Whether you call it myth or superstition they exist in every people of the world. Below are ten amazing African superstitions that will make you visit the African thoughts.
1. Honey Bee Visits Bring News
There are particular species of honey bees that Africans believe they bring news when they visit. In the early centuries, when there was no telecommunication, African grand parents used to deduce news and possibly rightly predict a family member's visit from the visit of the natural honey bee. If the bee comes into the hurt and close to the left ear, then there is good news for the person the honey bee is visiting. If they attempt driving away the honey bee and it keeps coming back, then that is a confirmation of good news. On the other hand, if the bee comes into the hurt and close to the right ear then there is bad news on the way. In addition to that, if they attempt driving the bee and it just goes away within the first three attempts, then that is a confirmation of bad news.
2. Bird feces on the head brings good luck
This was mostly experienced and reported by the hunter population. If a hunter sets out for work and while on the way a bird flying past their head happens to defecated directly on their head, then that is an indication of good luck through out the day. In most cases, it meant that their traps caught mighty animals. This superstition even extended to our days as my grand father one day told me, after I reported that a bird had defecated on my head, that my chances of picking money on the way are higher. For those who had the bird's excrement on other parts of the body but at least touching the body had similar chances but not to the same degree as those who had it right on their head.
3. Borrowing the first of items on sale to a buyer meant no profit for that day.
As a seller doing trade by batter or other form of selling, if you borrowed your first item of the day be sure to have bad sales for that day or worst still sell on a loss. This is still experienced today but to a very much lesser extend.
4. showing up when a discussion about you was going on meant long life
If you showed up in your family house or any gathering of your people or such as this then it signifies that you are going to have a long life. This is not palmistry but it is an amazing superstition of the African people whose validity has never been verified.
5. First female child means long lasting marriage
For an African couple, the sex of the first child is very informative. They believed that if the first child of a couple is female then that indicated a peaceful and long lasting marriage life for the couple. On the other hand if the sex of the child is male, it indicated quarrels and difficulties in the couples' life which could only be overcome by true love amongst the couples.
6. White ants indicate death of a family member
There is a particular specie of ants (milky/cloudy in color and tender to the touch, living in colonies under the soft earth) that always come out of their wholes after heavy down pour of rain. When these ants form a long line across a foot path to a villager's home with a branch on it that looked like a 'y', then it was considered as an indication of a sudden death of a family relative. A relative of the person with the ants on his way. For further interpretation, the person stood by the ants such that his left hand is to was to the west and the right hand to the east; now looking at the direction of the branch they could deduce whether the death would occur in their maternal or paternal family, their family or their husbands family.
7. Beating a child with broom makes the child to grow pale
Another amazing superstition was that beating a child with broom that is used for cleaning the house and surroundings would cause the child to grow pale. The child would eventually portray features of someone suffering from malnutrition; eventually looking like the broom splints that were used for beating the child.
8. Owl's cry in the night means payment of debts
When everybody has slept and the village is quiet then a villager hears the sound of an owl on a tree near his/her hurt, that meant somebody is crying that they pay them what they borrowed from them. Usually these people are those who do not have the courage to go and ask for their debts for one reason or the other. If the reason is a good one then the owl will hear their cry and help them transmit their message to the debtor. when the alleged debtor heard an owl cry around their hurt, it was their duty to come out that same moment and tell the voice behind the owl that they should come back in the day and request for the payment of their debts. usually the owl leaves after the debtor has spoken.
9. Tree leaf falling on someone means wealth
When the villagers are gathered in a community meeting or one such gathering and it happens that a tree leaf falls from the tree and lands on somebody that means the person will be rich and wealthy. Their money shall be as abundant as the leaves of the tree.
10. Kicking the leg on stone indicates luck
If a villager going out for what ever reason happens to kick his/her leg on stone he/she should be able to discern whether their trip will be a good or bad one. If they kicked the left leg, then their trip is a good one and they can confidently continue with the trip. However, if they kick their right leg on stone, it means ill luck and they could decide to adjourn or cancel the trip but are encouraged to take the challenge depending on the importance of the trip.