Myths

Folktales and tales by moonlight was one thing we enjoyed as an African child. It was common in the olden days that parents tell their children stories at night in order to keep the evening alive. It was often a small gathering of children who sat around the elderly person forming a circle. Our ears were itching for new stories and we were vulnerable to believe every story that was told to us at that time. While the campfire kept us warm, we sat eagerly, listening to stories they hope will leave behind morals for us to pick from. It was through one of these meetings that I recorded some myths.

I grew up under the care of my grandma. She always had stories to tell. Most of her stories were centered on things that had happened many years ago. A few of these stories were about her personal life and the rest; history about anything. One day while telling a story she talked about how close the clouds were with the earth, that it was possible for one to touch the clouds because men were in right standing with God, but as men began to sin, the clouds pulled back and continued to do so until it is where it is today. God knows I believed that story, in my young mind, I only imagined how pleasant it would have been if the cloud was once again closer to the earth. This myth about the cloud and the earth only made me picture the tower of Babel and I believed it must have been closer and that may have been the reason why the people of Babel took that step.

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While in a boarding house in school, the first thing I was cautioned about was going out late at night. Our hostel was located just before an abandoned field that had tall trees, and it was believed that a bushbaby lived there. It wasn't just about the presence of a bush baby, but that it walks around with a cane and mat and flogs anyone it sees in late hours. However, anyone who was strong enough to collect the mat from it and hide himself for 7 days without succumbing to the disturbing cry of the bushbaby within this period will be rich. Surely we were afraid of the cane, but the money involved only motivated us Mount guard hoping for the day it'll come- it never did. I realized that the story behind the mat was false

Finally, a friend of mine made me do a fruitless exercise with the hope that I'll be rich. I didn't know where he learned it from, he only told me a testimony of his aunty who did it and succeeded. He said if I was able to count one to eight before a shooting star disappear, then whatever I ask for will be answered. I remember doing this counting and ensuring I make a wish. I'm still waiting for the answer till date. Later I realized what a shooting star represents and I knew immediately it was a lie I held onto for long.

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This is in response to the Hive naija contest. The contest is still valid for participation

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