(CONCLUDING PART) A DISCOURSE ON MYTHS AND BELIEFS FROM NIGERIA

Myths and beliefs from Nigeria is taking a look at certain supernatural manifestations that are a part of the myths and traditional beliefs of the Nigerian people. This is the final part in the series. You can read the previous parts here;
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

---

THOU SHALL NOT EAT

---

In many parts of the world, people are required by their religion, their culture, their personal philosophy on life to forgo certain foods. They see this food either as spiritually unclean, or unhygienic or basically wrong to eat.

Vegans, for example, do not eat meat or anything derived from animals. They also do not use anything be it cosmetics, clothes, accessories made out of animal derived materials. According to @tygertyger who has gracefully corrected my misconceptions, it is a philosophy, a way of life that goes beyond just rejecting meat. There are also vegetarians, who do not eat animal products although they do not go as far as vegans.

_{Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash.}

In the old testament of the Bible, the Israelites were forbidden from eating certain types of animals. Islam forbids the eating of pork; pig flesh and certain religions of the orieint also forbid the eating of animals. In all these though, there are spiritual implications to breaking the laws but no physical implication. In Nigeria, this is not so.

Culture is interwoven into the fabric of every society in the world and it is strongly so in Africa. Nigeria has over 365 ethnic groups with diverse language, dressing, cuisine, beliefs and philosophy, yet a common motif to be found among the different cultures is taboos.

Every culture in Nigeria, has things, it could be animals, plants, actions that is forbidden and going against these forbidden things could lead to not just the ire of the community but also the ire of the gods.

A section of the ibos in the eastern part of Nigeria, revere the python. In fact, the snake moves about the community fearlessly. It does no harm to members of the community and the community treats it as a family member. It is a taboo to kill or eat the python in that part of Nigeria.

Certain parts of Nigeria enjoy eating dogs as a delicacy but there also those who would not touch it with a stick, while this is a personal choice, with no supernatural consequence, it shows how often culture and belief affects the lives of those who believe.

As always, I will not leave you without a tale from my world, what I have seen of a myth in manifestation. So sit let me tell you a tale.

---

MY PEOPLE, MY FRIENDS; MY PEOPLE

---

Among my mother’s people, the Arhagba-Orogun people of Delta State, the Iguana is revered . A member of that community cannot kill, eat, touch the blood of the animal. If he or she does, there are supernatural complications that cannot be avoided.

_{Photo by Roi Dimor on Unsplash.}

In my early years, when I heard of this taboo, I laughed at it; firstly because my father is from Edo state so I am not fully of my mother’s people, secondly I have never been fully steeped in the culture of my people. I felt that such things were beneath me. Then it happened.

---

My cousin was in a boarding school back then, when the events I am about to share occured. The boarding school was a boys only, academic institution, and like all boys only educatiuonal facilities, the boys were prone to truancy, pranks as well as having a great zeal for adventures.

One day, my cousin fell sick. He treated himself for malaria but it changed nothing. He treated himself forbtyphoid but nothing changed either. In fact, the fever increased and soon small boils started appearing all over his body.

At first, those around him thought it was chicken pox but when he did not respond to treatment, they realised that there was more to it than met the eyes, and he was sent home.

At home his parents ran about confused, unsure of what to do. Series of test conducted at the hospital, came back negative and no diagnosis could be made. In desperation, they went, as directed by well-wishes, to a man who treated sicknesses with herbs.

As soon as the man saw my cousin, the first question he asked him was what he had eaten last before he noticed the change in his body. My cousin mentioned the food but the herbalist could find no connection between the food and the ailment.

After the question, my aunt, my mother’s younger sister wanted to know why the man had asked him the question. She was worried that her son had been poisoned. The herbalist said that it was not food poisoning but rather my cousin was reacting to something that he should not have touched. The man then asked if there was anything that the family forbade. My aunt, after much thought confirmed that indeed her people were not supposed to kill or eat the Iguana.

My cousin on hearing this added that some students in his school had killed an iguana and he had passed the place later in the day, stepping on the blood that had since dried on the ground. The herbalist quickly confirmed that my cousin’s feet had touched the blood of the iguana that was why he fell sick. My aunt was told to get certain items for the treatment and within weeks my cousin was back in school hale and hearty.

---

MYSTERIOUS PLANET

---

This world we live in is full of unexplained occurrences and phenomena. Science has not been able to answer a lot of questions. In fact, the deeper science digs into the mystery of life on this earth, the deeper the hole becomes. The supernatural world is one of the unexplained parts of the world that still sings of mysteries. It is the part that man, in all his knowledge and civilization, with all his discoveries and journeys into the far reaching ends of the earth and the wideness of space, is yet to decipher or understand.

The stories that I have shared may seem abnormal, unexplainable, out of this world or theybmay seem fake, easily explained and or even untrue to you but they tell me and some part of you know this, that myths and beliefs are stronger than we let on. They have more influence over our lives than we would agree to in public. This is the fact of the matter. For if they do not, why do they affect how we view the world, how we react to the world and the choices we make? Chew on that

---

THE END

---

_{Hey folks, this is Oskilo's blog and he would love to read your suggestions on how to make this blog better serve you. He would like to know what you, his reader, think of the content so do not forget to leave a comment; you just might have something he needs.}

Peace,

©warpedpoetic.

art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics