Penis Captivus or Magun?




It is fascinating that most people in Yorubaland think magun could only be inflicted upon someone through witch doctors, the thought was that it is cast upon unfaithful woman so as to curb attitude of sleeping around. In all of the versions of this story that I have heard, it is the women cheating and usually the story will end with the men dead or publicly humiliated. According to the legend, the spell is more like an invisible voodoo placed in a doorway, and if the woman in question stepped over it, then she will be loaded with magun and if she had intercourse with any man afterwards, the man in question will crow like a cock three times and will die or had to go through rigorous ‘cleansing.’

This story is been told today as it was hundred years ago with a little more spice to make it more believable and today in Yorubaland people still belief that witch doctors could help them put magun on their cheating wives and also to hurt or humiliate men who are going round other people’s wives.

Just about four weeks ago, I was talking with my cousin who in his 50s. He was in a bad mood as a middle aged man in his church just died unexpectedly. Naturally, I was sympathetic and asked him a few questions and how the deceased guy’s family were doing. My cousin blamed it on the people being jealous of the man’s good fortune which I agreed it does happen sometimes unfortunately, was he poisoned? was he in a car accident? any marks on his body to suggest being attacked I asked, he responded no to all my questions. He said the attack was spiritual as the man in question died at home with his family by his side. I was sad for the young man and his family and was also sad because the cause of his death has been kept secret/undiscovered.

My cousin proceeded and asked if I believed magun existed, I told him I do and continued that I do believe the medical explanation of it that magun occurs when the vaginal muscles clamp on the penis than normal, perhaps due to unusual engorgement of the penis. I further explained to him that the case is reportedly very rare and in most cases the victim (male) do survive. He did not buy my explanation because it was just too western. So I said, if magun is truly a witch doctor’s job and only there to punish men and women who sleep around with other people’s partners, then he himself would have been long gone, he was upset and ended the conversation. He knew I was right. Unfortunately he didn’t wait as I wanted to ask if there was any problem with the deceased man’s genital, oh well.

I am very grateful for this liberty, information at our finger tips. We could do whatever we like with it, free our minds from the pressures of being in the ‘dark’ or chose not to know if that suits best.

Now I know, magun is no longer unique to Yoruba, it is a universal medical marvel. And because magun is usually thought to be placed on women to detect infidelity, it just further reveals how common infidelity is, that monogamy is a blessing that needs to be cherished if one finds him or herself in one.

In Zimbabwe penis captivus is called runyoka and see here 

BBC reports on penis captivus: here, and audio from Dr John Dean here

Kenyan case of penis captives, and another

Categories: Africa, Myths I grow up with, Nigeria


18 replies

  1. This is a very topical and interesting subject on “Magun” one thing most people agree on is the fact that it is a Myth – that is exactly what it is unless we choose to re-define myths

    Liked by 1 person

  2. We need to have a practical knowledge of magun origin and know if it is harmful to man.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. You are only able to explain a type of magun. While you are right about penis captivus being scientifically explainable (you seemed too unsure about how it happens though) you have no facts to dispute the claim that it can be diabolically Inflicted too. Again you’ll need to explain every single type of magun (people are said to crow thrice and die). It’s easy for you to say you haven’t seen it but we know adequate research sometimes turn our assurance into folly. Sincerely, I think you need a lot more research to dispute this “myth”. What you put up there is like saying juju can’t kill because the death will be scientifically explainable. It is like saying money rituals are not real because you’ve never seen how it works and the resultant booming businesses would have economic explanations. Or that ‘okigbe’ (protection from blades) doesn’t work because you have never seen it? That I have seen. You really can’t take on subjects like this without more commitment to finding facts to dispute every angle of related beliefs. I sincerely think you don’t know the subject of magun well (even as a “myth”).

    Liked by 1 person

    • That’s a good point. I really don’t know anything about magun, juju or money rituals at all. And I am curious to know about them all. I don’t believe any topic should be off limit for us, we need to remain curious, that’s the only way to progress.

      There’s no question about biological weapons, locally we have a few ways to inflict injuries on unsuspecting people. if there is magun, the application of it on victim is much more than what we are made to believe.
      If magun is true, then it will be a criminal act because it is supposedly used to cause harm on unfaithful spouse.
      I liken penis captivus to magun because Yoruba is not isolated from the rest of the world, both have similar characteristics – couples stuck during the act. What would be great is our herbalist/onisegun to document the knowledge of how to deal with without the assumption that such only happens to cheating couples.


  4. Nice one Folake,but is there any remedy for the victims of this scenario and how to know how is carrying this. ie woman with thunderbolt.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I think you are very wrong in your assertion that magun is a myth or that its same as penis captivus .
    There are 201 types of magun, and one of them is the one similar to penis captivus in that both partners glued together. What of other types that you summersault or crow three times and fell down and die ??
    You neex to visit interior yoruba town and villages for clarification or better watch Mainframe movie titled THUNDERBOLT for brief explanation.
    ive seen it happen to someone while in akure, ondo state and its rampant in ogbomosho in oyo state

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you Kayode. I actually grew up in a village/small town and have never seen one person affected by Magun however, I have seen lots of people getting away with murders of their perceived wives’ concubines using biological weapons.

      See, once we find a way to give attention to investigating every murder, we will all learn that many are killed through rat poisons than anything.

      Think about it, let’s assume Magun is real – that a woman crossing over a juju in doorway automatically makes her ‘set’ – should her partner not be arrested if the juju killed someone? Why should we glorify murderers using unverifiable tales.

      And please stop talking about interior Yoruba villages as if we are all alien, many of us have our roots still there and we are actually more in tune modern world than you think – the recent Magun I read about happened in Ikorodu Lagos.


  6. Very informative of a people and culture that comes before time gone bad . Thanks for raising the awareness. Blessed up !!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Nice piece of information I had gotten here, my curiosity in search of something in one of the Nigerian languages has gotten me well informed…. Thanks Folakemi…….even though I had never believed that Magun exist, but still I don’t play around oooooo……I dey fear

    Liked by 1 person

  8. When I saw your topic, I wanted to know what it was. Quite educating, now I can burst some bubbles but then I think – to still have that belief that the witch-doctor can lace one with such, keeps all the roving men in check or what do you think? Well done Folakemi.

    Liked by 1 person

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