Prohibit

Quote

The navel is extremely important, and concern about it begins before birth. A pointed navel is desired. A woman becomes fond of a child whose navel she admires and gives this child occasional presents. Aeegrara—a common type of garden fruit—is ritually touched to such a child’s navel; the pregnant woman eats a part of this fruit and gives a part to the child to eat. The idea is to make her own unborn baby acquire the shape of the navel she admires. After her delivery, she is asked not to touch certain things; otherwise the navel may not have the desired form.

• Source: Uchendu, Victor Chikezie. The Igbo of southeast Nigeria. New York: Rinehart and Winston, 1965.
• Culture: Igbo
• Location: Africa