Legends of the Mighty Baobab Tree

In Madagascar, the Grandidier's baobab (Adansonia grandidieri), the most statuesque of the Malagasy species, is believed to be the dwelling place of spirits. Offerings are placed at its base to ensure fertility, a fine harvest, and good fortune.
At Dakfao Niger, there is a baobab sacred to the Imannen Tururag, high up the trunk are incantations, symbols and sacred texts.
Throughout Africa the baobab is venerated or regarded with awe, the absence of regeneration has led some communities to believe that it appeared by magic overnight, others believe the trees possess souls and ancient sprits, they can move during the night but must stay imobil during the day.

Along the Zambezi, the tribes believe that when the world was young the Baobabs were upright and proud. However for some unknown reason, they lorded over the lesser growths. The gods became angry and uprooted the Baobabs , thrusting them back into the ground, root upwards. 

Evil spirits now haunt the sweet white flowers and anyone who picks one will be killed by a lion.
One gigantic baobab in Zambia is said to be haunted by a ghostly python. Before the white man came, a large python lived in the hollow trunk and was worshipped by the local natives. When they prayed for rain, fine crops and good hunting , the python answered their prayers. The first white hunter shot the python and this event led to disastrous consequences. On still nights the natives claim to hear a continuous hissing sound from the old tree.

In the Kafue National Park in Zambia, one of the largest Baobabs is known as "Kondanamwali" - the tree that eats maidens. This enormous tree fell in love with the four beautiful girls who lived in its shade. When they reached puberty, they sought husbands and made the tree jealous. One night, during a raging thunderstorm, the tree opened its trunk and took the maidens inside. A rest house had been built in the branches of the tree. On stormy nights, it is the crying of the imprisoned maidens that make people inside tremble - not the sounds of the wild animals.

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The Sacred Baobab Forest

Makasutu a 500-hectare piece of bush in the Kombo central district of the republic of The Gambia is deemed by some to be protected by an ancient sprit. They say he is there in the form of a ninkinanko or dragon, and protects the hidden crown and clothes of King Jatta from Busumbala who was killed 200 years ago by the Muslim king Kombo Silla on his way east to take over the country. Jatta's men took the crown and clothes and placed them for safekeeping in the area of Makasutu, now known as the Big Forest.

This skyline of ancient baobab and strangler trees looms over the eastern end of Makasutu and is now under the self-imposed guardianship of Echin, a Jola tribesman.The Ninki Nanko is not the only presence there to ward off encroaching. Along with him are jinns and giants -- spectral creatures that straddle animism and Islam.

They help watch over an Edenesque orchard, which is thought to appear to those with a purity of heart trekking across the land. Mandingo tribesmen tell you in ominous undertones that you can eat the fruit of the orchard while you are in the forest but can never leave with it.
When the Islamic wave came down through the Sahara in the 12th century it gave Makasutu its name, and greater protection from the men who wanted to ravage the bush of timber and wildlife. It became a place of prayer, and so a Mecca (Maka) in the forest (sutu). It was strictly protected by local kings and marabouts who said that no tree could be felled or animal hunted in the sacred grounds. The land until the turn of the century was used only for godly communion.
Men prayed and boys recently circumcised in the name of Allah were brought to bathe in Mandina Bilon -- a tributary of the main Gambia river that lies five kilometres to the north. The Bilon brings fish to Makasutu as the tide swells; from its sandy banks grow thick lines of mangroves, and from their grey tentacles the Koran women collect oysters.

As the 20th century moved in Makasutu with its untouched supply of wood and wildlife became a new mecca for the people of Kembujeh and neighbouring villages. It was on the verge of being stripped bare, when in 1992 Lawrence Williams,an architect, and James English, an engineer, came across the land and decided it would make a perfect location for a retreat and oasis for overlanders coming down off the Sahara.

They bought the land from the Sanni family who had ancient ownership rights, and after eight years of fencing and planting thousands of trees the land once again has found a protectorate.Makasutu has become a model for ecotourism in Africa.
Local women continue to grow crops on the western portion, and oyster women come and collect as ever, but now the birds are returning in droves to the trees and baboons stop at the safe haven on their migration route.

Momadou Jeeba, a Jola tribesman, has been manager at Makasutu for the past seven years and revealed that long before Williams and English arrived he and others had dreams that two whites would come by river and settle at Makasutu and keep it from harm -- a myth that has now turned into reality.

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Information obtained from this web site is for general health information only. This information is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

This web site makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this web site. Statements made about the products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship.

The Baobab Tree Regional Names बुद्धिमान पोषण

Kremetartboom, kremetart (Afrikaans)
Humier (fruit), hamao, gungole (fruit), teidoum, tebeldi, tabaldi, hamaraya (Arabic)
Mubuyu (Bemba); mapou zombi (Creole)
Sour gourd, monkey bread tree, lemonade tree, baobab, cream-of-tartar tree, guinea tamarind, upside-down tree (English)
Pain de singe, calebassier, mapou etranger, arbre aux calabasses, mapou zombi (French)
Boki, bokchi (Fula)
Affenbrotbaum (German)
kuka (Hausa)
Gorakh-imli, gorakh-cinch, gorak amla, khura-sani-imli, gorak ali, gorak lichora, kapla-vriksha (Hindi)
Muyu, mubuyu (Lozi)
Sito, sira (Mandinka)
Mlambe, mkulukumba, mbuyu (Nyanja)
Aliha gaha (Sinhala)
Yak (Somali)
Mbuyu (Swahili)
Anaipuli, paparapulia, perruka, anaipuliya-maram (Tamil)
Momret, hermer banba, kommer, duma (Tigrigna)
Mubuyu (Tongan)
Mowana (Tswana)
Bui, buee, goui, gui, gwi (Wolof)
IsiMuku, umShimulu, isiMuhu (Zulu)

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This web site makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this web site. Statements made about the products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship. 

Baobab a Natural Water Reservoir Intelligens Táplálkozás

 The baobab The Baobab is extremely important for humans and animals in the dry areas of Africa. It offers protection and provides food, clothing and medicine as well as raw material for many useful items.

The mucilaginous pulp that fills the trunk can be scooped out from the thick tree trunk. Enough space for a door is cut in the trunk. Old living trees that are naturally hollow or have been hollowed out are used for water storage. The empty space is filled with water and then tightly sealed.

 
This will hold water and keep it potable for many years and serve as a reserve during drought (Schütt and Wolf, 1996). The hollowed tree will continue to thrive, bearing fruit every season. The bark yields a strong fibre for rope and cloth.

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Information obtained from this web site is for general health information only. This information is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

This web site makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this web site. Statements made about the products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship. 

The Beautiful Baobab

Death is a low chemical trick played on everybody except baobab trees.

- JJ Furnas

The origin of the name baobab is uncertain. Some have suggested that it comes from "bu hobab," a name used for the plant in the markets of Cairo. Or perhaps it was derived from "bu hibab," an Arabic designation for "the fruit with many seeds." The trees are related to the kapok and the balsa. There are 6 species of baobab trees in Madagascar, 1 in Africa and 2 elsewhere (including Australia and Vietnam).


The baobab trees (called renala by inhabitants of Madagascar) are present almost everywhere on the island, except in the highlands and rain forest. They are most prevalent in the dry savannah of the West.
For centuries, much of what was known about baobabs was based exclusively on the African baobab (A digitata). The first recorded reference was by 14th-century Arab traveller Ibn Batuta who mentions the water-storage capacity of its massive trunk. In 1661 the writer Flacourt praised the giants - speaking about the area of Morondava, he wrote: "It is in this region that exists a tree named Anadzahé, which is monstrously stupendously large. It is hollow inside and 12 feet in diameter, round, ending in an archway like the bottom of a lamp. There are only a few small branches here and there on top. 

The tree is a wonder to be seen
Sometimes called the "upside-down tree" because of their unusual root-like branch formations, baobabs are extremely long-lived. Some specimens are believed to be more than 3,000 years old. (Two trees on an island off Cape Verde were estimated to be over 5,000 years old. Those trees have since disappeared, however, so the claim can no longer be verified.)
Girth measurements themselves are not reliable estimates of a particular tree's age, as the conditions under which it has grown - and the climatic fluctuations of the centuries - strongly affect them - some years, they can decrease in size. There is no such thing as a "typical" baobab.


Inside its shell, the tree's fruit contains a number of seeds, embedded in a whitish, powdery pulp. Tangy and exceedingly nutritious, the pulp makes a tasty food or, after soaking in water or milk, a refreshing beverage (with 6 times the vitamin C content of an orange). Fermented, it makes a traditional brew.


The seeds may be eaten raw or roasted. They yield an edible oil which is used for cooking and exported for use in cosmetics. The leaves, similar to spinach, are eaten as a relish, especially in times of drought and are considered medicinal - they reduce fever and diarrhœa. The pollen of the African and Australian baobabs is mixed with water to make glue.


The wood has a moisture content of 40%, making it unusuable as timber (which is lucky for the tree because it keeps it from being harvested) but the fibrous bark can be made into baskets, rugs, fishing nets, hats, ropes and the like. The tree seems impervious to having its bark stripped.

Baobab (called kuka trees in Nigeria) flower for the first time at about 20 years. In mid-summer, dozens of luminous white blossoms - the size of saucers - open at sunset and their strong musky odour attracts fruit bats and hosts of insects. Large bats seek out the generous sweet nectar and collect and distribute pollen as they move from flower to flower.

The life of a flower is short lived and it drops to the ground within hours. The resultant seeds are housed in a hairy pod which resembles a miniature rugby ball (inside of which is a white pulp from which cream of tartar is derived). Once they fall to the ground, the pods are fed upon by baboons, monkeys, antelope and elephants, which serve to disperse the hard seeds within. Humans eat them as well.

Bushbabys, squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes, tree frogs, spiders, scorpions and insects may live out their entire lives in a single tree. Birds nest in holes in the trunk. The hollow trunks of living trees have served as homes, storage barns, places of refuge or worship, and even as prisons or tombs. One tree near Gravelotte in South Africa's Northern Province was used as a bar where up to a dozen thirsty gold diggers could quench their thirst.

Certain tribes in the Transvaal wash baby boys in water soaked in the bark of a baobab. Then, like the tree, they will grow up mighty and strong. To this day the baobab remains at the centre of traditional rituals on the islands where they are found. Most waganga will take their subjects to a special tree, where they may tie ornaments to the branches to give a spell its power, hammer nails into the trunk to kill devils, or climb and sit in the branches whilst carrying out various ceremonies.

The wood being soft, it is subject to attacks of fungus which destroy its life, and renders the part affected easily hollowed out. This is done by natives, and within these hollows they suspend the dead bodies of those who are refused the honor of burial. There they become mummies - perfectly dry and well preserved - without any further preparation of embalmment.

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Legends of the Baobab Tree

 The Baobabs are full of mystery and wonder in Africa, tales have been brought down verbally from generation to generation. We have tried to compile as much as possible regarding this great tree of life.


A very, very long time ago, say some African legends, the first baobab sprouted beside a small lake. As it grew taller and looked about it spied other trees, noting their colourful flowers, straight and handsome trunks, and large leaves. Then one day the wind died away leaving the water smooth as a mirror, and the tree finally got to see itself. The reflected image shocked it to its root hairs. Its own flowers lacked bright colour, its leaves were tiny, it was grossly fat, and its bark resembled the wrinkled hide of an old elephant.

In a strongly worded invocation to the creator, the baobab complained about the bad deal it’d been given. This impertinence had no effect: Following a hasty reconsideration, the deity felt fully satisfied. Relishing the fact that some organisms were purposefully less than perfect, the creator demanded to know whether the baobab found the hippopotamus beautiful, or the hyena’s cry pleasant-and then retired in a huff behind the clouds.

But back on earth the barrel-chested whiner neither stopped peering at its reflection nor raising its voice in protest. Finally, an exasperated creator returned from the sky, seized the ingrate by the trunk, yanked it from the ground, turned it over, and replanted it upside down. And from that day since, the baobab has been unable to see its reflection or make complaint; for thousands of years it has worked strictly in silence, paying off its ancient transgression by doing good deeds for people. All across the African continent some variation on this story is told to explain why this species is so unusual and yet so helpful.
MORE BAOBAB LEGENDS

The Griot & The Baobab Tree

The Legend Of The Baobab Tree

The Sacred Baobab Tree

Enlightenment Under The Baobab

The Sacred Baobab Forest

The Baobab Tree Symbol Of Africa

The Baobab Tree in Egypt

Baobab a Natural Water Reservoir

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Mojoba-Berry Fruit Smoothie

1/2 pear, cored
1/4 cup frozen blueberries or frozen mixed berries
1/2 banana, frozen
1 1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. skim milk powder
4 Tbsp Mojoba health supplement
1 tsp. flax oil (optional)

In a blender, process all the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and serve makes 1 liter

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Information obtained from this web site is for general health information only. This information is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

This web site makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this web site. Statements made about the products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship.

The Penang Baobab Tree Intelligent Nutrisi

The Baobab Tree of Penang is believed to be the oldest planted tree in Malaysia, and one of the most unusual-looking trees in Penang.

There are plenty of heritage trees in Penang, but the Baobab is a grand dame in a class of its own. It stands on the traffic island between Jalan Residensi and Jalan Macalister, in its own picket-fence compound.

Although it appears very elderly and frail, and even require crutches to stay up, all effort is taken to keep it standing. There is a Penang belief that the baobab tree brings luck to the island, and must be kept standing by all means, or else calamity will fall on Penang. A more colourful twist to the belief states that Penang is actually floating in the sea and the Baobab tree, with its upside-down looking trunk, actually acts as a stopper. If it is somehow uprooted, water will gush out of the hole and the whole island will sink.

A native of the semi-arid part of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) was planted in 1871 (making it older than the Rubber Tree of Kuala Kangsar) by Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy (better known simply as Captain Speedy), the English explorer who was hired by Perak Mentri Ngah Ibrahim to quell the restive situation in Larut.


The baobab produces green buds in spring. The buds looking like hanging tennis balls. These buds open into fragrant white flower. The oblong fruits are not pretty. They are dark brown and wizened, looking somewhat like dead rats.


It is recently (18 July 2007) reported that the Lions Club of Penang has put aside RM15,000 to beautify the traffic island where the Baobab tree stands, to turn it into a green garden. They are getting assistance from the Lion Clubs in Taiwan, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand and Singapore for this project, and when completed, the Penang Municipal Council will take over the maintenance.

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Information obtained from this web site is for general health information only. This information is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

This web site makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this web site. Statements made about the products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship.

Baobab Magnesium Интелигентна Исхрана

 Wild Harvest Pharma’s nutraceutical Baobab powder contains appreciable quantities of other essential vitamins, such as thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2), essential for optimal development of the organism and for maintaining cellular integrity of the nerves, skin and ocular epithelia, and niacin (vitamin PP or B3), important to regulate many metabolic functions. Furthermore, the fruit contributes to the injection of some essential minerals and essential fatty acids.


Magnesium is an essential mineral not only to the human body, but also to a variety of important biological functions. In fact, magnesium is involved in well over 300 metabolic processes. It is required for every major biological process, including the production of cellular energy and the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins. It is also important for the electrical stability of human and animal cells, the support of cell membrane integrity, muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and the maintenance of vascular tone.


At 432mg/g, Wild Harvest Pharma’s nutraceutical  Mojoba is a rich natural source of magnesium, a mineral that has been linked to bone health, heart health and lowering of high blood pressure.


 In one trial, 50 ADHD children with low magnesium (as determined by red blood cell, hair, and serum levels of magnesium) were given 200 mg of magnesium a day for nearly six months. When compared with 25 other magnesium-deficient ADHD children, those that were given magnesium supplementation appeared to experience a decrease in hyperactive behavior.


Diabetics tend to have lower than normal magnesium levels. Supplementation with magnesium may help diabetics to maintain adequate magnesium levels as well as improve glucose tolerance. Magnesium may also help to treat a number of other problems including bladder control in women and dehydration of red blood cells in sickle cell anemia patients.

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Information obtained from this web site is for general health information only. This information is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.

This web site makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this web site. Statements made about the products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship.