Childhood Myths

A list of myths that I was told as a child and somehow I believed them…

 Santa Claus. Honestly, I have never believed that he has even existed in the first place. First, I live in Africa where it only snows on mountain tops and Santa only visits places where it snows. Second,  I never got gift wrapped presents during Christmas. Clothes were the only gifts I got because in an African household they are.

Wearing red during the rain. This has been the myth that I believed the most. Basically, if you wore red anywhere that meant you were more susceptible to getting struck by lightning. I don’t know what the myth was trying to prevent but it stopped me from wearing in my favorite color for the longest time possible.

Cat in the dark. This is one of the scariest myths that I have ever heard.  The myth goes like this: if you travel to Mombasa and you are still in the outdoors at 3am, some genie will appear and turn you into a cat.

Another cat myth. This came about from my mother’s cat-phobia.  She thinks that black cats or cats with non-black eye colors are agents of the devil.

Boarding school ghosts. I have never been to boarding school so I don’t know how true this is. My sister, however, told me that whenever she went to sleep she would feel someone pinch her and a whisper in her ear saying, “Nisongee nisongee” [=move for me, move for me]

And another one is that whenever it rained her classmates would go to the washrooms that were outside the dorms and then get attacked by a woman in black who would throw hot chapattis in their faces.

Leaf that turns into money. Every time a leaf falls from a tree, the person is suppose to catch it and quickly put it in their pocket and then when they remove it, it will turn have turned into cash.

Itchy palm. If your palm is itchy that is a sign that you are calling money into your hands.

Choking on your own saliva means that someone somewhere is talking behind your back.

Haunted wallets. If you were to ever come across a wallet with a brand stamped on it you are supposed to leave it there. If you think otherwise and decide to take it, the wallet’s spirit would haunt you saying  “return me where you find me.”