It was the responsibility of Modinot to sweep the house and despite the urgings of her older sister – Ramota, she had ignored her chores, playing games with her friends. Suddenly, she looked up and noticed it was almost 8p.m and the house was unswept. Her mother was bound to be back in the next hour. Modinot picked up the broom and rushed through the house like a hurricane. Her mother would be furious if she met the house in that state and she knew she lacked any form of alibi in her sister-Ramota. She would receive the full brunt of her mother’s anger, which could be brutal. As she swept hurriedly, Ramota kept singing in her ears…”Stop sweeping Modinot it is night and Maami has always told us that sweeping at night is a taboo. It brings bad luck.” An argument ensued between the siblings but needless to say, Modinot continued with her task so that by the time Mother returned home, the house was clean. Ramota however reported Modinot’s misdeed to their mother. “Maami, she started, Modinot has just swept the house and you know you always instruct us not to sweep at night as it will attract bad luck.”

Maami , nodded her head and smiled,  “Actually, the story about sweeping at night attracting bad luck can be considered an old wives’ tale” but she went ahead to admonish Modinot and reprimand her for her actions.

After profuse apologies and undertakings on the part of Modinot, she summoned the courage to ask Maami, why nocturnal sweeping could be thought to attract bad luck.

Maami went on to explain as follows: “I will start with an explanation of “Old wives’ tales” and then explain the specific one about nocturnal sweeping and touch on other examples for you to understand fully. Meta AI defines old wives’ tales as those traditional stories, legends, or superstitions, passed down through generations, often containing folk wisdom, myths, or unproven claims. They frequently relate to health, relationships, weather, or everyday life. I remember when I was heavy with your pregnancy and visited my mother, she forbade me to go out of the house in the afternoon without attaching a pin or needle to my clothing, to ward off the evil spirits that roam about in the afternoon. “ Maami laughed and continued. “She believed that the sharp object would prevent miscarriage by cutting off every negative energy that could cause miscarriage and ensure safe delivery. Mind you, there is no scientific basis for this reasoning,  but it is borne out of a desire to protect pregnant women and their children from harm by repelling evil spirits and keeping them from the effects of the intensity of the sun. “

“Now to your specific question. In our culture, nocturnal sweeping is believed to attract ill luck with the following explanations –

• Spiritually, it is believed that ancestors and spirits are active in the night, so sweeping at that time may disturb or anger them, leading to misfortunes in such homes.
• Symbolically, sweeping away dirt at night may sweep away prosperity and good fortune from the home.
• Practically, it stirs up dust making vision and breathing difficult thereby causing illness and health complications. This is because at night, people tend to be in the environment and end up inhaling the dust.”

Undoubtedly, Old wives’ tales vary by society/community although some are more generic. Whichever tales we come across, there certainly are some learning points and/or truths involved that would benefit sections of society. We should therefore try to understand the reasoning behind such tale and not throw away the baby with the bathwater.

Havilah feels intrigued by some of these tales and would appreciate comments and possibly more content on this topic. Do you have Old wives’ tales to share/ I am all ears?

Love

Havilah