| Lebe
Dogon
Lebe was a man of Methusalan age who begged Amma, the Supreme Deity, for release from his arthritis-weakened body. Amma granted his wish. At first, Lebe's family thought he was merely sleeping. Soon he began to rot and to stink, so they buried him. Many years later, the Dogon decided to move to a new land. They opened Lebe's grave, intending to remove his bones to the new settlement, but found a serpent coiled within the tomb. The serpent followed them to the new place and, thereafter, the Dogon believed it to be their ancestor Lebe, now an immortal.
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