This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
Myths Kenyans Believe In ¶
Published on September 3, 2019, a compilation of 35 myths Kenyans believe in has been making rounds.
From the belief that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck to the notion that wearing slippers on different feet invites bad spirits, these myths are deeply ingrained in Kenyan culture.
- Black cats are believed to bring bad luck if they cross your path.
- Seeing an owl in your home is thought to signal the death of a family member.
- Running around a Mugumo tree seven times is believed to change one's gender to the opposite sex.
- Sweeping the floor at night is considered taboo, as it's believed to lead to poverty.
- Wearing slippers on different feet is thought to invite bad spirits.
- A man sleeping in his married daughter's house is considered taboo.
- Crossing a woman's legs while she's pregnant is believed to result in a child resembling her.
- Getting rained on is thought to make one grow taller.
- Swallowing gum is believed to tie up one's intestines.
- Swallowing fruit seeds is thought to cause a tree to grow out of one's stomach.
- Reading in dim light is believed to damage one's eyes.
- Sitting close to the TV is thought to cause blindness.
- Pig fat is believed to chase away demons.
- Tripping and hurting one's left foot is considered a sign of bad luck.
- Blinking one's eyes continuously is thought to signal an upcoming event.
- Using a bird's hair to build a nest is believed to prevent hair growth.
- Making a wish before a shooting star disappears is thought to make the wish come true.
- Using two condoms is believed to be better than using one.
- Responding to a dream call is thought to result in death.
- Drinking salty water is believed to prevent bedwetting.
- Choking on saliva while talking is considered a sign that someone has mentioned one's name.
- Placing a milk tooth on a rooftop for birds to take away is thought to promote faster tooth growth.
- Itching one's left palm is believed to signal the receipt of money.
- Raining on one's wedding day is considered a blessing.
- Biting one's tongue is thought to signal that someone is talking about one.
- Giving birth to twins as firstborns is considered a bad omen in some communities.
- A bird peeing on one's head while flying above is believed to be a sign of good luck.
- Dreaming of collecting/picking money is thought to result in poverty.
- Lying on one's back and lifting one's legs up immediately after sex is believed to increase the chances of giving birth to a boy.
- Keeping crying while attending to a patient is thought to result in the patient's death.
- Food falling from one's mouth or missing is considered a bad sign.
- When a woman is pregnant and a pet or domestic animal is pregnant at the same time, one of them must lose the child.
- Dreaming of eating beef is thought to result in death.
- Breaking a mirror is considered a bad omen.
- Burning one's hair is believed to prevent hair growth.
