'Superstitions' and Folklore

Prince Hakeem · (#1 (**permalink**))

Especially as Africans whether we're from the Continent or the caribbean, South America, North AmeriKKKa etc we've all heard it. Certain things we call 'superstitions' may be factual wisdom imparted by our ancestors/elders, some are symbolic and the rest (not from our culture) are just simply false. Of course there are far too many to name.

As a Jamaican I know of 'River Mumma', but mainly I remember an elderly neighbour from my family's parish back home telling us about the 'Rolling Calf' lurked in the bushes at night, to the point where some of us used to mess with each other after dark by rattling bushes and making roaring noises lol. Plus nearly everyone claims to have seen the supernatural beast at some point lol.

What was your favourite superstition or folklore growing up?

Black-pride · (#2 (**permalink**))

I never had a fav superstition, but these are the 1s i have heard.

whilstling is bad, it will attract spirits

You should hit kids with a broom,....i dunno why?
If u step over the legs of a pregnant woman, th child may end up looking like U.

Prince Hakeem · (#3 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black-pride

I never had a fav superstition, but these are the 1s i have heard.

whilstling is bad, it will attract spirits

You should hit kids with a broom,....i dunno why?
If u step over the legs of a pregnant woman, th child may end up looking like U.

I didn't hear about hitting children with a broom, but the one I have heard is if someone is sweeping with a broom and touches your feet, then spitting on it wards of evil (something like that I could be wrong).

Black-pride · (#4 (**permalink**))

Quote:

but the one I have heard is if someone is sweeping with a broom and touches your feet, then spitting on it wards of evil (something like that I could be wrong).

Have u seen the film:To Sleep with Anger, starring Danny Glover......that film has deep superstitions in the film text...it's a good film.

The Watcher · (#5 (**permalink**))

Tokoloshi... Same thing as El chupacabra but a southern African thing. Evil little demon who kills you when you sleep. He can hypnotise you and carry you away to do stuff. He has a big oversized head and he's a child sized man with evil teeth and so on and so forth. Or so my granny used to say. He rides animals, I'm sure it was hyenas but my aunt says anteaters (LOL)

ac9311 · (#6 (**permalink**))

Here's one alot of southern African Americans believe:

The old folk will not cut a boys hair before he is 1 year old. They say if you cut it he will stutter.

My barber would not cut any one of my sons hair before they were 1. He asked when the boys birthday was. I couldn't find a barber to cut their hair before their 1st. birthday. They all said the same thing.

Black Lion · (#7 (**permalink**))

Old Carib superstition... you go crazy if you talk about African traditional religion and customs.

Still around from what I hear.

Vezz. · (#8 (**permalink**))

You should pinch a child if you say it's big (fat).

You shouldn't tickle a child's foot before the age of one or else he will stutter. (I must say I did cut my boy's hair before he was one - time will tell if he stutters).

My favourite one is you should always sleep with knickers/briefs on, as spirit get randy and take it when you are asleep - you may wake up with the sensation of someone falling on you....spirit getting its end away!

An_Advanced_Spark · (#9 (**permalink**))

Never go to a grave after 12pm duppy with ketch you

Green is a duppy colour

Never say thank you to the person that does your hair it will fall out

always put cut hair in the bin or it will fall out

Dash a baby's bath water out and it will walk sooner

Prince Hakeem · (#10 (**permalink**))

Bump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DtotheJ · (#11 (**permalink**))

I heard lots of them

my folks are from poor rural area and we were raised with lots of people who were from poor rural areas .....different languages but pretty much the same people

the main things were DREAMS and their interpretations

I used to hear this in the 1st grade "Don't point your finger at me, my mother ain't dead"

one of my cousins used to wet the bed...another cousin told him to piss on rock..bury it and that would cure him

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Not for nothing.....I used to think that one reason some people grow up to hug white people's testicles is that they grow up hearing things that are complete nonsense from their folks and when they get out into the world they understand how foolish some of the stuff was and they feel ashamed of themselves and their people...

No matter what country you live in.....if you're in the rural part it's somwhat isolated from the rest of the world....in some wys that's good, in others it's harmful

Melissa · (#12 (**permalink**))

Two people can't do one person hair at the same time - don't know why.

You can't step over a person lying on the floor - they won't grow.

After combing your hair put ends in the toilet - if you put in the bin it will fall out.

Don't wear funeral clothes in the house - duppy will follow you home.

Open the front door at 12am new years day to let the old year out and the new year in.

Hold money in your palm at 12am new years day and you will get money all throughout that year.

If a child bends over and looks in between their legs their mother is pregnant

Don't wear underwear to bed - don't know why, something about duppy

Backatya · (#13 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black-pride

If u step over the legs of a pregnant woman, th child may end up looking like U.

Hmmmm......I wonder.....It just might work.
Instead of:
"What do you mean honey, that Sonia's pickney favver me? He looks nothing like me."..........Quickly change subject.

It could be.
"Well there was this one time see. she was like, 6 months pregnant and, I don't remember the exact situation, but I remember I had to step over her legs for some reason.....Who would have believed there was something in that old saying after all, eh honey?"