Magun, or thunderbolt, is a popular charm among the Yoruba people, commonly done to curb promiscuity. It is a Yoruba culture that means ‘do not climb’ or ‘iwo o gbodo gun’.
It is done to prevent either man or woman from s$xual promiscuity. Parents can place magun on their daughters to keep them from being promiscuous and punish anyone who rapes them, or it could be done by in-laws, lovers, spouses to keep husbands or wives from being unfaithful.
Juju is a spiritual belief very common in Nigeria and West Africa. In Yoruba land, there are many forms of juju that are done for various reasons, which range from the search for justice or retribution to more selfish reasons.
The Magun is one of those charms. In Yoruba land, any form of adultery is seen as a taboo and some are fond of taking precautions to curb promiscuity.
However, are we sure that this charm is real, or is there a scientific explanation? The magun is usually laid without consent and/or trickily. A broomstick or thread can be placed on a doorstep or walkway for the woman to cross over. Nevertheless, the result can be very deadly.
A woman with this spell that is unfaithful can get ridden with strange illnesses, boils, smallpox, or increased sweating, and could eventually die.
A man with the spell who cheats could end up crowing like a rooster, enlargement of the private part, headaches, convulsions, or somersaulting.
However, the most common manifestation of this charm happens when a woman laid with the spell commits adultery, the p$nis of the lover becomes stuck in the v$gina with severe pains until the husband comes to cancel the spell.
The magun phenomenon is apparently not unique to Nigeria.
There have been cases in other countries such as Kenya and in Zimbabwe, the phenomenon is called Runyoka. There have been some scientific explanations that try to explain this phenomenon.
The first is P$nis Captivus, a rare occurrence in heterosexual intercourse when the muscles in the v$gina clamp down on the p$nis much more firmly than usual, or due to an engorged p$nis, making it impossible for them to withdraw from the v$gina.
Another is Vaginismus which occurs when a woman has s$xual intercourse with guilt. This might cause the physiology of the woman to be altered so the v$gina tightens around the p$nis in a series of spasms.
Whichever the case, there is still some mystery surrounding magun, because how else can you explain the need for the husband to cancel the charm?