In Africa and more especially in my home area of Northern Uganda, folks take issues of superstition with a passion. I felt I should share some of these belief systems with you.

Meeting a Woman While on a Mission

Among the Acholis of Northern Uganda, when a man sets out for a mission regarded as   critically important, he is usually very weary about who or even what he meets first. Depending on what/who he meets first, that mission may proceed or abort instantly.

It is usually considered very ill luck to meet a woman first thing in the morning when a man is traveling out of home. A man who meets a woman as the first person moving in the opposite direction is sure to fail in his mission or even get some dangerous situations along the way if he insists. Interestingly, many of my people, including educated folks take these superstitions very seriously and call off the journey should this situation arise.

Meeting a Monkey While on a Mission

Another bad luck that the Acholis dread and is tied to superstition is meeting a monkey while on an important mission. Once my village uncle was leading a delegation to a marriage introduction ceremony and a monkey popped up in the middle of the road, standing on two legs! The whole delegation had to scamper and turn back and instead sent a messenger to the home of the girl for whom the ceremony was arranged via an entirely different and really long route to say the mission had been cancelled. This is how powerful a superstition can affect pre-arranged programmes. 

Hitting the Wrong Foot while on a Mission

The other bad omen that worries the Acholi is about hitting the wrong foot while on a journey. In our villages, people trek long journeys on foot mainly because only a few have bicycles or motorized means of transport. So should a person walking on the road suddenly hit his left foot with a stump that may not have been visible as he paced about, he should immediately cancel the mission because hitting the left foot is very bad luck.. On the other hand if the foot hit was the right foot, then for sure, that mission is  going to be a big success.

Wood Peckers and Owls

In Acholiland, one of the most feared birds commonly known to bring bad news is the woodpecker. Should a Wood Pecker perch on a compound tree and start singing and creaking endless while flying around the home, some women will begin crying in advance while most men will be in a really somber mood because for sure, before the sun goes down, bad news will hit that family-some one will either be reported very sick or dead. Amazingly, this comes to pass for a fact! On the other hand, if an Owl makes its awful sound at night while on the roof of one of the huts in a given homestead, again that is a sign of very bad news to come!

Itching of the Palms

It’s not clear to me whether this superstition is exclusive to the Acholi, but many Acholis, including the author, has experienced this phenomenon. When the palm itches, before the sun goes down, some one will deliver money to the very itching palms, usually it is some good money! So frankly I live my day praying for some itch in my palms, while it doesn’t come everyday, when and if an itch finally comes to my palm, I just sit there for the whole day waiting for the events to unfold. Infact, sometimes I do the budgeting before I even see the money!

Tremors on the Eyelids and Honeybees

 When the upper eyelids trembles involuntarily, Acholis believe one will see a very important visitor and there will be merry making. The same belief applies to the unceremonious entry of a honeybee into the living rooms of houses within a home. A honeybee entering the house means a stranger or visitor will show up that very day or within a few days and this leaves the entire family in anticipation.

However, when the lower eyelids shake, then it is believed the beholder will cry, either as a result of losing a loved one or losing property. The Acholis, and many African societies believe in superstitions and these beliefs affect them as some of the issues associated with superstitious acts invariably come to pass.