Greetings!

This topic took me down memory lanes, reminiscing about a particular tradition that used to scare us back at home. Comparing it to what's happening in the city I'm currently living in, it brings nothing but smiles because it's entirely different.

There’s this deity-like tradition in my community, and according to what we heard, it occurs whenever the community wants to perform a spiritual cleansing of the land. It usually involves a group of five to six men dressed in white attire with native chalk patterns drawn on their bodies. One of them, typically the youngest, carries a native pot on his head. The others swing ropes in their hands, which produce a unique sound, and they always have sticks with them, chasing and killing any chickens that cross their path.

The trouble lies in the fact that women are not allowed to see them. Growing up, we were told that if a woman saw them and failed to go for spiritual cleansing afterward, her head would supposedly shift to the back. This belief was so terrifying that whenever we, the men, noticed the group approaching, we would quickly inform the women around to go hide indoors until they passed.

I’ve seen several women who accidentally saw them and later went to pay fines for cleansing. There’s one particular incident I recall vividly. A very religious woman, who was also a native of the land, decided she wouldn’t hide or follow any of the traditional rules despite our repeated pleas. Her stubbornness surprised everyone because she was well aware of the customs. However, after much persuasion, she finally succumbed and went for cleansing by paying the required fine. To this day, I don’t know if she was spiritually compelled to do it or if she just decided to avoid any risks.

As for the chickens they catch during the ritual? They are all used for a feast that same day. If they catch up to 50 chickens, every single one will be cooked and eaten. If I were a lover of chicken, I’d have considered joining that gang. Lol! 😂

ThreeTuneTuesday!

Soso by Omah Lay

The music video of this song portrays witchcraft and deities, making it very relatable to what I mentioned earlier about masquerades. The song has a melancholic sound that blends perfectly with the artist’s voice and the beat, which is why I play it often. Itt about heartbreak though.

JuJu by Ice Prince

This is an old song and one of my favorites from Ice Prince. The lyrics are phenomenal. I remember posting it as my WhatsApp status one day, and a friend commented that her mom forbade her from singing the song because of how "cursy" the lyrics are. It tells the story of a man’s life being controlled by a deity, and he can see the effects clearly because things are just not working out for him.

Ogbanje by Alabai

There’s not much to say here. If you fall in love with a marine spirit girl, you’ll get the full dose of what this song is about.
Ogbanje, an Igbo term, describes someone possessed by a marine spirit. In this song, the guy falls in love with an Ogbanje girl, and the consequences unfold.

Thanks for reading.

This is my entry to Hiveghana prompt and also ThreeTuneTuesday

Thumbnail: freepik

Videos: YouTube