True story,  i moved to naija when i was 10 from U.S and use to hear so much of these myths but was never a believer.  Although, one day I plucked a Guava from a farm where the owner visibly placed some kind of charm to deter people like myself.  As soon as I got home and walked into my room about an hour later there was a snake lying right in the middle of the floor.  I was so terrified i ran and told my grandmother and she just casually kills the snake without battering an eye.  I wonder if it was pure coincidence or was it the charm

While growing up, we were told that India was the best country in EVERY sport, and that they're so good that they were banned from the Olympics and the World Cup.

Anybody heard that myth?

i heard o. especially football, that the goalkeper of their opponent will see the ball as a lion or snake and will not catch the ball.
the consequence being a goal in favour of india, kids and gist

somewhere in anambra you don't kill python. if u do, u bury and mourn it like a human being
again u dont sweep at night, if you do, you're sweeping away your wealth
again if you mistakenly wear the back of you cloth, money is coming your way that day
or if your palm itches you seriously, money is coming your way too
if you hit your left feet against a stone, something bad is about to, or has already happened
if your eyes are itching you in an unusual manner, you're about to see some secret
you shudn't shout ppl's names at night. if you do, spirits will copy the name
a prayingmantis in your house signifies that a visitor from far is coming to visit you
if you sneeze,it means someone is calling your name somewhere
the last and the funniest somewhat,
if someone is sitting on the floor with legs outstretched, you shudnt jump past the legs,if you do, the act must be reversed by jumping back or else the person whose legs you jumped/crossed over will not grow tall further (such a lie)
ndi igbo kwenu!!!!!!!!

mayblossom:


if someone is sitting on the floor with legs outstretched, you shudnt jump past the legs,if you do, the act must be reversed by jumping back or else the person whose legs you jumped/crossed over will not grow tall further (such a lie)
ndi igbo kwenu!!!!!!!!

I remember this one, but granny was almost 75 then, what height was she still looking for??

in igbo land anything that falls off as you about to eat it is meant for the gods of the land ,so you  dont need to pick it.groundnut,peanut, even lumps of meat D

Gekko:

True story,  i moved to naija when i was 10 from U.S and use to hear so much of these myths but was never a believer.  Although, one day I plucked a Guava from a farm where the owner visibly placed some kind of charm to deter people like myself.  As soon as I got home and walked into my room about an hour later there was a snake lying right in the middle of the floor.  I was so terrified i ran and told my grandmother and she just casually kills the snake without battering an eye.  I wonder if it was pure coincidence or was it charm,

ok, thats scary

ijaw_girl:

ok, thats scary

Yeah I kno, i remember that day so vividly.

in my village at a certain time around march to may to be precise it is forbidden to eat with both hands in the daytime for weeks ,and is a taboo to take a bath, except with hot water once a week

mayblossom:

again if you mistakenly wear the back of you cloth, money is coming your way that day
or if your palm itches you seriously, money is coming your way too
if you sneeze,it means someone is calling your name somewhere
ndi igbo kwenu!!!!!!!!

wow, i've heard these ones before. lol igbo people sha.  

MINE AR LEGENDS I AD DAT ONE OF THE WIFES OF KING SOLOMON DIED SOME WHERE IN IJEBU LAND AND OF AN ANCIENT VILLAGE WHERE EVERYONE TURNED INTO A STATUE.AND A MOUNTAIN IN OYO WER YOU WOULD SEE TRU IT AND IT ALSO TALKS AND WEN YOU GO INTO IT YOU WILL NEVA COME BACK.AND MYTHS NOW I WAS TOLD DAT IF YOU FETCH FROM RIVER OSUN AND OYA THEY WILL BATTLE TIL THEY FLOOD YOUR HOUSE.AND YOU MOST KNOCK BE ENTERING YOUR HOUSE.WOW AND SO ON AND ON AND ON

HI
@MBEKI I CAN LIKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHY DONT YOU DARE TO CHALLENGE THEM.EVEN OUR COLONIAL MASTERS ADMITTED THAT SOME CITIES WER MYSTICAL OR SINCE THEY ARE NO MYTH TO UNVEIL OVER THEY WHY AV THEY NOT COME DOWN TO CONTINUE SO TO EXPAND THEIR AUDIENCE.WELL IF YOU WAN START GO TO OYO AND ILE IFE DEN IJEBU TO START WIT MYTH BUSTER.LWKM

to froze a ghost, pour egg white on the ghost

I remember my mama drumming some of these postings into my ears, especially during visits to her village at the outskirt of Lagos.

Quite frankly, I think it all a load of superstitious bollocks!

You all need deliverance, witch caft has taken possession of many souls in Nigeria,, If one is to observe all this myth how much time will be left for creative thinking, no wonder we are backward in this part of the world.

-In yorubaland,any driver that crush a duck to death with his car must put a cowry in the duck mouth to avoid a fatal accident.
-Dont whistle in the sun,it brings serious migraine.
-dont stand on the doorway when it's rainy to avoid being strike by thunder.
-dont cross a lying pregnant woman to avoid the child resembling you.
-A lady with a flat foot will not make a good wife.
-some masquerades are not to be seen by women
-A woman is likely to give birth to albino if she get pregnant while on her period.

@poosy_faka and splashbaby

this explains why the curse of poverty has our country and continent enchained. so much withcraft ;no invention.

splashbaby:

You all need deliverance, witch caft has taken possession of many souls in Nigeria,, If one is to observe all this myth how much time will be left for creative thinking, no wonder we are backward in this part of the world.

Abeg make we hear word. Everything is not always about poverty. Oyinbo no dey get urban legends?

@post

Don't whistle in the afternoon - it attracts snakes

Don't play with your shadow - i dunno what they say it can cause.

When someone walks over your legs, it means they're transferring their problems to you or something.

the cultural norms surrounding gift wrapping by the Japanese

To the Japanese, gift giving is a way of communicating respect, friendship, and appreciation. When meeting with a Japanese colleague or visitor for the first time, always be prepared for the gift giving ritual that has been deeply rooted in the Japanese culture for centuries.

The following are some guidelines to keep in mind when doing business with the Japanese:

Gifts need not be extravagant, although expensive gifts are not viewed as a bribe.
When meeting with a group of Japanese professionals, be sure to give higher quality gifts to those with more senior rank within the company.
Always wrap the gifts you present, but remember to avoid white and brightly colored wrapping paper. White symbolizes death and bright colors are too flashy.
Never surprise the Japanese recipient with your gift. Subtly alert the recipient that you would like to present a small memento.
When presenting a group gift, be sure to allow time for the entire group to gather before making the presentation. When meeting with a group of Japanese colleagues, either present a group gift or a gift to each individual within the organization. It is considered extremely rude to present a gift to one individual in a group, without giving gifts to the rest of the ensemble.
Downplay the importance of the gift. This is common in the Asian culture. It conveys the message that the relationship is more important than the gift
Always present the gift with two hands. This is also true with presenting business cards.
Avoid giving gifts in sets of four. The word "four" in Japanese is "shi," which is also associated with the word for death.
Gifts are normally exchanged at the end of the visit.
Avoid giving monetary gifts or gifts displaying company logos.
Be certain that gifts are of unquestionable quality.
Business gifts should be given at midyear (July 15) and at year-end (January 1).



reference
http://www.netique.com/giftsearch/international.html

WELL I AM NOT THE TYPE THAT BELIEVES IN THESE MYTHS AND CULTURAL BLAHS BUT THERE ARE REALLY SOME THAT I HAVE HEARD/EXPERIENCED THAT LEFT ME WITH DOUTB ,

THE LADY KOI KOI THAT DISTURBS NIGERIAN HOSTEL IS REAL (TRUE), MOSTLY BOARDING HOUSES , I HEARD THESE FROM FIVE DIFFERENT STUDENTS(BOARDERS ) AND I FINALLY HAD THE EXPERIENCE , IT WAS FUCKING WEIRD I ALMOST FAINT WITH FEAR THAT DAY ,

OLUMO ROCK IS SAID TO BE A GOD , BECAUSE SOME YEARS AGO A WHITE MAN SAID THAT HE DISCOVERED GOLD IN THE ROCK , HE BROUGHT DRILLERS , THERE IS A PLACE HE DRILLED AND WHAT CAME OUT OF THE ROCK WAS BLOOD AND WATER ( THE POINT AND MARK IS STILL THERE TILL DATE) THE WHITE MAN LATER DIED, MY GRANDMA WHO HAS LIVED AROUND THE AREA SINCE SHE IS A KID CONFIRMED THIS STORY , UNTIL THE ROCK WAS APPEASED BEFORE DEATH STOPPED IN THE CITY ,

AND DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A BIRD THAT MENSTRUATES ? I DONT KNOW THE ENGLISH NAME , IN YORUBA IT IS CALLED "OWIWI" , IS THAT OWL ?? ANSWER PLS

THERE IS A PARTICULAR RIVER IN ONDO/OSUN STATE ,YOU DONT NEED ANY PADDLER , JUST SIT IN THE CANOE AND THE BOAT WILL MOVE ITSELF TO THE OTHER SIDE WHERE YOU ARE GOING , (TESTIFIED BY AN INDIGENE FROM THE PLACE)

LOTS AND LOTS MORE , I DONT KNOW WHEN I WILL FINISH IF I CONTINUE WRITING EVERYTHING , BUT ALL I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW IS , SOME OF THESE ARE REAL ,

and about that india thing , i am trying to confirm if it is true or not , i searched online for a game between nigeria and india , still nothing , they even said that the only goal we scored result in the death of the scorer , because it was a free kick and the indians and turned the ball into a big stone , so when the guy hit the ball his legs broke into two , such crap they said that india won nigeria 100-1 , balls turning to python , lion and fireballs making the goal keeper to run away from the goal post , is the true ??

@sweet guy

its absolutely false!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No such game between Naija and India

Most of the myths we believe in Naija are just plain ridiculous

Its sad that some people still believe India-Naija 100 to 1 till today in 2010 in the internet age


Our people are extremely gullible and can be easily deceived by myths

Growing up in Igboland,there's a leaf that shouldn't touch you while in the bush to fetch firewood or else you'll keep on wandering in the bush for hours or even days. You'll only regain consciousness and find your way home if that same leaf touches you again.

ziga:

@poosy_faka and splashbaby

Abeg make we hear word. Everything is not always about poverty. Oyinbo no dey get urban legends?

@post

Don't whistle in the afternoon - it attracts snakes

Don't play with your shadow - i dunno what they say it can cause.

Oyibo no dey observe urban legend this way, if they do they make use of the good part of it, many of it are only meant for entertainment purpose, We all need to out grow most of these baseless fictions called myth to move foreward. A lot of our problems are because we keep on observing stupid culture that make mockery of well intellectual facts, with no basis to justify why we observe them.

Another one.

If a kid drinks coconut water,"hm nor go know book".

You should not sit at the door way while eating, if you do you will start feeling voratious.

1. If you walk across someone lying on the floor, the person won't grow tall anymore.

2. If you call someone's name at night, in the dark, Spirits will answer you and take your voice away! 

3. This one really thorws me!! In my town, we beileve that this particular specie of Snakes - Pythons (The big, long and black snakes) are our ancestors. They don't attack us and we NEVER kill them. I remember one time when I was really young, we found one of those snakes 'sunbathing' right in the middle of our compound. While everyone of us ran for cover, my Granny gently walked up to the Snake and entered into a conversation with it   

As if that was not enough, the Snake lazily crawled away after their 'conversation'!   

When we asked her what she said, she claimed to have pleaded with it to go somewhere else that we were all scared!   

I remember thinking how weird it was that I was 'related' to a Snake!   

sweetguy10:

WELL I AM NOT THE TYPE THAT BELIEVES IN THESE MYTHS AND CULTURAL BLAHS BUT THERE ARE REALLY SOME THAT I HAVE HEARD/EXPERIENCED THAT LEFT ME WITH DOUTB ,

THE LADY KOI KOI THAT DISTURBS NIGERIAN HOSTEL IS REAL (TRUE), MOSTLY BOARDING HOUSES , I HEARD THESE FROM FIVE DIFFERENT STUDENTS(BOARDERS ) AND I FINALLY HAD THE EXPERIENCE , IT WAS bleeping WEIRD I ALMOST FAINT WITH FEAR THAT DAY ,

OLUMO ROCK IS SAID TO BE A GOD , BECAUSE SOME YEARS AGO A WHITE MAN SAID THAT HE DISCOVERED GOLD IN THE ROCK , HE BROUGHT DRILLERS , THERE IS A PLACE HE DRILLED AND WHAT CAME OUT OF THE ROCK WAS BLOOD AND WATER ( THE POINT AND MARK IS STILL THERE TILL DATE) THE WHITE MAN LATER DIED, MY GRANDMA WHO HAS LIVED AROUND THE AREA SINCE SHE IS A KID CONFIRMED THIS STORY , UNTIL THE ROCK WAS APPEASED BEFORE DEATH STOPPED IN THE CITY ,

AND DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A BIRD THAT MENSTRUATES ? I DONT KNOW THE ENGLISH NAME , IN YORUBA IT IS CALLED "OWIWI" , IS THAT OWL ?? ANSWER PLS

THERE IS A PARTICULAR RIVER IN ONDO/OSUN STATE ,YOU DONT NEED ANY PADDLER , JUST SIT IN THE CANOE AND THE BOAT WILL MOVE ITSELF TO THE OTHER SIDE WHERE YOU ARE GOING , (TESTIFIED BY AN INDIGENE FROM THE PLACE)

LOTS AND LOTS MORE , I DONT KNOW WHEN I WILL FINISH IF I CONTINUE WRITING EVERYTHING , BUT ALL I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW IS , SOME OF THESE ARE REAL ,

Yea, I heard about that too . . I've never experienced it dou! But then again, I've never really lived in a hostel . . .

[/Oyibo no dey observe urban legend this way,  if they do they make use of the good part of it, many of it are only meant for entertainment purpose,  We all need to out grow most of these baseless fictions called myth to move foreward. A lot of our problems are because we keep on observing silly culture that make mockery of well intellectual facts, with no basis to justify why we observe them.]

Oyibo dey oserve am very well pass us self!!!

I am working with an Israeli and he forbid eating cat fish, when I try to inquire what the aftermath could be he tells me that "Cat fish posses some evil spirit" (their beleive)  and whoever dare to eat it will be afflicted with evil forces.

Guy, take the rate of death we are expiriencing nowadays in Africa as an example. it is all as a result of graduall disbeleive to our ancestorial myths, norms & culture. I could remember in those days, it was a taboo to record 2 deaths in a family a year and once such happens the elders must find the reason behind it. But today, we are witnessing as many as possible all in the name of modernisation or whatsoever.

Those who can keep their cultural myths should be encourage to do so. I am saying this because am a leaving witness (though not discause my experience anyway).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from: RichyBlacK on Yesterday at 03:51:14 PM
While growing up, we were told that India was the best country in EVERY sport, and that they're so good that they were banned from the Olympics and the World Cup.

Anybody heard that myth?


yes o, i know that one. In fact in the version i heard, India was banned from sports after a football match with Naija; naija lost 100:1
My uncle told that one (if i remember correctly); he said India played with 22 players - 11 playing on the ground and 11 playing in the air, so sometimes the ball will be kicked into the air and it'll remain there being kicked around by india's eleven iin the air until it is kicked into naija's goal post!! Sometimes too, the ball is kicked at Naija's goal-keeper and the ball will suddenly turn into a huge head of palm-fruit! of course the poor keeper dives away for dear life and the thingy turns back into a football and speeds into Naija's net!!

Chai, i'm laughing myself to splinters just remembering this.


roflol. . . God have mercy!! You have broken my rib-cage o!! Of cos I have heard that goalkeeper part but reading it here is simply a cracker!! ldkmo

There is a certain place in my home town where u are not allow to speak any other language other that the native dialect.
There is a particular rock that sacrifices are offer whenever there is a delay in rainfall and immediately it is done, it rains cat and dog.

@rickyblack": yeah, i heard about the Indian myth too, it was said that in the Olympics , they used juju and scored a hundred goal. it was also said that the football would turn to a roaring tiger when it gets kicked in the direction of the goal keeper of the opposing team, thereby scaring the keeper, who flees the goal post. also heard that when the opposing team got a chance to score, the ball turns to rock thereby injuring the opponent who tries to shoot it in.

Ujujoan:


3. This one really thorws me!! In my town, we beileve that this particular specie of Snakes - Pythons (The big, long and black snakes) are our ancestors. They don't attack us and we NEVER kill them. I remember one time when I was really young, we found one of those snakes 'sunbathing' right in the middle of our compound. While everyone of us ran for cover, my Granny gently walked up to the Snake and entered into a conversation with it   

As if that was not enough, the Snake lazily crawled away after their 'conversation'!   

When we asked her what she said, she claimed to have pleaded with it to go somewhere else that we were all scared!   

I remember thinking how weird it was that I was 'related' to a Snake!   

i remember something like this happen to me when i was @ the uni in OKIJA. was living off campus then. we woke up in the morning to bath and when my friend got into the bathroom, he saw this snake he screamed and ran out.(make una come see shout and run.). we were about to kill the snake with everything we could lay our hand on (stick,stones). the old lady in the compound saw us and asked what we were doing. we told her and she WARNED us never to try it that the snake was never to be killed. she goes into the bathroom and says whatever to the snake and that it should never return. True to it, the snake crawls out through the water channel, oh boy c yoruba man for ibo land now. enough fear