Lihi
Encyclopedia
In the Philippines
, lihí is a condition in which a pregnant woman craves strongly for something, usually food, and is a concept universal to Filipinos
. Almost all mothers of any race experience lihí. A stereotypical food that is craved for by mothers experiencing this is sour mango
with bagoong
. It is still debatable as to whether lihí can be classified as either a biological or psychological condition.
In other regions, lihí refers to the belief that any sensory stimuli imbibed by a pregnant woman influences the development of her child. Among indigenous people from the northern Philippines, for example, it is considered taboo
to mention anything about animals such as rats or pigs near a pregnant woman for fear that when she hears this, her offspring may acquire the features of the animal mentioned.
, and goats by taking rods from trees, partially stripping them of their bark so they appeared spotted and marked, and placing them into the animals' watering troughs. The mother animals that looked upon the sticks eventually gave birth to "ringstraked, speckled, and spotted" offspring which Jacob then received as part of an agreement.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, lihí is a condition in which a pregnant woman craves strongly for something, usually food, and is a concept universal to Filipinos
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
. Almost all mothers of any race experience lihí. A stereotypical food that is craved for by mothers experiencing this is sour mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
with bagoong
Bagoong
Bagoong is a Philippine condiment made of partially or completely fermented fish or shrimps and salt. The fermentation process also results in fish sauce .The preparation of bagoong can vary regionally in the Philippines....
. It is still debatable as to whether lihí can be classified as either a biological or psychological condition.
Superstitions
Lihí refers also to a popular superstition that the offspring will closely resemble whatever its mother had craved for during pregnancy. When a child resembles an animal, for example, a manatee, it is said that during the gestational period, the mother enjoyed looking at that particular animal.In other regions, lihí refers to the belief that any sensory stimuli imbibed by a pregnant woman influences the development of her child. Among indigenous people from the northern Philippines, for example, it is considered taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
to mention anything about animals such as rats or pigs near a pregnant woman for fear that when she hears this, her offspring may acquire the features of the animal mentioned.
Bible
An interpretation of Genesis 30:36-43 would posit that Jacob took advantage of lihí. He developed spotted and speckled cattle, sheepJacob (sheep)
The Jacob sheep is a rare breed of small, piebald , polycerate sheep. Jacobs may have from two to six horns, but most commonly have four. The most common color is black and white, but they may also be blue and white or lilac and white in coloring. Jacobs are usually raised for their wool, meat,...
, and goats by taking rods from trees, partially stripping them of their bark so they appeared spotted and marked, and placing them into the animals' watering troughs. The mother animals that looked upon the sticks eventually gave birth to "ringstraked, speckled, and spotted" offspring which Jacob then received as part of an agreement.