Nigerians are good at creating myths and superstitions with everything even with food. It is not an uncommon knowledge that every culture and tribe in Nigeria has one or two cultural beliefs or superstitions why they do not do a particular thing or eat a certain food. In fact, eating these foods is seen as a sacrilegious deed or a taboo. I bet we all know what a taboo is in our cultures.
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Many of these food taboos makes absolutely no sense at all on a comparative basis. On the other hand, food taboos have a long history and one ought to expect a sound explanation for the existence of certain dietary customs in a given culture. For this purpose of this post, I shall be limiting the food taboos to some tribes in Delta State.
Delta state is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country Nigeria. Delta state is made up of 25 Local Government Areas with diverse culture and traditions and in this case, food taboos. Take a trip with me as I bring to your amazement, interesting food taboos of some tribes in Delta State.
- The people of Asaba do not eat ogbono soup. Asaba natives forbid not only the cooking of ogbono soup but also the selling of it in their markets. Although some women still stubbornly sell it but they do that with discretion and never display it openly. Ancient history has it that “Onishe” who is the goddess of Asaba was invited to a dance party. At the party, she was served ogbono soup and with its slimy nature, got stained on her white dress by the soup. She was unaware of the stain until people started mimicking her with a song. On spotting the stain, she unceremoniously and angrily left the party without any awards, got home and burnt the white cloth in the forest. She now decreed that anybody who eats ogbono soup would reap the consequences before she disappeared. The spot where she disappeared became “Onishe shrine” and her spirit is being worshipped there. The sacred abode of the deity is at the mouth of the River Niger. There are two big ogbono trees lining up both sides to the groove of the mother goddess. It is believe that for the past 250 years, neither the leaves nor the ogbono seeds have ever fallen to the ground. Are you in doubt? Take a trip to Asaba and see this amazing wonder for yourself. This is an indicative of the spiritual value of ogbono to Onishe as she uses it for her spiritual function.
- The people of Amai in Kwale do not eat bush fowl. As a matter of fact, hunting of bush fowls is highly forbidden in this community. These fowls are numerous and lay large quantity of eggs in the forests and their eggs are also forbidden as food. History has it that during a particular civil war, it was the bush fowl that first sighted the enemies approaching and alerted the villagers with their crows from the forest and that was how the warriors of the village were able to subdue their enemies. Hence, bush fowl is seen as a god that saved them and in reverence, it is forbidden to eat it.
- Umuokpe community located in Ogwashi-uku does not eat dog meat. History has it that the dogs were infected with rabies and caused the death of their owners by infecting them with the disease. In another community in Delta State known as Orogun, a community of the ethnic Urhobo region, dog meat is also forbidden. Ancient history has it that some bush dogs led some trapped warriors who were engaged in an inter-tribal war out of the battle front to safety. This action was subsequently tied to a deity and the dog as the physical manifestation is still being worshipped. No dog either domesticated or wild must be killed for meat under any circumstances.
- The people of Uvwiama community do not eat tortoise meat. This community has a river running through it and this animal thrives and multiplies freely around the river but it must not be hunted or its meat eaten for food, history has it that during an ancient inter-tribal war, the warriors of this community were trapped by the warriors of the opposing to be massacred. Suddenly, a big tortoise appeared out of the river and ferried the surrounded warriors to safety across the river to the other bank. Tortoise is hence worshipped as the “mother” by the community even up to present days and shrines erected for the adoration are in almost every household.
- In Ophori Community, the male descendants are forbidden from eating plantain that comes in twin fingers rather than the usual single finger. In fact, if any male from this community eats such twin-fingered plantain, history has it that one of his testicles may retract into his abdomen. This actually got me laughing because I tried to imagine what scientific explanation science may have for this should it be real but then this is beyond science. This is not only limited to male indigenes as pregnant women are also forbidden from eating it. Reason being that as a pregnant woman, no one can tell the sex of the baby and if the baby happens to be a boy, the child will have an undescended testis. A sacrifice to the deity will be needed to release the testis into the right place and it will stay so permanently.
- In Oleh, an Isoko community in Delta state, it is forbidden to eat cocoyam either as a swallow or a thickener for soup. ancient history has it that during the civil war when the people of Oleh were under siege and were running away from the warriors of the enemy community, they came across a large land cultivated with cocoyam and hid under the leaves of the cocoyam and so were hidden from the enemies and that was how they were saved. Until date, cocoyam is seen as their savior and so it is highly prohibited to eat cocoyam or even sell it in the market.
These are not the only food taboos of the people of Delta state but these are the ones I was able to lay my hands on. History is interesting. I am sure you also have one or more such taboos in your tribe. Breaking the laws and going ahead to eat these foods never end well. So if you visit any of these tribes, be careful what you ask for.
Christianity has abolished most of these beliefs and the self acclaimed Christians and non indegenes do infact go ahead to eat some of this foods
