ESAN PEOPLE AND THE USE OF MUSHROOM.

"Utun"

A REVIEW BY PRINCE KELLY UDEBHULU.

Esan people are the inhabitants of Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State, Nigeria known for their rich traditional medicine, myths and valued cultural heritage. Their farming practices, eating habits, social norms, and cultural practices, in addition to a common language (Esan) with highly variable intonations within the tribe are the common factors that make this tribe different from its neighboring tribes of Ika, Owan, Etsako and Bini. They comprise five Local Government Areas in Edo State, Nigeria.

The Esan word for mushroom is “Utun”. Many mushrooms are used as food by the Esan people. Such mushrooms are usually collected in the wild during the early periods of the rainy season. It is a practice mainly engaged in by women and children. Such mushrooms are used as meat substitute, sold fresh in local markets, or dried for use during the dry seasons when meat becomes very scarce. The elderly women lead the younger women and children in such collections (forays), identifying the edible mushrooms from poisonous ones, from those that are suitable for fresh sales or drying for preservation purposes.

Esan people depend upon it for solving mysteries. People afflicted with diseases and misfortunes that are usually affiliated to punishments from the gods and ancestors go to seek divinations from priests, in order to know what sacrifices will appease the gods. Many of the diviners/priests use mushrooms to wash and clean their faces so that they can see the future or the cause of their problems. In the cultural dance practice, dancers are known to jump to high and dangerous positions and fall to the ground without signs of injuries. This is usually when they are in a trance. A mushroom… Termites are a major problem among the local people in the rural areas because their wooden homes are usually infested and eaten up by termites. It is used in addition to other herbs to prepare a powdered substance that is spread or sprinkled around the houses during the raining season in order to ward off the termites.

The native people usually combine mushrooms with different herbs to treat whooping cough, dysentery, malaria fever, and energy-providing medicine for pregnant women and babies suffering from malnutrition. A combination of mushrooms and the plant in the tea family locally called “Alhanmonkhor” is used to treat ear infection in children.

 The formulations and administration of mushrooms based on traditional medicines and comparison of usage are good for science, because detailed scientific studies of mushroom uses and practices of the Esan people can lead to the discovery of new drugs and solution to many illnesses.

…to be continued

By Prince Kelly Udebhulu