Episode 70: Solitary Fae: Yumboes
The folklore of yumboes in a nutshell, and how I reimagined it for my writing.
Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.
Copyright 2023 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.
Learn more about yumboes in folklore here.
Get the transcript here.
Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com
Transcript
You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.
I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With nearly a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.
This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.
Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.
This episode is brought to you by my Dark Court Sisters book series. Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Three sisters. Three destinies. Three ways to destroy the world. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/darkcourtsistersseries for more.
You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion. Go to buymeacoffee.com/ronel to support me.
We’re continuing our exploration of Solitary Fae.
Today’s Faery: Yumboes
Folklore in a nutshell by Ronel
Originating in West Africa, yumboes closely resemble European faeries. They are also known as Bakhna Rakhna which means “good people”, which is another euphemism used for the fae in most countries.
Yumboes are believed to be the spirits of the dead. They are pearly-white in colour – just like most supernatural beings in Africa – with silver hair. They’re not very tall and live beneath hills. On moonlit nights, they come out to dance. They feast at long tables laden with food – mainly fish they caught themselves and corn stolen from humans. They are served at these feasts by invisible servants and they invite humans to dine with them.
We all know, though, that it’s a bad idea to eat with faeries – you might belong to them forever.
And now for my interpretation of the fae in an origin of the fae: yumboes
They are small, with deathly white skin and silver hair. They look sweet and kind.
They’re obsessed with food.
They don’t mind setting out elaborate feasts on long tables properly set with silver and fine china in the middle of forests. They even share their meals with travellers. Especially meals of plum wine, fish and corn.
They have invisible servants – these are guests who had overstayed their welcome and are now silently enslaved to them.
So be warned: do not eat with Faeries or you’ll belong to them.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.
Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!
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You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.
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No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.
