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Rafiki
The baboon shaman Rafiki is a female in the stage version of The Lion King and Rafiki takes on the task of narrator and spirit guide. When Rafiki reminds Simba to honor his father, she stands between the present and the past, Simba's guide from youth to adulthood.
The Sangoma
Tsiidi Le Loka, the actress who originated the part of Rafiki on Broadway, based her characterization on the Sangoma, the South African herbalist, healer and truthteller. The Sangoma is almost always a woman and the traditions have been passed down from mother to daughter for generations. A Sangoma's job is to interpret messages from the spirits, use herbs to heal and divine the future.
