Cultural Prevalence of Ma?gu?n and its Implication in Combating Infidelity Among Yoru?ba?

Funmi Oluwaseun Abilawon, Sunday Samuel Obafemi

Abstract

The use of Ma?gu?n as an anti-adultery device in curbing infidelity among the Yoru?ba? of the western part of Nigeria is an obvious reality that cannot be denied even by the Christians and Muslims. It is a devise used to punish adulterers among the Yoruba. Adultery is a condemnable act that is not tolerated in the Yoruba cosmological setting. It is a demeaning act to see a married man or woman having an affair with another woman or man. The act is not farfetched in our society and there are certain measures put in place to control or get rid of such demeaning acts. The adulterer could be laced with ma?gu?n unknowingly. After the preparation of the charm, it could be imbued on a string of thread or on a single broom and put across the entrance of the room or house for the victim to cross over without his or her knowledge. The paper argued further that this dreaded device can also be employed to fight one’s perceived enemies. Scholars have not deeply delved into this discourse. Previous works have not delineated the ingredients used in making the cham and have not chronologically explained how it is applied when it is ready to be used. This is the focus of the work. Primary and secondary sources were used to elicit information. Olubiyi’s charm and infidelity which states that magun among the Yoruba is used to expose or prevent illicit sexual relationship between a man and a woman who are not properly married served as our theoretical framework The paper concluded by advocating that the use of ma?gu?n is barbaric and must be discouraged in Yoru?ba? society. It also stated that another better means of curbing adultery and deviant behaviour should be used. The old and barbaric method of sanctions should be frowned at while moral sanctions that give respect for human life such as employing the services of the law enforcement agent should be encouraged.

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