In the heart of Yobe State, Northeast Nigeria, lies Machina Emirate — a town where snakes are not feared but revered. Unlike most parts of the world where the sight of a serpent sparks panic, Machina embraces the reptiles as sacred beings, believed to share royal lineage with the human inhabitants of the town. This extraordinary bond between people and snakes traces back centuries, rooted in a legend that continues to shape local traditions and beliefs.
According to oral history passed down through generations, the origin of this reverence began with a royal birth. It is said that a queen once gave birth to twins — one a human child, the other a snake. While the human remained in the palace and became part of the royal lineage, the snake slithered into the rocks behind the palace, establishing a mystical bond that persists to this day. Since then, snakes have been treated as symbolic descendants of the royal family.
The current Emir of Machina, His Royal Highness Dr. Bashir Albishir Bukar (OON), the 77th Mai Machinama, affirms this unique relationship. “As I am the 77th Mai Machinama, so also there must be a snake that has attained such a position in their realm,” he remarked. The emir recalled how numerous snakes emerged during his father’s coronation, peacefully mingling with guests — though mysteriously vanishing when cameras were pointed at them.
In Machina, it is considered a blessing for a snake to enter a home, especially one that has just welcomed a newborn. During festivals, weddings, or naming ceremonies, snakes are seen arriving uninvited but warmly received, often slithering through the palace grounds undisturbed. “They go their way, and you go yours,” said Kachalla Baita, the information officer for Machina Local Government, highlighting the harmony that exists between both species.
The bond is so deep that harming a snake is viewed as a grave taboo. Palace officials recount chilling tales of those who broke this rule. One infamous case involved a truck driver who killed a snake with boiling water. His pregnant wife later gave birth to a girl with snake-like features — crawling on her belly and hissing. She died at 18. In another case, a visitor ignored warnings and killed a snake, only to be fatally bitten by it in a strange twist of fate.
Remarkably, snakes appear to be fully integrated into domestic life in Machina. Some royal children are said to sleep beside them. “A prince would simply push the snake aside and sleep,” a palace aide said. The emir himself once rescued a stranded snake from a ditch, and his son reported sleeping alongside one. Though the snakes are respected, the emir clarifies that they are not worshipped. “We do not eat or play with them,” he said, “but we also don’t harm them.”
Machina residents claim that snakes only bite when provoked, and thanks to widespread traditional inoculations administered by local snake charmers, cases of snakebites are extremely rare. Visitors, initially startled by the presence of snakes, often lose their fear after experiencing the peaceful coexistence firsthand. The snakes, it is believed, can understand human language and often respond to polite requests to leave when guests are uncomfortable.
The spiritual presence of snakes extends to architecture too. During a recent reconstruction of the palace fence, the walls mysteriously kept collapsing until it was discovered that the snakes’ ancestral passage had been blocked. Once reopened, the structure stood firm, reaffirming the belief that the snakes have a rightful place in the royal compound and beyond.
The emir also recounted how, whenever his wives are about to give birth, young snakes appear as a form of spiritual announcement. These snakes are not intrusive, but symbolic, reinforcing the belief that they serve as messengers or family guardians. “They don’t talk,” the emir noted, “but they understand. They hear you. They feel you.”
In a world where fear of snakes is almost universal, Machina Emirate offers a rare story of interspecies respect and cultural harmony. Here, snakes are not monsters of myth — they are family. This ancient tradition, passed down through generations, remains one of Nigeria’s most mystical and awe-inspiring narratives of coexistence.
