Comprehension Passage - SS2 English Lesson Note
Among the Akan communities of Ghana, when you sneeze, people you have never met, complete strangers, say ‘Life to you” – Nkwa. The superstition is that the soul escapes from the body when one sneezes. To say, ‘Life to you’ is an earnest wish for the soul to be restored.
Examples abound to show that although we live in a technologically advanced age, superstition is as widespread now as it has ever been. Consider the following instances of superstition. Some people consult soothsayers or fetish priests before any undertaking. An athlete, although he has trained intensively, credits his victory to a mere article of clothing. A particular T-shirt first worn on the day of triumph, becomes a charm thereafter. Such a piece of cloth is never to be washed for fear that some of the magical powers of the charm might be washed away. A student uses a certain pen for an examination and passes well. Thereafter, he views the pen as a ‘luck’ object.
A superstitious mind believes that certain objects, places and animals bring luck. Some people will embark on enterprises only on certain dates and under the influence of superstition will act against their better judgment, instincts or consciences. The case of the chain letter, which is a letter that is sent to several persons with the request that each sends copies to many others aptly illustrates this. The one who passes on such a letter is promised good luck, whereas the one who breaks the chain is supposed to experience ill-luck.
Is superstition really harmful? Some people might dismiss this question or deny the dangers associated with superstition. Nonetheless, it can lead to unpleasant consequences. Take for instance, the case of Mma Kema who lived in a village where she bought and sold chicken. Her enterprise was lucrative. Believing that she could have her profit multiplied, she once took all her money to a fetish priest who it was believed had spirits which could do virtually anything for anybody. The priest put her money into a big envelope and asked her to leave it beside a black pot in his shrine.
Mma Kema was asked to come back for her money after seven days. Very early on the appointed day, she enthusiastically hurried to the shrine, oblivious of the morning dew on the grasses along the path. The priest handed a bag to her and instructed her to bury it in her shop for three days. She did exactly as she had been ordered. The three days looked like a century. When she finally opened the envelope she saw plain papers in it. In a frenzy, she rushed to the shrine to complain about her discovery only to find out that the priest had disappeared.