Yoruba Magun (Thunderbolt) Checkmating Adultery
In Nigeria and West Africa, Juju or charm is said to be a spiritual belief done for various reasons such as justice demand , vengeance especially in connection to selfish reason.
Thunderbolt which in Yoruba Language is called ‘Magun’ belongs to one of those charms. This according to the belief is done to tame promiscuity.
The belief in ‘Magun stated that the husband places the charm on the wife suspected on infidelity.
“In African tradition, infidelity and promiscuity is taken as a taboo, reason why some take all available steps to prevent their wives from engaging in unfaithful act”.
However, Scientific explanation cum western civilization are nipping the tradition in the bud, not withstanding,it was said to still be in existence .
For instance, in the Yoruba culture, the strange tradition of ‘Magun’ means ‘do not climb’ it is a traditional way of preventing a man or woman from extra marital affairs. It was even said that in the olden days some parents in an attempt to checkmate their daughters from being promiscuous could place ‘magun’ on them to punish anyone who rapes them.
Traditional myth
The tradition revealed that Thunderbolt or ’magun’is systematically placed on the subject without her consent.
“A broomstick or thread can be placed on a doorstep or walkway for the woman to cross over, the result is deadly” a traditionalist stated in Ado- Ekiti.
The traditionalist stated further that “the outcome on the suspect amounts to strange illnesses which eventually leads to death . the targeted man could end up barking like dogs with serious headaches, enlargement of the private parts, such person would convulse, somersault and die.
There are instances where the penis of the lover of a woman laid with thunderbolt spiritually trapped in the vagina with severe pain, both adulterous are stocked together unable to separate from each other.
They might be lucky if the spell could be reversed”. According to report, the tradition of thunderbolt,’magun’ is not only peculiar to a particular place in Africa, there have been cases in other countries like Kenya, in Zimbabwe, ‘magun’ is called ‘Runyoka’
Scientific approaches:
There are some scientific explanations on this phenomenon which stated that there is penis captivus, a rare occurrence in heterosexual intercourse when the muscles in the vagina clamp down on the penis much more firmly than usual or due to an engorged penis, thereby making it possible for the penis to withdraw from the vagina. Another scientific explanation is referred to as Vaginismus . this occurs when a woman has sexual intercourse with guilt.
This might cause the physiology of the woman to be altered so the vagina tightens around the penis in series of spasms. Still, the scientific explanations have not been able to completely nullify the mystery and the traditional belief behind thunderbolt,’ magun’ .
Early this year a traditionalist and notable herbalist died in Ikere Ekiti , headquarters of Ikere local government area of Ekiti state, the man reportedly slumped and died during an alleged sexual intercourse with a woman in an hotel in the town. The deceased simply identified as Kehinde Fadayomi, also known as ‘Ejiogbe’ was said to be a popular herbalist who engaged in a secret affair with a woman said to be a cleric’s wife in one of the churches in the area.
Spiritual growth:
A source who spoke with journalist said; “the man died in the hotel room after having sex with the woman said to be spiritually laced with thunderbolt (Magun) “
The woman raised the alarm after realizing that the man collapsed, the manager of the hotel and some residents got to the scene and immediately rushed the man to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead”
The police public relations officer PPRO in the state ,ASP Sunday Abutu who confirmed the incident disclosed that the command would ensure thor-ough investigation on the circumstance, he confirmed that the woman had been arrested by the police.
‘Yes we can confirm the death of the man in one of the hotels at Ikere Ekiti . His corpse has been retrieved and deposited at the morgue ‘Let me quickly tell you that the woman in question is with us already as we commence investigations to unravel the cause or otherwise of the man’s death”, the PPRO stated.
The development generated a lot of reactions as different revelations emerged on the circumstance .
The popular herbalist was said to have overtime been in an illicit affairs with the wife of a pastor owner of a white garment church close to the home of the herbalist . A source from the deceased family disclosed that the late herbalist was buried two days after the incident.
Husband, wife affair:
Another source, who claimed to be a member of the church said the pastor’s wife and the deceased lover have been in secret affairs for a long time apparent to everyone around and said to have generated serious rubbles between the woman and the husband, it was also revealed that the lovers used to meet in that hotel for their love paroles .
A source at the hotel stated “on that particular day, the man had been in the hotel for long period expecting the lover , when the woman arrived and after spending several hours together, the herbalist lover convulsed ,gasped suddenly, the woman after abortive efforts to bring the man back to life reportedly ran out of the room nakedly.”
The hotel sources added further that when they rushed into the hotel room of the man, his manhood was still standing erect despite being in an unconscious stage ,this according to people was attested to a speculation that drugs.
The hotel source said ‘as at the time we rushed to the room to offer help and resuscitate the deceased, his manhood was standing erect, despite his unconsciousness state .
‘We were all afraid because this type of situation has never happened in this hotel. We were wondering what could have happened, the two of them were lovey-dovey when they were entering the room, now this
“The man was confirmed dead by the doctors at a private hospital not far from the hotel”. The alleged woman concubine, identified as Evangelist Rita Ajagunigbala was said to have cofounded the church with her husband .
“ Later rift developed between them which made them to drift apart and she stopped coming to the church “ Many people in the area were confused and wondered if lacing women with thunderbolt still exist in the modern day . ‘If its true the man died of magun, it’s a barbaric act happening in this century, a resident said.
Traditionalist speaks:
An ikere Ekiti community leader, Chief Ajayi Olanusi who regretted the incident said the efforts of police prevented angry mob from overtaking and destroying the church premises of the pastor suspected to have laced the woman with the thunderbolt. Though aside thunderbolt there was also speculation that the man might have taken a sexenhancement drug suspected to have made him develop cardiac arrest which led to his untimely death.
Delving more into the traditional belief of ‘magun’ a traditionalist in Ado Ekiti, the state capital and the chairman National Association of Nigeria Traditional medicine in the state,
Chief Sunday Adebayo who spoke with New Telegraph explained that Thunderbolt known as ‘Magun’ in Yoruba still exists and it’s used to detect promiscuous wife “If a woman is laced with thunderbolt and between the first to three months after, no man had any intercourse with her, the woman would emaciate and die , but if a man had sexual act with her within the period, it’s the man that would die.
“There are different types of thunderbolt with associated myths which could be laced on the suspect depending on the certainty of the infidelity ,because there are some ‘magun that kills the ‘culprit; instantly without medication or antedote while some have medication that could revive the person if early detected and handled by a real traditional expert “ Adebayo, however, noted that it’s the man that can lace the suspected wife with thunderbolt and can’t be the other way round, he added that the culture is not a bad tradition as an Africa.
Modern experience:
‘In Africa, adultery/infidelity is alien to our culture ,in fact it’s a taboo which we checkmate and rebuff. We take it as a disgrace to a man who has a promiscuous wife . for instance, a man may have only one wife while another man with three wives at home would still be engaging in adultery with the only one the man has, how do you consider that ! ‘ magun’ catches anyone whether you are a cleric, traditionalist or herbalist so far you are a culprit on the adultery.
Though there is prevention if the affected person is lucky to meet a powerful native doctor. No one is powerful before Tunderbolt ,(magun) , when it strikes.
The solution is just not to get involved in adulterous act “magun is a traditional police used by African to arrest adulterous wife for instance going to court in this regard for divorce is a western notion and not African, but however the lacing of thunderbolt has drastically reduced due to western civilization”, chief Adebayo stated.
Credit: New Telegraph