By Abdulwasiu Hassan
Of all human fears, real or irrational, ophidiophobia would probably rank among the most common.
For the uninitiated, including many who innately harbour it, that's the term for an extreme, overwhelming fear of snakes.
Superstitions grounded in cultural myths, misinformation and constant conflicts between snakes and people are the prime reasons why the reptiles are invariably seen as a danger to human existence, either causing people to recoil in horror, run away or attack the species.
Machina, an emirate in the Northeast Nigerian state of Yobe, is where the story takes a serpentine twist.
Residents of this otherwise nondescript town see snakes slithering into their homes not as a sign of peril but as a harbinger of joy. It's a relationship built on mutual respect and a cultural ethos that goes back centuries.
History of a birth
Machina's relationship of respectful coexistence with snakes is steeped in a royal legend surrounding the birth of a pair of twins.
"A king was born with a snake as his twin. After a few days, the snake crept into the mountain behind the Mai Machinama palace and set up a home there. Since then, snakes have been seen as descendants of the king," Kachalla Baita, information officer of the Machina local government, tells TRT Afrika.
Strange as the belief might sound, the people of Machina emirate continue to uphold the tradition of treating snakes as creatures with royal blood running in their veins.
If a snake is spotted during any festive occasion in the town, it is welcomed as a guest arriving to partake in the celebration.
A snake that enters a home that has just welcomed a newborn baby is a sign that a royal visitor has come to congratulate the family.
"During festivities or any event that brings people together, you will see small and big snakes entering the palace undisturbed. They don't harm anyone. They go their way, and you go your way," says Baita.
Alhaji Bura Babagana, a resident of Machina, has seen snakes treated with love and reverence in equal measure.
"For anyone who lives in Machina, snakes are like siblings with whom you grow up," he tells TRT Afrika. "It's a taboo to harm them."
Residents vouch that almost every house in the town has a snake visiting it at least once a week in a friendly manner, mostly on Fridays.
Symbiotic relationship
Such is Machina's bond with snakes that even visitors from outside the town let go of their fear after spending time there.
"People come to our town expecting to see something unusual. Normally, a snake would steer clear of humans. But in the royal compound especially, they are like part of the surroundings," says Babagana.
Just in case there is a case of snakebite, which the town's residents say seldom happens, almost everyone is inoculated with a traditional potion prepared by the local snake charmers.
"We don't have cases of snakebite here. If you hear of a rare instance of someone getting bitten, it is during the rainy season at maybe some farm far away from the town," Babagana tells TRT Afrika.
He ensures no visitor to his home is alarmed by the sight of a snake moving about freely.
"I would then ask the snake to excuse us so my visitor can be comfortable. They are also like human beings. It's just that they don’t talk. But they can hear what you are saying," he says.
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