The Grootslang (also spelled Groostlang) is a legendary creature from South African folklore, particularly rooted in the mythology of the Richtersveld region. The name is Afrikaans for “great snake,” and this beast is said to be one of the primordial creatures of creation, a monstrous hybrid combining the head and body of an elephant with the tail of a serpent.
In myth, the gods created the Grootslang but realized they had made it too powerful. They split it into two separate animals—elephants and snakes—but one original Grootslang escaped and has lived ever since.