THE MYTH ABOUT BITTER-KOLAS AND ALLIGATOR PEPPERS

“One day a neighbor called Okoye came in to see him….He immediately rose and shook hands with Okoye, who then unrolled the goatskin which he carried under his arm, and sat down. Unoka went into an inner room and soon returned with a small wooden disc containing a kola nut, some alligator pepper and a lump of white chalk.

‘I have kola,’ he announced when he sat down, and passed the disc over to his guest.

‘Thank you. He who brings kola brings life. But I think you ought to break it,’ replied Okoye passing back the disc.”

(Excerpt from Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe)

If you come from this part of the globe, you must have come across the bitter-kola and alligator pepper. In the traditional Nigerian society, these two items cannot be ignored or forgotten, as they are essential in most traditional occasions and rites: the most prominent being a sign of hospitality. On one hand, the bitter-kola (Garcinia Kola) gets its name from the sharp bitter taste it has. On the other hand, the alligator pepper gets its name from the look and texture of its pod, which is as rough as the alligators back. More so, the equally pungent and peppery nature of the seed is how the term ‘pepper’ is derived.

Some people believe that we are much of a superstitious lot, but truth be told, we do believe in the supernatural, which is basically split into good and evil forces. This dichotomy of forces is recognized by the three major religions in these parts, hence, several myths and legends that have been passed on from generation to generation have influenced the psychology of many. Interestingly, bitter-kolas and alligator peppers have gone beyond being spice for food, mere rituals for welcoming and entertaining guests, medicine for coughs, colds, and other ailments, or a natural remedy for clearing the vocal chords. These fruits are believed to be potent in the dealings of the supernatural. ‘How!?’ you may wonder!

Several persons have come to believe in the efficacy of these traditional fruits in wading off evil spirits and bad omen. So, if you see them in places like office drawers and pigeon holes of cars, or uncanny places, do not be taken unawares. If you do not know why they are placed there, you may conclude that the owner of such cars or offices just love to chew them occasionally. Well, unless they serve as medicine at that point in time, just beware that they are used for fending off monitoring and unfamiliar spirits. So next time you come across the bitter-kola and alligator pepper, remember this schooling you just received! Spooky, ain’t it? :)