Between Me and Richard : Their Superstitions ; Our Beliefs

The following are the superstitious beliefs I came across in the popular autobiographical piece by Richard Wright: Black Boy. The claims are just a little bit different from those we used to lay claim to in my childhood in a south western town of Osogbo, the now capital of Osun State. The amazing thing is that Richard lived in the then far away racist American society while I grew up in the 80’s in a remote and seemingly sleepy town of Osogbo, the town popularly known for the Osun River Shrine. This shows the bond between culture and belief systems around the world. It is also a pointer to the fact that cultural identity can not be easily eroded regardless of the distance in time or space. For me and Richard, it is their superstitions and our beliefs. Follow me to this world of ifs and magical possibilities:

Richard : If I pulled a hair from a horse’s tail and sealed it in a jar of my own urine, the hair would turn over night into a snake

Me : If I cut the tail of a wall gecko, the tail would turn into a snake

Richard : If my right ear itched, something good was being said about me by somebody

Me : If any of my ears itches, somebody is saying something about me or calling me

Richard : If I heard a voice and no human being was near, then either God or the devil was trying to talk to me

Me : If I hear my name and no human being is around, somebody is trying to call me to death

Richard: If it rained while the sun was shining, the Devil was beating his wife

Me : If it rains while the sun shines, the lion is giving birth

Richard : If I covered a mirror when a storm was raging, lightning would not strike me

Me : If I do not cover a mirror while it is raining and thunder rumbles, thunder will strike me

Richard : If I stepped over a broom that was lying on the floor, I would have bad luck

Me : If I’m beaten with a broom, my penis would shrink

These and many more possibilities are ways by which people explain concepts and phenomena around them. They exist in many cultures in the world.