AFRICAN SUPERSTITIONS/BELIEF

Superstition is excessive credulous belief in and reverence for the supernatural, also referred to as a widely held but irrational belief in the supernatural influences. In the face of Economic degradation in this part of the World, violence marred with bad Leadership the African culture is quite interestingly. Worthy of note are the numerous practices and superstitions with some being relatable, others are simply hilarious and are logically unexplainable.

Many thanks to Civilization that has enlightened us so much and we no longer believe in most of them.

 For the benefit of Africans that grew up in the city and diaspora alike, maybe some non-natives too, enjoy my listings out of the countless number of African superstitions and practices that abounds;

·         It is believed that a baby snake is totally armless until suffices at the gathering of people, who then unintentionally christens it by the chant of snake for it to become poisonous.

·         Blowing whistles at night is believed to invites snakes, or that it invokes the spirit of the night.

·         Fish-heads are sweets (and please don’t say yuck!) I once relished in chewing the eyes till it fades in the middle of my tongue. But in African homes, fish heads are reserved for dads as the head of the homes and kids aren’t allowed to, it is believed to drain their intellect. Did I even mention that gizzards were permanently reserved for men too when the poultry is killed for delicacy?

·         Kids in their teeth growing ages are advised to shield their broken tooth from lizards else it won’t grow any longer. This explains why we threw it at the roof-top way back for those who still remember.

·         New brides were not allowed to look into the mirror on their great day. Mirrors were believed to be spiritual and could make a new bride become barren.

·         In the same vein, mirrors are not to be looked into at night by anyone. It was purely considered sacred.

·         Hitting one’s left foot at the start of a journey is considered a bad omen. But it becomes a good sign if it was the right foot.

·         A heavy rainfall prior to a burial is an indication that the earth is refusing to accept the spirit of the dead, such person was considered mean when s/he was alive. Ironically, rainfall during a wedding ceremony means a blissful union.

·         Unconsciously putting on the rear side of your clothe is considered a sign preceding the gift of an unexpected cash grant.

·         The sudden appearance of soldier ants in one’s home means an oncoming wealth too.

·         It is generally believed that the character of the first person you see in the morning determines how your day would be. A mean person means a rough day, but a meek person means the day will be splendid. 

·         Lemon seeds are not supposed to be sighted first thing in the morning, they are believed to bring bad luck.

·         When you cross the feet of a pregnant woman when she sits, there is a possibility that the unborn child would be your doppelganger.

·         Monarchs are not culturally allowed to see the inside of the real ancestral crown. They abhor sighting corpses too and are not allowed to cry in public. All of these are taboos and detrimental to the peace of the kingdom they govern. This culture still holds till today.

·         Pregnant women are advised to stay off walking underneath a very scorching sun, between 12 noon to 3pm precisely; else the unborn child becomes possessed. Defiant women or those who have no other option than to thread the road at that time have pins tapped to the strap of their dresses as precautions.  

·         In some families like mine, two women married to the same man are not to engage in physical fisticuff; they risk losing their kids to dying early until they both dance naked in the middle of the market square to appease the gods; Only a mere face off is allowed.

·         Another family tradition of mine is the ways at which illegitimate children are fished out. In the event of dispute over the paternity of a child, there’s a special kind of river in my village where the controversial child is thrown into, just before the advent of a DNA test. While a legit child stays afloat regardless of the weight that sciences believed should drown him, only a bastard drowns and dies.

·         In some families, the financial fall of a once upon a wealthy husband is an indication that the wife had been promiscuous.

·         Save for the ban of the female genital mutilation, this widespread practice was done to reduce the sexual urge of a female child. This was allegedly done to curb female promiscuity which was largely frowned at. The African society being generally patriarchal, males are allowed to practice polygamy and the females relegated. To be seen, never to be heard.

·         The feet of a new wife is washed before her formal entry into matrimony, a peace atonement of sort.

·         Now near extinct, facial tribal marks are done on a new born for the purpose of distinguishing one ethnic group from another. It was prominent during the slave trade so that identification isn’t lost on those that were forcefully migrated.

·         It is believed that one who is bald would be rich.

·         Sudden palm itching means you’ll soon be wealthy.

·         When a child is newly born into a family that just experienced the demise of an elder, it is believed that the dead actually re-incarnated, so much that the child is christened accordingly; Iyabo for females (mum is back), Babatunde for males (dad is back).

·         If you sit by the door to eat, you’ll not be filled up.

·         Sighting a snail first thing in the morning would slow down the proceedings of the day.

·         When the eyelids blinks uncontrollably, it’s the oncoming of a news, could be good or bad.

The list is endless though and on a final note, bearing in mind the good that Civilization has brought hence we are exposed to the realities of life and to our fundamental human right.