A Taboo That Prohibits Sitting on A Pounding Mortar

A TABOO

One should never dare to sit on a pounding mortar. Impotence was believed to be one of the consequences that would face a male who dishonoured the taboo. It was also believed that violation would lead to an early death of a partner of whoever violated.

ORIGIN

Traditional wooden pounding mortar was a main tool in traditional African societies that was used for pounding grains. Grains like rice, wheat, maize and others were pounded and/or husked by using wooden mortar and pestle. There were no grain pounding machines available in the current world.

One of the taboos that spread in most African societies that was regarding the use and handling of pounding mortar was prohibition on sitting on it. It was believed that violation by men or boys would lead to impotence. This belief is said to have been common in places like Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Africa at large.

Eustace Palmer in his book titled Of War and Women, Oppression and Optimism: New Essays on The African Novel writes specifically concerning men that it was a very serious taboo for men to sit on pounding mortars and that it was a widespread belief that whoever did so would eventually become impotent.

Apart from impotence to men, the other which was believed to be a resultant effect to a person who violated the taboo was that his or he future spouse would die an early death. Part of a book by one Boston Soko titled Vimbuza the Healing Dance reads, “As a rule nobody should ever sit on a mortar, …if they do not respect the taboo, their future marriage partner will die an early death”.

THE UNFOLDING

Only very small kids in the current world can be prevented from sitting on a pounding mortar by a more or less ridiculous warning that doing so would lead impotence to them or leading an early death to their future marriage partner. These two effects put forward by elders were not genuine.

As to impotence the causes are mainly biological ranging from diabetes, heart diseases, clogged blood vessels, obesity and many others and of course psychological factors. As to sitting on a mortar there is no any relationship with impotence to boys and men.

But what was the reason for setting up and spreading such a taboo in traditional African societies?! Reason is based on just common sense. How can one be allowed to sit on a tool in which foodstuff is put for being pounded?

One’s clothes might be dirty and bad enough he or she might pass wind in the tool. It is indeed against not only cleanliness but also health hygiene. Though it’s true that sitting on a pounding mortar does not lead to impotence or any other far reaching consequence but it should not be done.

In the book Vimbuza the Healing Dance it is clearly exposed that the threats in the taboo were purposefully attached to deter people especially children from sitting on pounding mortars. African elders intended on maintaining hygiene.

A Taboo Prohibiting Telling Stories During The Day

A TABOO

One should never narrate stories during day time. It was believed that whoever dared to violate this taboo and tell stories during the day would develop a tail onto his buttocks.

ORIGIN

This taboo dates back to centuries ago in African societies. The time when current developments in information technology and print media had not yet been brought to Africa. There was no radio, TV, internet or magazines. No novels or any other kind of modern written literature. Illiterate rate was at its best.

That however does not mean there was no some sort of entertainment based on literature. There were enormous forms of traditional literature. By that time oral narrations were the main form of literature. It was the order of the day in majority of African societies for people to gather before or after evening meal to narrate and listen to tales or some other kind of stories.

It was not only uncommon for stories to be told during day hours, but also it was a taboo doing so. It was believed that whoever infringed the prohibition in this taboo would develop a tail like a monkey on his buttocks. This belief was common in East Africa.

A part of Oral Literature of the Embu and Mbeere, a book by one Ciarunji Chesaina reads; “Story telling is one of the oldest arts among the Embu and the Mbeere (African communities situated in the south-eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya). Stories were told in the evenings before and after the evening meal. It was believed for example, that if one told stories during the day, he would grow a tail on his buttocks.”

THE UNFOLDING

This taboo appears funny, bizarre and childish. No one in this current world can believe that telling stories during day time can lead to a story-teller to grow a tail. But African ancestors believed on this taboo. Most of the people could never dare to tell stories during day time being afraid of having a tail like a monkey.

This taboo was set up and spread by the then African elders for a very specific and meaningful purpose. I suppose you can now guess. The intention of spreading a belief in this taboo was not to prevent human beings from having tails. That was merely a pretext. The aim was to ensure that people work enough during day time.

The book by Ciarunji Chesaina explains this very clearly. Part of it reads, “Beliefs such as this one were used to encourage people to concentrate on work during the day and avoid distraction of story-telling.”

In the book titled ‘Words Are Sweet: Igbo and Story-Telling’ by Rems Nna Umeasiegbu, it is revealed that this kind of taboo did not exist among the Igbo (community situated in southern Nigeria) but no adult would like to incur the ire of the people by indulging in the luxury of telling stories during the day as the Igbo are hardworking people.

The book reveals further that there is an Igbo aphorism intended to prohibit telling stories during the day: Onye ngana ji ututu ege akuko translated into English to mean ‘a lazy person listen to tales in the morning’. Thus story telling is indulged only at night when people come back from work. African elders wanted a hard-working society.