Buda (or bouda) is a folk religion centered in Ethiopia, which emphasizes the power of the evil eye and the ability to change into a hyena. In Ethiopia, it is traditionally believed that every blacksmith, whose trade is hereditary, is really a wizard or witch with the power to change into a hyena. These blacksmith werehyenas are believed to rob graves at midnight and are referred to as bouda. The belief is also present in Sudan and Tanzania, and among Berbers in Morocco.
The power of the evil eye allows its bearer to change into a hyena, allowing him or her to attack another person while concealing his or her human identity. In many cases these skills have been acquired originally from an elemental source of evil via the paternal lineage.
Some Ethiopian Christians carry an amulet or talisman, known as a kitab, or will invoke God's name, to ward off the ill effects of buda. A debtera, who is either an unordained priest or educated layperson, will create these protective amulets or talismans. Ethiopian Orthodox priests continue to intervene and perform exorcisms on behalf of those believed to be afflicted by demons or buda. Such persons are brought to a church or prayer meeting. Many Ethiopian Christians characterize Ethiopian Jews as being bouda, accusing them of unearthing Christian corpses and consuming them; the commonality of blacksmithing as a traditional profession for Jewish men in Ethiopia may be a reason for the connection between the two beliefs.
There are many mystery beliefs related to Hyena. For example, If a Kujamaat hunter kills a “hyena,” he has to carry the carcass “with respect,” as if it were a human elder, in order to take precautions against a malevolent hyena spirit acting on behalf of the dead animal Read The Magicality of the Hyena for more information.
In the folklore of western Sudanic peoples, there is a hybrid creature, a human who is nightly transformed into a cannibalistic monster that terrorizes people, especially lovers. The creature is often portrayed as a magically powerful healer, blacksmith, or woodcutter in its human form, but recognizable through signs like a hairy body, red and gleaming eyes and a nasal voice.
Members of the Korè cult of the Bambara people in Mali “become” hyenas by imitating the animals' behaviour through masks and roleplays. These are evocative of the hyenas' reviled habits, and may also be used to evoke fear among the participants, leading them to avoid such habits and traits in their own lives.
In the culture of the Mbugwe in Tanzania, the spotted hyena is linked to witchcraft. According to Mbugwe folklore, every witch possesses one or more hyenas, which are referred to as "night cattle" and are branded with an invisible mark. It is said that all hyenas are owned by witches, and that truly wild hyenas are non-existent.
The kishi is a two-faced demon in Angola. According to legend, a kishi has an attractive human man's face on the front of its body and a hyena's face on the back. Kishi are said to use their human face, as well as smooth talk and other charms to attract young women, who they then eat with the hyena face. The hyena face is said to have long sharp teeth and jaws so strong they cannot be pulled off anything it bites.The word kishi, nkishi, or mukisi just means "spirit" in several Bantu languages.
A Persian medical treatise written in 1376 tells how to cure people known as kaftar, who are said to be “half-man, half-hyena,” who have the habit of slaughtering children.