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The Vanishing Hitchhiker in Africa
- Research in African Literatures
- Indiana University Press
- Volume 38, Number 3, Fall 2007
- pp. 24-33
- 10.2979/ral.2007.38.3.24
- Article
- Additional Information
The first possible variant of the urban legend The Vanishing Hitchhiker occurs in Acts 8: 26–40 with the conversion of an "Ethiopian" by the hitchhiking apostle Philip. More recent variants in the Gambia and Somalia exhibit a different plot, but retain the vanishing hitchhiker motif. A female hitchhiker spends time with a man, who is later unable to locate her, but who finds his coat on her grave. The found-coat variant is part of a widespread cycle of vanishing hitchhiker legends. Could the story have originated in Africa? This article deals with this issue and with widespread occurrences of this legend.