The Most Dangerous Games: Banana Tree Summoning Ritual

Previously: The Little Piggy Game.

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I first encountered this basic banana tree summoning ritual on r/ThreeKings, where, in March of 2021, its original poster detailed having heard about it from a cousin in India. Several commenters, however, noted that banana trees in general are the subject of a wide variety of superstitions and traditions in a number of Asian cultures — and, indeed, when I started digging into the whole thing on a deeper level, it quickly became apparent that variations on this specific superstition/tradition exist in a substantial number of nations and regions. Malaysia, Singapore, India, and China are among the places you’ll find versions of this ritual.

Interestingly, though, despite the basic rules being more or less the same from variation to variation — tie a red thread to a banana tree on one end and either your toe or your bed on other, then go to sleep in order to summon a supernatural being to meet you later — exactly who or what you summon by following them is not. Both the goals of the ritual and the specific results depend entirely on where you are or what belief system you’re working within.

The r/ThreeKings post, for example, just says that, if you follow the rules, there will be “something/someone waiting for you at the banana tree” that night — no more, no less. Other sources, however, note that you’ll capture the spirit who lives in the banana tree; once she’s caught, you can, depending on who you ask, bind the spirit to you such that she’ll be required to do your bidding from here on out, ask her to grant you wishes, or ask her specifically to reveal to you the next set of winning lottery numbers. And still others state that the ritual calls forth a succubus-like creature who will have her way with you, then drain you of your life force.

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What most of the stories have in common is that, whatever you summon, it usually looks like a young woman. Don’t be fooled, though; she isn’t a young woman — or at least, not a human one. She’s… something else.

For what it’s worth, Indian superstitions about banana trees also state that it’s auspicious to plant one near your home — but only at the back of your house, never the front. And don’t forget to keep a red or yellow thread tied around the trunk or the roots of the tree — that, too, is auspicious.

This ritual, however? It’s… well, it’s not that it’s inauspicious, exactly; it’s a little more complicated than “good luck” or “bad luck.”

It all depends upon how you conduct yourself, really.

So: Whatever you do…

Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• A banana tree, planted outside your home.
• Somewhere safe to sleep, inside your home.
• Red thread, string, or yarn — enough to cover the distance between the banana tree outside your home and the sleeping location inside your home.
• Scissors.

Instructions:

Summoning Your Visitor:

1. Begin at night.
2. Prepare the location in which you plan to sleep. Make it as comfortable as possible: If sleeping in a bed, turn down the covers; if sleeping in a sleeping bag, unroll it and lay it out neatly; ensure that you have enough pillows; etc. Also: Place the scissors within easy reach of your bed, sleeping bag, etc.   
3. Shortly before bedtime, take your spool or ball of red thread, string, or yarn, and go outside with it. Approach the banana tree.
4. Tie the loose end of the string around the trunk of the banana tree and fasten it securely. You may use whatever method you prefer — a knot, a bow, etc. — as long as it is tight and unlikely to come undone.
5. Return to the inside of your home, unspooling the thread, string, or yarn as you go. Close the door behind you.
6. Once inside, proceed to your sleeping location. Keep unspooling the thread, string, or yarn as you go.
7. If your sleeping location has a door, close it behind you. Keep unspooling the thread, string, or yarn as you go.
8. Once inside the sleeping location, go to the bed, sleeping bag, etc. Keep unspooling the thread, string, or yarn as you go.
9. Once you reach your bed, sleeping bag, etc., settle down upon it. Unspool a final few feet of thread, string, or yarn — enough that, where you to be attached to one end of it, you still would be able to move around freely and unconstrained. Retrieve your scissors and cut the end of the thread from the spool or ball.
10. Now: Tie this end of the thread around your big toe. You may choose which foot; the only stipulation is that it MUST be your big toe — not any other toe.
11. Lie down.
12. Tuck yourself in.
13. Go to sleep.
    • If you sleep undisturbed until morning: The ritual has failed. Cut the thread from your toe; then return outside to the banana tree and cut it from the tree, as well. Dispose of the thread, ideally by burning it. You may try again another time.
    • If you wake in the middle of the night: The ritual has succeeded. You may proceed.  

Making Your Choice:

1. Upon waking, assess your surroundings and/or determine what woke you.
   • If you are alone in the room and/or you feel the string tugging on your toe: Rise from your bed, exit your sleeping location, and go outside.
   • If you are not alone in the room and/or you hear a wailing sound: Stay where you are.
2. From here, proceed according to your specific situation:
   • If you have gone outside: Look to the banana tree. You should see… something — or perhaps someone — waiting for you. Approach them.
     • NOTE: If you see nothing or no one, proceed immediately back inside, return to your sleeping location, and stay there until the sun has risen. Then cut and dispose of the red thread as previously described in Step13 of Summoning Your Visitor
   • If you have remained inside: Face… whatever it is you’ve summoned.
3. Now that you have met your visitor, you may proceed in one of several ways. You may:
   • Ask your visitor to perform the action of your choosing in exchange for their freedom.
   • Ask your visitor to grant you a wish in exchange for their freedom.
   • Ask your visitor to reveal to you the next set of winning lottery numbers in exchange for their freedom.
   • Allow your visitor to go free without requesting anything in exchange.
   • Allow your visitor to do with you as they wish. (Note: It is NOT recommended that you choose this option.)
4. Make your choice.

Reaping What You Have Sown:

1. Pay attention in the minutes, hours, or days to come.
2. As soon as you have received what you requested, immediately cut the thread from your toe; then proceed outside, approach the banana tree, and the cut the thread from it, as well.
3. Dispose of the thread. If possible, burn it.
4. Well?
5. Was it worth it?
6. Was it?

Additional Notes:

Several variations on the procedure for this ritual exist. If you do not achieve successful results with the method described above, you may make one or more of the following adjustments:

• Instead of tying the red thread around the banana tree’s trunk in Step 4 of Summoning Your Visitor, use a needle to stitch it through a blossom or flower growing from the tree.
• Instead of tying the other end of the red thread around your toe in Step 10 of Summoning Your Visitor, tie it to your bed.
• Instead of sleeping inside, sleep outside, near the banana tree.

While unspooling the thread, string, or yarn, it is recommended that you unspool it such that the line lies slack, rather than taut. This is both to ensure that you may move freely throughout the ritual, as well as to protect the string from accidental snapping.

Do NOT allow the thread to snap. It may only be broken by you yourself as a means of terminating the ritual. Should any other person or force cause the thread to snap, you will suffer the consequences.  

It is NOT recommended that you play this game too many times. Don’t be greedy; greed often leads to a sticky end.

And Remember:

Do NOT neglect to cut and dispose of the thread after you have gotten what you came for.

You made a promise, remember?

You said you’d set her free.

Do not break your promise.

She doesn’t like liars.

Banana Tree Summoning Ritual: FAQ.

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[Photo via sweetlouise/Pixabay]