Thread by @ssozinha__, Extreme Tradition - 4 African Cultures that will shock you!

Extreme Tradition - 4 African Cultures that will shock you! - A THREAD

*trigger warning* some content may be disturbing or insensitive to some.

So we don’t need to look at any African culture with ignorance right, but this thread is supposed to test the boundaries. Ultimately it’s to see whether we would deem some african traditions as “extreme” or “unacceptable behaviour”. (1/2)

(2/2)... I guess the ultimate question is: what is the significance of the distance and cultural disconnect between the diaspora and “native” Africans?

well that’s what the thread is supposed to do anyway! So let’s get into it

1] The Maasai Tribe - East Africa

Spitting

For the Maasai, spitting at or on a person is not considered a taboo like it is here in the UK for example. In fact, spitting acts as a blessing for the person who the spit is aimed at.

It represents the essence of the person (1/4)

(2/4)... so it’s a polite gesture to make. Newborn babies are “blessed” with spit from others to wish the them a good life. Parents often spit on their babies heads to wish them good luck.

Likewise, an elder will spit on a persons head as they are about to leave for protection.

(3/4)... Not only does spitting make a good greeting and a good form of protection. It is also essential to the process of healing among the Maasai.

If a person is suspected to be a victim of bewitchment, they visit a diviner or an “oloiboni”, who will bless the person

(4/4)... who while uttering words of blessing, sprinkles the medicine by spitting it onto the patient (Talle,1995)

It is important it comes from the mouth, as the Maasai believe that is where humans hold much power. Spitting is deemed the highest form of courtesy.

2] The Banyankole Tribe - Uganda

The Potency Test

In this tribe means a lot to the aunt of the bride... maybe even more than to the bride herself. You know that old school tradition where the man and wife “consummate their marriage” on the wedding night? Well nope (1/4)

2] The Banyankole Tribe - Uganda The Potency Test In this tribe means a lot to the aunt of the bride... maybe even more than to the bride herself. You know that old school tradition where the man and wife “consummate their marriage” on the wedding night? Well nope (1/4)

(2/4)... for the Banyankole, this burden falls on the bride’s aunt. When a couple chooses to marry, the aunt has to have sex with the groom to test his “potency”. Furthermore, she has to test the brides virginity

I can imagine what the latter consists of, but I’d rather not

(3/4) Is this extreme? I highly doubt they’re the only culture in the world who practice this type of thing, involving family members of the bride. This is to the furthest length, but it does make me think about the video that circulated twitter about the Cameroonian women (cont)

(4/4)...family of the bride performing a marriage dowry on their in-law to test if his manhood rises. [see clip]

But back to the Banyankole, it is not unheard of for sex to take place during cultural sites of passage, outside of ordinarily permitted relationships (Stephens 1968)

3] The Chewa Tribe - Malawi

The Festival of the Dead

The Chewa community are a Bantu tribe from southern central Africa, & Malawi’s largest ethnic group. Just like many others, the Chewa ensure that they celebrate death with a fitting burial. (1/5)

3] The Chewa Tribe - Malawi The Festival of the DeadThe Chewa community are a Bantu tribe from southern central Africa, & Malawi’s largest ethnic group. Just like many others, the Chewa ensure that they celebrate death with a fitting burial. (1/5)

(2/5)... whether it consists of a ceremony or ritual, something must be done to aid the deceased on their journey to the “other side” ; becoming an ancestor. This custom is known as the ‘Festival of the Dead’.

But let’s include some background on the Chewa so we can understand..

(3/5)... they are world famous for their masks which are used to represent deities in the Chewa spiritual realm (ancestors). They are also known for having secret societies, a popular one named the “Nyau” provides the basis of the cosmology and religion of the Chewa community

(4/5)..when a person dies, the corpse is to be taken to a sacred place and the throat is to be cut open.

Water is then poured through the hole and squeezed through the stomach until it comes out of the anus

This process is repeated until the water that comes out is clean (cont)

(5/5)... the water is then used to prepare a meal for the whole community.

For the Chewa, the custom is that when a tribe member passes, the entire community must attend the burial. Death is said to be caused by a witch; so the perpetrators would be scared to attend the burial

4] Igbo Tribe - Nigeria

Widowhood in Igboland

It is common among the Igbo’s to find widows subjected to humiliation to prove she had no involvement in her husband’s death. This cultural tradition is prominent in 5 Igbo states: Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Eboniyi and Imo (1/4)

4] Igbo Tribe - Nigeria Widowhood in Igboland It is common among the Igbo’s to find widows subjected to humiliation to prove she had no involvement in her husband’s death. This cultural tradition is prominent in 5 Igbo states: Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Eboniyi and Imo (1/4)

(2/6*).. the experience of becoming a widow in Igboland has been described as one that “violates the fundamental human rights of women through culturally prescribed seclusions” (Mezieobi & Iyamu, 2011).

The treatment received varies depending on a woman’s social status (cont)

(3/6)... There is a shift and a fullness that comes into effect when a woman becomes a widow. They are often victims of societal neglect and cruel acts. E.g., a wife of a king in some communities must mourn her husband for 8 years (Jannah, 2018), other practices include (cont):

(4/6).. forcing her to drink the water used in washing her husbands corpse
- shaving off her hair
- seizure of husbands properties
-physical abuse
- starvation unless she is fed by another widow
- forced to bathe on her husbands grave

to list a few

(5/6) .. though it’s important to note that such maltreatment tends to be resolved through the intervention of appropriate authorities like family unions or village / town councils, so it is not being totally ignored & there is some forward thinking by individuals who care (cont)

(6/6) it goes without saying, as a woman I found this one both shocking and extreme. Similar to others who call it outdated. Odimmegwa (2010) sums it up well as “just one of such old age traditional values that needs more than any kind of evolution... it needs revolution” - FACTS

That’s the end! Like I said it’s important we don’t look with ignorance but as Africans it’s interesting to discover something and think “woah, that needs to change..” you know? Anyway hope you enjoyed the thread? Or learned something new

I’ve written a blog with sources (cont)

... it contains a lot more detail about these traditions and gives more background as there is a lot I couldn’t get into the thread. You can read it here https://www.ssozinha.com/post/extreme-tradition-4-african-cultures-that-will-shock-you thanks for reading x

Extreme Tradition? - 4 African Cultures that will shock you!

This post is titled 'Extreme Tradition? - 4 African cultures that will shock you!' ; it is ultimately asking the question of whether some African traditions do not fit in to societal standards and...

https://www.ssozinha.com/post/extreme-tradition-4-african-cultures-that-will-shock-you

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Fixed the thread finally

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