MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS -- Separating what is real from what you believe.
MYTHS are traditional practices, believes and attitudes of a culture. Some of them do not actually exist but people believe them and hold them tenaciously. Which ones are popular in your area? Are they real or just folklores embellished with exaggerations in every telling? Well, here are some I have heard about and my opinions regarding them.
DO NOT LOOK AT THE MIRROR AT NIGHT
This is funny, because when I was a child, even till now. I take my bith late in the night before going to bed and I would apply one thing or the other in the mirror .
I learnt a supernatural being could appear in the mirror instead of my real face. Hahaha. There is no basis for that, scientifically speaking. A mirror reflects the image in front of it, whether at night or day time. I was already in college when I accepted and became confident that no spirit would come. Where from? 😃
DO NOT LET A MAN TOUCH YOU ONCE YOU START YOUR MENSTRUAL PERIOD
My mother sounded this warning to the extent that while on my period, I hardly greet a man. Hahaha. I went to a secondary School that is girls only. But I attended extra lesson in another centre with boys. I won't sit near them during my menstrual period. I still remember crying home one day because one "bad" boy hugged me.
A lady saw me crying and was shocked to hear it was because of a hug. When she learnt that I am crying because I was on my period too and I should have been pregnant by now 😃, she laughed and laughed. She took me home and told my Mum what happened. It was then that my Mum explained the true meaning of "do not let a man touch you" during your period. I was so embarrassed to know that she meant, do not have sex.
DO NOT WHISTLE AT NIGHT
When I was young, even till now, I enjoy whistling. Today, I hardly sing a song completely without whistling some of it, except at the service😃. But I married a Yoruba man and learnt that in Yoruba culture, you don't whistle at night. This has caused some argument between him and I but I decided to oblige him. However, whistling at night is not harmful, is it?
Yorubas has this superstitious believe that if you whistle at night, you are inviting the spirits of the dead. Ordinary whistle again? 😅. You know wicked spirits are powerful. So rather than testing God and whistling at night to see if they will come, I just stopped whistling. Because if they come, I can't even know that they have arrived. Hahahaha. May God forbid.
BEANS IS PROTEIN
I think my teachers lied. Although beans is known for a large amount of protein and fiber, but in some kinds of beans, the percentage of other nutrients are higher than protein. While it may contain just 15 gram protein, it contains 45 gram of carbs, 20% iron, magnesium etc. But all we were told was that bean is protein.
My father too made sure we ate beans every day because he was looking for the protein in beans. On Monday, we ate it in the morning with pap, on Tuesday afternoon as moimoi, on Wednesday Evening with plantains, on Thursday afternoon with bread, Friday morning as beans and rice and on Saturday morning as Beans cake. ( Akara). 😅😅😅. I am not joking.
Beans was compulsorily one meal out of three square meals in my house. Proteins build the body we heard. But it was only last year hubby and I argued about it and I found out that Beans has more of carbohydrates than protein. Go and find out too. 😃😃. When you need proteins, eat eggs, fish, meat, milk 😅.
STUDDING A LEFT TOE
I think this is the funniest. I heard if you are going somewhere and hit your left foot on a stone, it is better to go back home.😅 There is a claim that something bad is on the way or will be experienced there. 😃😃😃.
I have really seen people who hit their foot on a stone, while people say sorry to them, you will hear them say "this is a bad omen" and then go back. 😅
They ought to focus on the pain and difficulty in walking afterwards, but no! They attach a superstitious belief to it.
For me, I think where they are going to is really not important to them. Hahaha. How do I go back home when I have an important appointment to catch? When a trailer didn't block my way?😅 Is it not better to pray right there and then and let God lead the way?
AS A PREGNANT WOMAN, PIN YOUR CLOTHE
There are more of them. I remember one day during my first pregnancy. I was going to the market in the afternoon and met one woman I know so well. After exchanging pleasantries, she asked " I hope you pinned your clothe?"
"Why will I pin my clothe?" I asked.
She then told me that it is wrong for a pregnant woman to walk about in the afternoon without pinning her clothe against evil spirits flocking around. My mother never pinned her clothe, yet with pregnancy she sold in the market all day.
I told her that I have God's spirit ahead of me and behind me. No evil spirits can follow me 😃😃
These and more are the crazy myths people made us believe. A lot of them are rooted in pagan traditions and does not befit people who claim to reverence God.
Thanks for the visit. Can we know what other myth you know about or your perception of these ones mentioned above?
Your time here is highly appreciated.
This is my entry into @hive-naija contest. Thanks for the topics, it was interesting engaging.
The beans image is mine from my Infinix note 8
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Hahaha
That looking at the mirror really got me. when I was a child as I was told I would see an evil spirit. So, once it's evening, I would avoid looking at the mirrors. I even go as far as turning my face to the opposite direction anytime I have to walk past a mirror.lol.
A lot of other myths you listed affected me as well. Even up till now, I'm still trying to get over some of them.
Thanks for participating 😇
It's really crazy making kids believe all these. Some people even when old and have known Christ still hold dear to these myths. May God help us. Thanks for stopping
Whistling at night meant I was inviting a snake, there were many of such myths that scared the hell out of us. Was told about the mirror and evil spirits also.
Thank you for sharing
I never knew about the whistling thing until I came to Yoruba land. As for the snake, I learnt if you hiss too much, you are inviting snakes. Hahaha. Thanks for stopping
You're welcome
Hahaha, I just laughed my ass out, I remember how our teachers taught us that beans were protein and whoever eats plenty of it will grow tall.
Look at us today😃
Hahaha, then I would have been one of the tallest on earth. We ae beans as if we were drinking water. Daddy will not hear it that you are complaining. Hahaha. Thanks for reaching out
Looking at the mirror at night caused problem between me and my uncle, I was curious and really wanted to see what will happen but he did not want me to. Childhood was fun.
Hahahaha, I wish he allowed you, he would have seen that he was scared for nothing. May God help us
You really had a lot of superstitions to deal with and I couldn't stop laughing. Hitting my left toe was something I believed then and will started praying for God to guide me to and fro wherever I was going.
We all believed in myths and it prevented us from doing some habits we might have gotten addicted to.
They have been deceiving us, funny enough, some people still believe some of these things up till now.. The one I didn't get over from quickly is that if someone dies he comes back. So when my Daddy died, I was always scared to be in the room alone, or to go inside to get anything when others are outside. But one day I told myself, am I the one that killed him? If he wants to come and let come and see how sad we are to miss him. That was the day that fear disappeared. So it's just a thing of the mind. If you believe in them, they will keep scaring you.
Hahaha,,, I also learnt recently that beans have more carbohydrates than protein but we were told that it contains lots of proteins. No wonder I didn´t grow taller 😂 because we were forced to eat beans when I was young even when I hate eating it. I started getting fond of eating beans two years ago as I can´t do without it for a week.
Hahahahahaha, they are all lies. You are a great lady and an intelligent one. Height doesn't determine who you are. If you were in my house, you can't love beans only two years ago. We ate it too much, even when we heard there was a killer beans, Daddy taught us a new way to cook it and he ate it alone. When he didn't die, he said we should continue. Hahahahaha
Thanks, it's my pleasure
Those myths were used to torment me while growing up. I was told that swallowing orange seed would make the seed grow in your stomach. I was frightened many times before I knew of the truth when I grew older.
Hahahaha, OMG. This is hilarious. It looks like what they told us about out fallen tooth. It a tooth removes, they told us to close our eyes and throw it on the roof. If it falls to the ground, the tooth will not grow anymore. 😅 Thanks for stopping by
Hahaha... You can imagine. You are welcome.
Don't let a man touch you part got me 😂🤣🤣😂 all for hugs. Our parents are smart...they know na from clap dance dey enter hahaha.
I was always scared with watching the mirror at night o... I always dodge it...sometimes we put wrapper on it at night. Ah 😂🤣
Hahaha, covering mirror with wrapper? This one weak me o😅 There are many more myths that we can't imagine. May God deliver us from lies . Thanks for stopping by