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| Source: Google |
By: ODUTOYINBO SEFIAT ADESHAYO
The Yorubas are rich in culture, they are known for their proud culture and traditions
It is said that in a land where there is no law, offenders can commit without remorse, In this light the Ancient Yorubas saw the need to come up with rules that the society must live by in order to keep the land clean. This lead to the invention of taboos.
Taboos are things that must never been done in Yoruba land well, every state in Yoruba land have their dos and don't but there are general taboos that must be abided by.
Although, if some of those Taboos were to be reviewed by the modern feminist it will bring about a loud uproar because some of these taboos are unfair to women as regarding.
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| Source: Google |
- It is a taboo in the Yoruba culture for a woman to have sexual intercourse with a man that is not her husband. A man that suspects his wife could be tempted to lace her with magun (thunderbolt) which is one of the strangest traditions in Nigeria. Magun could lead to her Losing her lover or get stuck in the act. The magun needs to be removed in her body after some days that is if she is found innocent or else she might lose her life too if the magun is unable to do the job it was sent in the first place.
- A woman must be a virgin, on her wedding night wedding guest and family will escort her to her husband's house and wait outside while they make love to each other expecting her scream of pain as she turns into a woman. The husband is then ask to come out with a proof of blood in a white cloth to show that he was the one who broke his wife's virginity.
If she was not a virgin, she will be disgraced and shamefully a sent back to her family subjecting her and her family to shame and ridicule all their lives.
- A strapped baby must never fall from it's mother's back. A ritual is done if this happens to any mother, she will be asked to walk round the market naked. The ritual must be done to avoid death of spouse when the child comes of age.
- Kings in Yoruba land are forbidden from looking inside his royal crown. The day he does it he will join his ancestors.
Some kings use this to commit suicide.
A king must not see a dead body irrespective of whom the person was.
- Commiting suicide is a serious abomination in Yoruba land, the body of such person will be thrown into the evil forest after some ritual to appease the gods. The family of such person will be tainted forever in the community.
- It is forbidden for men and women to whistle at night, this is to avoid invoking evil spirits or attracting snakes into their home.
- It is generally unclean to consume dog meat, pork and cat meat in Yoruba land but not in Nigeria. Even some part of the Yorubas eat these meats.
Some of these taboos are no longer effective because of civilization but A TABOO WILL ALWAYS BE A TABOO!
Edited by: Luqman Shukurah Temitope.
Published by: Durowoju Mujeeb Tunde