AFRICA : STORIES FROM HOME
FOR THE CULTURE
Africa! My homeland, I love it so much but it does weird me out some times. There are things I do not understand that often get brushed off with the statement, ‘that is who we are.’ The people with the answers do not give us the answers most times because of sacredness of the ritual, culture or whatever cult they involuntarily enroll one in. Let me take you through a few weird things I have heard.
Weirdo 1: There is a culture whereby when a man finds a woman and they decide to get married on their wedding day the woman is driven or taken to the husbands parents neighborhood. She is dropped off a distance from the house, she is then meant to move on her knees from there to the house. Meanwhile there are aunts and all singing and dancing around her. What is the point? Some say its for her to stay humble or something like that. Now woman is going to have bruised knees on her wedding day just because you are teaching her humility? So strange if you ask me! A little abusive too.
Weirdo 2: Now this one is the oddest I have heard. A bride is not officially a bride until her father in law knows her in and out. If the father in law is deceased then the eldest brother in law is in for the kill. So early morning before the wedding the bride to be must have sex with one of these men, at the same time a cow will be slaughtered. If the bride does not do this the cow will not die and that means no wedding. What in the hulabaloo is this my people? Cleansing the pathway for their son? How awkward is this for the bride to be, I mean now your father in law has been all over you and you still have to treat him like a father. How is this even a sane thing to do? I would not survive this, it makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it!
Weirdo 3: This one scared everyone when we were younger, because who wants to be shamed right? This weirdo says that a night before the wedding the couple to be must have sex on top of a white sheet. This my people is the African virginity test, so if you are a virgin you are to bleed on this sheet. Nevermind that not everyone bleeds by the way. If you bleed then they will dance around holding the sheet for entire village or neighborhood to know. If not then they will cut out a circle on the cloth and parade. I am unsure what the circle really symbolises and I will not put m assumptions out there either. I will keep it right here, in my chwest!
See how in all these women are on the broken end of the stick? I have not heard any weird cultures that include men so if you know any please drop them in the comment box!
That is why our continent has taken so long to catch up. The African paradigm holds us back from progressing because we do things just because they must be done. In my culture we have a ceremony called chilanga mulilo which literally means show fire. The woman’s family prepares different dishes to show her soon to be husband and family that that this the food they will be served when they visit. That part is perfectly understandable. However there is one ritual in particular I don’t agree with and it’s where the woman kneels down and holds a cup water or mealie meal with her teeth as she prepares nshima (pap). They say it’s an act of humility but I’m in my mind I’m like ‘how sway?’.
You just gave me an idea for my next post.
This sounds painful, my teeth are irritated at the thought of it. It’s too much! Can’t wait to read your post, matter of fact let me stalk your blog!!
a weird one i heard which seems to include both is the one where I heard about how in some cultures, an aunt to the daughter will hide beneath the bed during the consummation of the marriage so she can observe if the guy performs and if he does not know his business she may step in to “help”
~B
Whoooaaaaa.. How she know if thy daughter ain’t faking it? This is all kinds of messed up.. Wow man..
Happens to some unlucky Zambians whose families have not moved away from those traditions. We are one Africa.