A woman gave a terrifying account of what she witnessed some years back and that story held me spellbound. I thought I should share.

It was one of those days during my maternity leave. My baby was sleeping after the usual morning bath so I quickly stepped out to see my next door neighbour (a hairdresser) to book an appointment, leaving the baby in the care of my mum who had come for the omugwo (post pregnancy care for a new mother and her baby). My neighbour’s salon was always very busy and I hated waiting in line to have my hair done.

I was surprised she was not in a hurry to leave for the salon. She explained it was a Thursday, a sanitation day for shop owners in Lagos, hence she would not be leaving until 10a.m. In her living room was a middle-aged woman who lived down the street and whom I believed had come for the same purpose. We weren’t close but we exchanged pleasantries all the same. “Eku ewu omo”, she said congratulating me on the birth of my baby. Then as it is the practice among women, she opened her arsenal of post-natal advice stressing the importance of hot water bath for a new mother. “I know of women who have the cold water bath each morning in line with age-long family tradition”, my neighbour interrupted. So they started discussing some weird after-birth traditions like eating bland meals (meals without oil, salt or pepper), giving the new mother well-prepared lizard meat with or without out her knowledge. Some of these I had heard before and thought had been overtaken by civilisation.

Just when I thought I had heard enough, my neighbour’s guest shared an experience which she said left her in shock for months. She witnessed the incident in one of those ancient ancestral homes on Lagos Island. She recalled she was in her late teens at the time and worked as a tailor apprentice on the Island. News came that Aduke, a co-apprentice who got pregnant out of wedlock had put to bed. She and another apprentice planned to pay her a congratulatory visit.

When they got to Aduke’s house, they were told she had moved to the baby daddy’s family house in preparation for the naming ceremony. They got the new address and went in search of the family house. On getting there, they were excited to see their friend and the new baby. They greeted an elderly woman (the baby daddy’s mom) who was sitting on a chair directly opposite the bed on which the baby was laid. There were some other women in the room, all relations of the baby daddy. After some minutes, the elderly woman told them that the family was expecting a very important guest and they could leave if they wanted to. They did not see the need to leave. They had just arrived and the room was big enough to seat more guests.

Shortly after, the elderly woman broke out in a loud voice chanting what seemed like an oriki (praise chant). In a twinkle of an eye they saw a huge snake coming in through the door which had been opened since their arrival. Both apprentices screamed in shock gripping each other and raising their feet from the floor. I also screamed when she got to this point in her narrative.

The elderly woman continued her chant referring to the snake as their ancestral father who had the ability to unravel all mysteries. In a swift move, the snake climbed the bed, moving its tongue all over the baby’s body. It wagged its tail at intervals in response to the chant and then curled beside the newborn. The poor baby was screaming. All the while, Aduke clasped her face with both hands. She could not bear to look at the scene.

Having finished its mission, the snake descended and went through the door in the same manner it had come. The elderly woman then lifted the baby chanting his oriki. His paternity had been proved. He was their child. Both apprentices scurried out of the house leaving their slippers (which they had kept at the door on entry) behind.

For a long time, she avoided visiting friends who had just put to bed. It was in the course of narrating the story to her mates at the tailor shop that she was told there had been dispute over the paternity of the baby. The baby daddy and his family had insisted on the snake rite to prove paternity. Aduke had obliged to avoid being mocked for having a bastard.

The story leaves me wondering why any woman in her right senses would go that far to prove a point. What happened to DNA testing? Are there similar post-natal or other weird practices in your culture? Let’s hear your views.

This is a true life story. The name Aduke is however fictitious.

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What a weird tradition....though interesting. Leaves the thought; what if the baby wasn't "theirs" ? Venom pumps into the innocent child ?

I nor put mouth 4 dis one o

Oautce:
What a weird tradition....though interesting. Leaves the thought; what if the baby wasn't "theirs" ? Venom pumps into the innocent child ?

I seriously do not know what would have happened. I was too scared to even ask.