15/10/2025
THE YORUBA TOWN WHERE UMBRELLAS ARE FORBIDDEN â
In Iwoye-Ketu, a border town between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, opening an umbrella is more than a bad ideaâit is a taboo. Even when the rain pours endlessly, no one dares to lift one.
The story traces back to the townâs founder, Olumu, a migrant from Ile-Ife. He arrived in the 1600s with three sacred items: a crown, a staff called Opa Ogbo, and a powerful deity known as Orisa Oluwa. From this deity came the communityâs laws, including two strict taboosâno umbrellas, no pigs.
The people say Orisa Oluwa considered both items impure. Pigs were seen as filthy animals unworthy of being near sacred spaces. As for the umbrella, the story takes two forms. Some say it was banned because it resembled the sacred canopy used in rituals, making it a mockery of divine authority. Others tell of old hunters who noticed elephants charging whenever they saw umbrella-like shapes, and after repeated attacks, the deity forbade umbrellas entirely.
Back then, the Yoruba had never seen umbrellas as we know them today. People used palm fronds, woven hats, or animal hides to shield from the sun. When European traders introduced umbrellas centuries later, the priests of Orisa Oluwa rejected them, saying the ban still stood.
Till this day, no one in Iwoye-Ketu opens an umbrella within the town. Even the youth, though more educated and curious, choose not to challenge tradition. They use hoods, raincoats, or plastic sheets instead.
The rule is so strong that visitors are warned upon arrival. If rain starts, they must close their umbrellas immediately or face public reprimand. The community still performs annual rituals for Orisa Oluwa, using water fetched only in calabashes, never in metal or plastic containers.
Despite modern religion and education, the people hold tight to their heritage. The umbrella taboo of Iwoye-Ketu remains one of Yoruba landâs most enduring symbols of obedience to ancestral lawâa living link between faith, history, and identity.