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.