EMBER months: A necessary demystification
KAYODE KETEFE
One of the superstitious beliefs of our peoples is the belief that the last four months of the year – the months that end with "ember", precisely September, October, November, and December, are months afflicted with malevolence where all manners of tragedies surface to harass humanity.
The months are seen to be inherently evil, being a period when all kinds of demons, fairies and primeval ghosts are loosened upon the world. It is a time when forces of darkness fan the ember of misery to detriment of earthly sojourners.
So serious is the fear some people have of this period that they would embark upon lengthy prayers right from July – a move to spiritually fortify themselves before the harbinger of the months – September appears.
It is interesting to note that just as the September was beckoning, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) released a public statement that it had concluded arrangements to ensure safety of the nation's highways during the "ember" months. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the Public Relations Officer (PRO), FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem, as making the statement. Kazeem had said "Ember Months are here again and we want to disabuse peoples mind that the months are months of mystery and myths.
Kazeem explained that the prevalent upsurge both in vehicular and human traffic and overzealousness of people in order to maximise profits, were the cause of many accidents during ember months.
He added "You will find that commercial drivers will want to carry more passengers in order to maximise profit and by so doing, they drive dangerously without consideration for other road users.
"So, having observed this development nationwide, what we did first was to embark on sporadic enlightenment and public education to curb this ugly development by all our formations,'' he concluded.
I will say that is a good one from FRSC, it is a public enlightenment campaign at its best.
This is because a large segment of our population truly believes the ember months are jinxed because of the reality of statistically verifiable escalation in the accidents, fatality, crimes and other disasters. Some religious leaders have also contributed to this superstitious culture of demonisation of the said four months. The belief is entrenched that during "ember" months, demons temporarily translocate from Hell to dwell in the earthly realm with a mission to spread tears and sorrow!
This is because a large segment of our population truly believes the ember months are jinxed because of the reality of statistically verifiable escalation in the accidents, fatality, crimes and other disasters. Some religious leaders have also contributed to this superstitious culture of demonisation of the said four months. The belief is entrenched that during "ember" months, demons temporarily translocate from Hell to dwell in the earthly realm with a mission to spread tears and sorrow!
Rather than allay the fears of the people, many spiritual establishments have thus cashed in on this irrational fear of the people to milk them. Many churches are organising various progammes now supposedly to render their members immune to the sadistic onslaught of blood-sucking demons now on the prowl as September resumes. Of course, these evil spirits would not vacate the land till the midnight of December 31st when the last of the "ember" month, happily, pave way for the new year and the new month of January. This is a real money spinner for the spiritualists! An extensive period of four months to exploit the weak-minded.
This writer has once heard a preacher saying "You need special prayers. You require special anointing to survive these ember months, the Devil has planned to terminate the lives of a lot people between now and December! The forces of darkness have taken over in these ember months and I pray that you would not be their victims. Therefore, I want you to come take this special anointing oil, rub it on your body and on the bodies of members of your family. Tragedies will no longer be your portion if you get this anointing oil!"
Mind you, the so-called anointing oil went for N1000 per bottle, and you only to see how the faithful were falling over themselves to purchase this great antidote to "ember" months' malevolence.
Of course, every discerning mind knows that nothing is inherently wrong with "ember months" and that evil spirits have not chosen the said period to unleash sadistic havoc on humanity as some people claim. The phenomenon of tragedies associated with the period is explicable sociologically on the grounds of enhanced hustle bustle of socio-economic activities and virtual intensification of existential exigencies, inducing a concomitant higher incidence of both human errors and man's deliberate mischief.
Knowledge is the true liberator of human mind from irrational fears and behaviours. Apure rational mind does not attach any importance to any kind of numerology. Numbers are nothing but mere invention to make comparison and keep memory, they have no special significance in themselves.
This, of course. will not go down well with many pastorprenuers who like to cash in on people's emotions, asking them to bring special offerings for first Sunday of the month, the last Sunday of the outgoing year, the first Sunday of the new year and all kinds of artificially manufacture "significance dates" designed for spiritual looting!
People should know it is natural that upsurge in human activities witnessed at this period of the year to lead to many accidents as result of recklessness and human errors.
Ketefe may be followed on twitter @Ketesco
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