The myth about the python (Eke- the Igbo translation) isn’t exactly the myth people make it out to be, the practice of people living with the pythons is, in fact, a reality, you can find such traditions in the Idemili local government area of Anambra state and other regions of the southeast.
The origin of this tradition is not precisely known and has not been traced to a certain community but it is believed that the python saved people of the community from their enemies and from then on, it has been greatly revered. In this context, it can be easily said that the ancestors of some communities entered into a form of a covenant with these creatures that caused them to revere the pythons for ages and so for this reason, the tradition has been passed down to generations.
Also, there is an Igbo goddess known as Ala and she uses the eke as her messenger and her earthly representative. For this reason, it is regarded as a great sacrilege to harm these pythons. People incur great and severe penalties for killing these creatures. The pythons are buried following the normal human burial rites, in some communities, they are carefully wrapped in sacred materials and laid carefully into the ground. The burial of a python is even more expensive than the burial of an actual human being. For this reason, the people of the community take great care when they come across these creatures.
The pythons referred to here are not in any way harmful, they pay visits to people of the community and stay for days. The people praise them and afford it the opportunity and privilege to do whatever it wants to in their home. When a child is born, they wrap themselves around the baby and this is seen as a mark of the god’s blessings on the child. The aged ones in the community even go as far as speaking to it as they believe that these creatures are a direct link to the gods they worship
You might find it a bit hard to phantom but this practice is not at all a myth, certain communities still observe this tradition with a fierce determination and passion because they do believe that the adoration and reverre of these pythons has showered upon them and their communities numerous blessings, they also believe that in times of strife, they would keep them safe
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