' Sabbath by Francisco de Goya shows a group of figures in dark robes gathered around a crouching person, with eerie creatures flying in a moonlit sky. — Witchcraft *El conjuro* or *Las brujas* (“The Conjuring” or “The Witches”), oil on canvas by Francisco Goya, 1797–98; in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid.

Among the Nyakyusa people of Tanzania, traditional beliefs regarding witchcraft include a specific association with the python. It was believed that each witch inherited a python that lived within their stomach, which compelled them to consume human flesh.1

Furthermore, the Nyakyusa held the belief that these witches possessed the ability to fly by riding upon their pythons. These beliefs reflect the broader cultural perception of witches as malevolent figures who, in this specific context, were thought to be driven by an internal, animalistic force to commit harmful acts against their community.1