IGBO-AFRICAN GODS AND GODDESSES

Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu*

Abstract
Pantheon is a concept that is associated with religious worldviews
that are considered polytheistic, usually to capture their gods and
goddesses. Focusing on the Igbo world, this work makes a collection
of selected deities in Igbo worldview. While arraying these deities, it
maintains that the idea of Supreme Being is very strong in Igbo
traditional religion. Thus, while there is a multiplicity of lesser gods,
there has always been only one Supreme Being who is the source of
all that there is, including the deities themselves. If we look at this
issue from the perspective that these deities are only deans or
messengers of the Supreme Being then there would be no conflict of
supremacy. And in fact the supremacy of the Supreme Being points
to the fact that Igbo traditional religion is a religion of structure,
inextricably bound up with the total structure of Igbo traditional life.
It is within this structure that the Igbo person’s existence, welfare
and destiny are totally caught up. The hermeneutic approach is
employed for the purpose of this study.
Keywords: Igbo, African, Pantheon, Hermeneutic, Deities.

Introduction
In the Igbo-African cosmology, there is only one God- Chukwu
Okike or Chineke, who is high and is expected to be reached through
intermediaries. These intermediaries are called divinities and share
aspects of the divine status. While some African scholars believe
that they were created by God, some others believe that they
emanated from the Supreme Being. Thus, Mbiti (1975) observes:

It is sometimes also believed that between God and human

beings, there are other beings that populate the universe.
These are the spirits. There are many types of spirits. God is
their creator first as he is the creator of all human beings.
The spirits have a status between God and man, and are not
identical with either and some of them may be used to do
certain things. (p. 65).
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Arinze (1970), speaking from the Igbo perspective, avows that:

God is the Supreme Spirit, the creator of everything. No one

equals him in power. He knows everything. He is altogether
a good and merciful God and does harm to no one. He sends
rain and especially children, and it is from him that each
individual derives his personal ‘chi’. But this supreme spirit
has made many inferior spirits who are nearer to man and
through whom man normally offers his worship to Him. (p.
10).

Contrary to Arinze and Mbiti’s perspective, some African scholars

like Quarcoopome (1987) believe that they emanate from God; as
such, it is incorrect to say that they were created by him, but more
correct to speak of them as offsprings of the Supreme Being. The
position of these scholars is based on the fact that one never hears
about the story of the creation of divinities in African traditional
theology. This explains why the Abosom of Ghana, Orisa-nla of the
Yoruba, Olokun of the Edo are referred to as sons of the Supreme
Being. However, while the second perspective brings a new light
into our understanding of primordial divinities, it does not
adequately account for divinities that are historical or personified
natural forces.

This notwithstanding, these divinities are responsible to God for

whatever act they perform in their relationship with human beings.
Their function is to ensure that God is not bordered with petty
problems from the earth; they are not an end in themselves but a
means to an end, and everything they do is dependent upon God’s
approval; this does not in any way change the fact that they are a
powerful set of spiritual beings. They are functionaries in the
theocratic governance of God, sometimes referred to as his
messengers and at other times as his sons. Awolalu and Dopamu
(1979) beautifully refer to them as the executive heads of various
divine departments in the Supreme Being’s monarchical
government. Each divinity has a name, usually describing its
function: as we have Ala among the Igbo meaning earth, and speaks

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of earth-goddess, or Olokun in Yoruba, Okun meaning ocean,
generally meaning the god of the sea.

The difference between these divinities and the Supreme Being is

very obvious. They are inferior spirits, while God is a superior spirit.
They vary in number from place to place, however, with more among
the Yoruba where one can get as many as 1700 divinities. This
notwithstanding, this work focuses on Igbo divinities. In an age when
African religious traditions are under attack, and are relegated to the
background of mere obscurantism, this work makes an attempt to
take our minds back to who we were, what we did, how we survived
and related with the supernatural forces in the African universe,
especially before the West broke into the structure of our religio-
cultural identity.

Divinities among the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria

There are numerous deities among the Igbo of Western Nigeria.
However, a good number of these deities have only local adherents,
with their popularity restricted to particular cultural and
geographical parameters in Igboland. In fact, virtually every village
in traditional Igbo societies has a deity that is revered by the
particular people, and a chief priest who mediates between the
people and the particular deity. While these are referred to as deities,
this work is precisely interested in deities that have a trans-cultural
recognition in Igboland. By this, I mean, the major deities in the
Igbo world whose powers resonates in Igboland. These deities are:
Anyawu, Amadioha, Ahiajoku, Ala, Ibini Ukpabi, Ekwensu, Agwu
and Mmuo Mmiri.

1. Anyawu- The Eye of the Light

The word anyawu is a combination of two Igbo words: The first
word is anya which means “eye” and anwu which means “the light”.
Put together, it means “the eye of the light”. However, going beyond
the literal meaning, Anyawu means the sun. And in Igbo traditional
religion, it refers to the god of the Sun or the Sun god, who is
referred to as the eye of the light. Going beyond the literal
understanding of the eye for sight, the theology of Anyawu has
implications for the human enlightenment, our vision and our
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foresight. Metaphorically, this sight represents itself as insight,
which is the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive
understanding of a person or thing, and foresight, the ability to
predict what will happen or be needed in the future. In short, insight
is the ability to see things as they really are, and foresight is the
ability to see things as they will be. If this be the case, Anyawu was a
deity that had the power to inspire insight and foresight in people.

Talking about the veneration of Anyawu among the Nri, Anuobi

(2006) avers that:
In standard Nri scarification, the artist would carve the first
line to run from the center of the forehead down to the
center of the chin. They would then carve a second line to
run across the face, from the right cheek to the left. The
second line met the first at the center of the nose, making it a
perfect cross. The second cross was drawn with one line
running from the left side of the forehead down to the right
side of the chin and another line running down the opposite
direction. This sequence and pattern was repeated until the
pattern looked like the rays of the sun. Altogether, it took
sixteen straight lines, eight crosses, for a full face
scarification that mirrored the rays of the sun. It was their
way of honoring the sun that they worshiped. But it was
more than that. It was the face and service and another way
of losing one’s facial personality. (pp. 203-204).
A cursory glance at history reveals that speaking of a deity in terms
of an eye is not exclusive to the Igbo; the Egyptian Ra is depicted as
a Falcon headed man who has a sun disk on his head. Anyawu deity
is the Igbo way of paying homage to the sun, which is revered all
over the world for the light and heat it provides to make our planet
earth habitable. In the Anyawu deity, the Igbo expresses the central
place that the sun occupies in Igbo daily life. For instance, the Igbo
method of keeping time is based on it, as for the majority of human
history. Most of our modern calendar, are based on solar
movements, and lot of our major holidays originally started as solar
equinox or solstice celebrations. Even Western astrology focuses on
a person’s sun signs.

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Anyawu is the son of Chineke or Chukwu, and sacrifices that are
made to Chukwu are made through Anyawu, because of the special
and close association of the sun with the Supreme Being. The
significance of this deity among the Igbo is seen in the artistic
expression of the Anyawu deity even on the walls of buildings in
Igbo traditional families.

Figure 1: An ancient Igbo wall with the Anyawu symbol

The depiction of Anyawu deity goes beyond the parameters of arts.

Anyawu deity has also been given an anthropological face by
scholars, and one of the depictions of anyawu deity in human form
by Ben Enwonwu can be seen below.

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Figure 2: Anyawu depicted in a Human Form

The sun is so important to the Igbo that the Igboland was referred to
as Land of the Rising Sun. This is evident even in the Biafra flag:

Figure 3: The Biafra Flag with the Image of the Sun

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The sun for the Igbo symbolizes both physical and spiritual
awakening; sleep cycles follows that of the sun. The Igbo wakes up
around the time the sun rises, and goes to sleep soon after the sunset.
As people whose basic source of income was based on agriculture,
the movement of the sun was very important to them as seeds
germinate better when exposed to moisture and sunlight. Anyawu
was also the symbol of perfection which every Igbo must seek.
Darkness is often used to symbolize something that is hidden or
unknown, while light in this sense represents something that has
been revealed.

2. Amadioha: The God of Thunder and Lightening

Amadioha also known as Igwe (sky) is the son of Chineke, and
sometimes referred to as the husband of Ala. In some parts of
Igboland, it is referred to as Amadiora or Kamalu. The colour of this
deity is red, its symbol is a white ram and its day for worship is the
Afo market day. This explains why during sacrifices to Amadioha, a
white ram is always preferable. It is a god of justice, in that it carries
out vengeance for the weak; it is the god of love, peace, unity and
the messianic hope of those who are in great need; and also, the god
of enterprise that brings personal wealth.

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Figure 4: The Ram- a symbol of Amadioha

Amadioha stands for the collective will of the people. This is derived
from its etymology which means ‘man of the people’. Its associate is
the Anyawu, the god of the sun, and the sun, astrologically, is its
governing planet. This explains why, while Anyawu is popular in the
northern part of Igboland, Amadioha is well revered in the southern
part of Igboland, however, Amadioha remains a very popular deity
in the entire Igboland. It is similar to the god Shango in the Yoruba
religion, who is also considered as the god of thunder and lightning,
and also Sokogba (Nupe) Ogiuwu (Edo); Eto, Itiri, Egba (Urhobo).

Amadioha is considered the “Owner of the Sky.” Whenever

lightning kills a person or strikes an object, the event is often
considered a sign or message from Amadioha. Lightening was
believed to have its track and so the Igbo would always avoid those
tracks. It is also referred to as the husband of Ala. Just as a husband
fertilizes his wife so does Amadioha fertilize his wife Ala through
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rainfall. Dibia, or priests, are, therefore, asked to determine what
wrong has been committed by the victim or the owner of the object.
Not minding the violent image that thunder and lightening carry,
Amadioha is presumed to be a gentle deity who gets violent only
when provoked.

Figure 5: An Image of Amdioha

Amadioha is an agent of Chukwu against undetected crimes and who

brings divine blessings to people. Through his intercession, Chukwu
nourishes the green vegetation of the earth, sees to the health of the
living, lightens up the world and gathers evidences as well as bears
witness for good deeds and against evil deeds. It can pull down or up
trees that have evil hidden in them, and such events is usually
understood as an exposure by Amadioha. It can also destroy
farmlands where people have buried charms to harm their enemies
or kill their opponents. It ensures that the natural order as set by
Chukwu is not upset. Its principle is simple, ‘eye goes for an eye and
a tooth goes for a tooth’. Whatever one sows, one will reap” (Kanu
2013). Amadioha is, therefore, referred to as the deity that
manifests the wrath of Chukwu.

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Apollos (2002) avers that in the shrine of Amadioha, there is usually
a long bamboo pole normally suspended horizontally in the air by
two strong big forked sticks, one on each side. Some charms and
medicinal grass are tied to the suspended pole, smeared by blood of
a foul, and pasted with feathers. It is believed that any evil doer can
never pass under it and go free without being struck to death or
afflicted with an incurable disease. Big trees and thick bush
normally surround the Amadioha shrine, with antiquated objects like
broken pots, boxes, bottles, mirrors, iron pots and cups found inside
the grove. Other special instruments found in the shrine include:
Ogu (hoe), mpi okpu (animal horn), opi ele (antelope horn), igbugbo
(metal gong) and nma (knife). Animals dedicated to Amadioha
include: ebulu Amadioha (ram of Amadioha), aturu Amadioha
(sheep of Amadioha), ehi Amadioha (cow of Amadioha). These are
regarded as the daughters and property of Amadioha. Nobody dares
harm or kill them to avoid the wrath of Amadioha.

3. Ahiajoku: The God of Agriculture

The Nri hegemony and its influence on Igbo history cannot be over
emphasized. It is in this regard that Madubuko (1994) observes that
the story of the Igbo people, no matter how briefly considered,
would be incomplete if one omits the Eri-Nri contribution. Afigbo
(1981) shows Eri clan as originating from the regions of Anambra
River, at Aguleri; from there, they fanned eastward and established
various communities. According to Uzukwu (1988), Eri is the father
of all Nri and tradition has it that he came from Chukwu. During a
severe famine, to provide food, he prayed to Chukwu who demanded
that he should sacrifice his first son Ahiajioku and Ada, his daughter
to him so as to save the other children from starvation. After they
were killed, their flesh was cut into pieces and buried in several
different mounds. A few days after the sacrifice and burial of his son
and daughter, yam and palm tree began to grow out of the places
where the flesh of his son were buried, while vegetables and
cocoyam grew out of the places where he buried Ada’s flesh. If yam
germinated from where Ahiajoku, Eri’s first son was buried, it
means that yam is the symbol of Ahiajoku, and since it was given to
man to sustain life, it is regarded as life itself. Since then, the spirit
of Ahiajoku became the God of Yam.
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There is also another narrative that refers to Ahiajoku as a goddess

and not a god. In precolonial times the Uhianjoku was regarded as
the goddess of farm productivity exemplified in the yam and
cocoyam as the major farm crops. Uhianjoku was worshiped as a
deity (a Goddess) and homage was paid to this deity by the elders in
appreciation for the role ascribed to her by the ancestors in
sustaining farm productivity. Uhianjoku, according to this
perspective, has presently been modernized as Ahiajoku, an acronym
for bounty intellectual harvest of the Igbo East of the Niger.
Ahiajoku is now celebrated by all Igbos to honour the crop yam
which is the mainstay of arable farming activity in Igboland as well
as the King of farm crops. While this perspective provides an
alternative opinion, the first narrative that relates Ahiajoku with Eri,
the king of Nri is a preferred position.

The myth of Ahiajoku is reenacted during the New Yam Festival

each year. Each householder places four or eight new yams on the
ground near a shrine. After saying some prayers, he cuts small
portions off each end of the yams to symbolize the sacrifice of
Ahiajoku. The yams are then cooked with palm oil, water, and
chicken to make a dish that symbolizes the body and blood of
Ahiajoku. The Igbo people consider the yam to be so sacred that at
one time, anyone caught stealing it would be put to death.

The philosophy behind worshipping “Ahia-ji Oku” is hidden in the

very words that have formed the name of the deity. “Ahia” indicates
exertion, industry, to strive after, hence to trade; “ji”, to lay hold of
and “Oku” riches. Thus, the full meaning is: “Industry or trade
brings wealth”. This to a great extend explains the hard work and
industry of the Igbo, for it is industry brings wealth. In those days,
yam largely constituted wealth. A man is evaluated by the size of his
yam barn (Oba Ji), large household and ability to earn a good living
and help others in society. According to Onwutalobi (2015), the rite
of new yam is to re-enact a bounty harvest and wealth for the
celebrants. The importance is further captured in seeing the new yam
festival as a tradition, and one of which culminates the end of a yam

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farming cycle and the beginning of another. This explains why every
farmer offers sacrifice to Ahiajoku deity for a bountiful harvest.

4. Ala: Earth Goddess

Ala is the most important deity in Igbo public and private cults. She
is the sole daughter of Chukwu and is believed to have made the
ground and the vegetable kingdom. Onwu (2002) describes Ala thus:
Of all the divinities Ala-the Earth goddess is generally
worshipped in Igbo land as the arch-divinity and seen as the
goddess of fertility and guardian of Igbo morality, a power
which controls - divinities and a force which brings fortune
and economic prosperity. (p. 2).

The earth goddess has the function of exposing those who secretly
commit evil and the evils they commit. It is in this regard that the
Igbo say:
a. Ani tukwa gi – may the earth expose you.
b. Ani bokwa gi ji n’aja – which literally means “may the earth
put yam and sand on your head”. This means, “may the
earth goddess render you miserable and expose your
shame”.
c. Ani jukwa gi (may the earth reject your corpse).

In Igbo land, the earth is holy, and from it God produces all living
things, including human beings. It is also through this earth that
human beings rejoin their maker – Chineke. When a man therefore,
commits a crime, he is said to have “Meruo Ala” (defiled the earth).
If such a person dies without having “Mejuo Ala” (pacified the
earth), the earth goddess whose function it is to expose people’s
atrocities will reject the corpse of such a person. When the person is
buried, the earth goddess throws up the corpse out of the belly of the
earth. In this case, the bereaved are left with the option of cremation.
The implication being that the soul of the person is destroyed and
will never reincarnate. For such a soul, the Igbo would say: enu
erughi ya aka, ani erughi ya aka, meaning that he has no share in the
sky or earth. They end up as wicked spirits.
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While Chukwu is in charge of creation, Ala is in charge of

conserving that which is created. While Chukwu is the giver of the
moral law, Ala is the enforcer of the law. Ala is also the “womb”
that holds and nurtures and renews when necessary. This explains
why she is always depicted in diagrams as though she is pregnant:

Figure 6: Ala, the Womb that holds and nurtures

The Igbo, an agrarian people, regard her as the “mother” of all

crops. Before planting and harvest, they hold days of ritual
ceremonies to appease Ala so that she will facilitate the growth of
healthy crops or to thank her for making possible the abundant
harvest soon to begin. In a year of drought or other agricultural
misfortunes, the people undertake ritual processes meant to examine
how they may have angered Ala and caused her to withhold her
blessings. After they look for wrongdoing on the part of humans,
they seek scientific explanations for crop failures. When religious
and natural explanations conflict, mythical narratives are used to
overcome contradictions.

5. Ibini Ukpabi: Long Juju of Arochukwu

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Ibini Ukpabi is the divinity of Arochukwu; it was known in the
Eastern Delta as Tsuku ab yama, which translates to “God resides
there.” According to Awolalu and Dopamu (1979), it has the power
“to identify sorcerers, witches, poisoners. People also believe that
she can make barren women fertile, and give success in trade,
fertility of crops and victory in war” (p. 94). There are two narratives
about how it got the name ‘Long Juju’. First, it was said that the
name came into existence when a British explorer walked the long
tunnel and got tired then exclaimed, “This juju is long; it is a long
juju“. However, the second narrative is linked to the colonial
masters, who called it the “Long Juju” because of the distance and
length of days it took supplicants to visit it for consultations as well
as the extent and coverage of its influence in the then Eastern
Nigeria and beyond.

Ibini Ukpabi transformed Arochukwu to a place where major issues

and conflicts were adjudicated. And the shrine of this great deity was
the venue, the supreme court, and its judgment was final, with no
further appeal. No other shrine or deity entertained the adjudication
of a case already settled by Ibini Ukpabi. And persons or
communities never challenged her judgment; to do that was to risk
being invaded by either Ohafia or Abam warriors who protected he
integrity and supremacy of the Arochukwu deity with their military
might. The height of its powers was during the Trans-Atlantic Slave
Trade, when it was the most powerful deity in Igboland. Its power
also made the Aros supreme and advantaged as they served as
middlemen in the trading between the whitemen and the Igbo in
hinterland. The Aro could travel to virtually every part of Igboland
to buy the goods (including slaves) which they sold to the European
merchants. The Ibini Ukpabi oracle formed the basis for the
attachment of the surfix ‘Chukwu’ to the name of Aro thereby
converting it to Arochukwu (God’s Aro). Because of their
association with Ibini Ukpabi, they were known by many Igbo
communities as Umuchukwu, (the children of God). In fact, the
Efik and Ibibio people knew the Aro people as Mbot Abassi (the
people of the Great Spirit).

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Uguru (2015) avers that the reputation of Ibini Ukpabi was based on
its ability to deliver swift judgments. Once a person entered the
shrine, if found guilty, the person never returned. The relations
would only see blood flowing out form the shrine and then would
know the person was guilty and had been killed by the deity.
However, some scholars have argued that it was all a ruse as the
priests would never kill; it was all animal blood which was poured
out, while the person was taken through a door to a secret location to
be sold as slave. The offenders, after walking into the tunnel, were
stripped naked at a place known as the ‘Hill of Rags‘ and
clandestinely sold into slavery instead of being killed. If this
perspective is true, the question also arises as to the source or
sources of the human skulls that were found in different positions in
the shrine. Where they fabricated or where there people who were
really killed at the shrine?

Power of Sunflower (2015) has attempted to give a description of

the shrine of Ibini Ukpabi:

The approach to the Long Ju-Ju is through dense bush,

which gradually becomes thicker and thicker until one
arrives at the entrance of a deep oval-shaped pit, seventy
feet deep, sixty yards long, and fifty yards wide. One then
climbs down the precipitous sides of the rock into a narrow
gorge and into running water, up which one wades, passing
under two fences, until one finally comes to a place where
the water comes out of the solid rock in two big streams,
which unite below a small island, on which are two altars,
one made of many trade guns, stuck muzzle downwards into
the ground and topped with skulls, the other being of wood
and supporting more skulls, bones, feathers, blood, eggs,
and other votive offerings to the Ju-Ju, including the head of
the last victim. (The Power of Sunflower, p.1).

It writes further:
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Over the rock, where is the source of the water, is a roof of
human skulls with a curtain, the top part of which is
composed of clothes and the lower part of native matting,
screening the rock and hanging just short of the water’s
edge. The lower portions of the rock composing the other
side of this crater are draped with mats only. On the left of
the entrance, centrally situated, and opposite the island, has
been hewn out of the rock a flat-topped ledge for sacrificial
purposes. The water, about twelve inches deep, is full of
tame grey-coloured fish, about two feet in length, with long
suckers and glaring yellow eyes, which have a most bizarre
appearance as they glide noiselessly through the clear water
in the dim light of this charnel-house of fetish lore, which is
roofed with densely intertwined creepers. These fish are
regarded as sacred. On the left of the exit lies another pile of
human skulls and other relics of Ju-Ju rites, and on the left
the last sacrifice–a white goat, trussed up in the branches of
a palm tree and starving to death. (The Power of Sunflower,
p.1).

Describing further, it writes:

The conducting of a visitor to the Ju-Ju is usually a

somewhat lengthy process, and when he arrives in its
proximity he is led by a circuitous route and finally marched
in backwards. It would seem to be a fair estimate to put the
number of pilgrims down at about five hundred annually, all
of whom pay dearly for the advice or decree which is
vouchsafed to them. Probably the number of human
sacrifices does not reach a total of fifty per annum, while
about 200 people are sold into slavery, and the remainder
are allowed to go away free. (The Power of Sunflower, p.1).

How did the Aro Oracle come into existence? Arochukwu tradition
has it that the oracle originally belonged to the ancient Ibibio
dwellers of the present day Arochukwu, who under the Ibibio
kingdom referred to the oracle as Ibritam (ibit itam), meaning, the
giant drum. The oracle was developed and served by the Idiong

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secret society about 300 AD. When Aro conquered the Ibibio in the
1634 in the Ibibio/Igbo war, they took over the oracle but retained its
priests, with Loesin as the chief priest who was to initiate Aro
indigenes into the cult as priests. Subsequently Aro took over the
priesthood and full control of the oracle and renamed it Ibit Ukpabi,
meaning the drum of Ukpabi. Ukpabi was the Aro word for the
Creator God, thus the oracle meant the Drum of the Creator God,
obvious implying that it spoke for God. During the military
expedition to Arochukwu in 1901 and 1902, the oracle was
destroyed. And when Christianity came, the oracle’s name was
adapted by the Igbo Catechism in reference to God Almighty,
namely Chukwu-abiama.

6. Ekwensu: The God of Warriors

Along with Ala and Amadioha, Ekwensu represents the testing force
or power of Chukwu and constitute the greatest gods among the
ancient Igbo. Missionaries have wrongly identified Ekwensu with
the Christian concept of devil. According to Metuh (1991), Ekwensu
is, in fact, the spirit of violence and patron of warriors like Esu of
Yoruba and Kratas of Greece; Ekwensu is not the Christian devil, it
is rather the Son of Chukwu and possessed people who are quick to
anger. It was a force of chaos and change and ruled over the wicked
spirits and the chaotic forces of nature. Death was its perpetual
companion.

It was the god of bargains, very crafty at trade and negotiations. At

moments of difficult mercantile negotiations, Ekwensu is invoked.
Isichie (1969), records that among the Igbo of Asaba, there was a
festival called Ekwensu festival, and it constituted their major annual
feast, during which they displayed their military prowess. This deity
was invoked during times of war or conflict, however, was banished
during peacetime to avoid his influences in the community, for it can
incite bloodshed among the people. Usually, warriors set up shrines
to Ekwensu to help war efforts and destroyed them after victory have
been won. This deity was feared as much as Chukwu.

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Figure 7: Image of Ekwensu Deity

To be possessed by Ekwensu can bring about a person committing

evil acts which are contrary to what Chukwu allows or against the
humanity of human beings. Whenever an unfathomable act of evil is
committed by someone considered incapable of such a crime,
possession by Ekwensu is a common explanation. Without excusing
the person’s conduct, this attribution of the origins of such criminal
depravity to a superhuman power allows the Igbo to acknowledge
that there are some levels of inhumanity humans cannot reach on
their own. This explains why the missionaries immediately saw in
Ekwensu, Lucifer, the Father of lies and evil. Mogo (2016) wrote a
poem titled Ekwensu in which he decried the damage done to
Ekwensu’s identity and integrity:

Ekwensu

Violence to the language

is violence to the soul
is violence to a people
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is violence to their history
is violence to their future
is violence to their identity
is tangible violence

Like Ekwensu
the trickster in our cosmology, simplified
into a white God’s black devil
so chi became a white God
and Chukwu became a white God
and ekwensu became evil

this is what they do to us, simplify us

fit our glory into a story
where they are the hero
flatten our hair, our noses, our tongue
whip us into conformity
then blame us for the mess they left
and the mess we have made
of the mess that they left

Sorry Ekwensu
for how they destroyed your reputation
how they maligned your character
how, because they did not understand you
they decided to spread vicious lies about you
you go on being you
who cares what they say?

7. Agwu: The god of Divination and Healing:

Agwu also known as Agwusi is a trickstar god like Ekwensu, the Esu
of Yoruba and Ananse of Akan people. It is a basic concept in Igbo
traditional religion that helps the Igbo to explain the phenomenon of
good and evil, health and sickness, wealth and poverty, fortune and
misfortune (Aguwa 1995), and belongs to the category of deities
from Chukwu Okike (the creator God) like Anyanwu, Amadioha and
Ala.
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Observing how Agwu manifests himself to people, Okeke (2017)

observes that:

Agwu comes to people in different ways. Sometimes, it

comes through liquidation in one’s business, or one falling
from a tree or any other dimension. It is believed that a
person who is so possessed can be holding a key in his hand
and be searching for it in his room. Agwu is believed to be a
spirit of giddiness, rascality, confusion and forgetfulness,
among others. It brings worries to an individual, in other
words, it causes a person an emotional trauma and generally
psychological disorder. (p. 1).

Arinze (2008) writes further on the negative manifestations of Ahwu

deity in the lives of people:
Agwu (who) is the special spirit of ndi dibia, the spirit of
giddiness, rascality, discomposure, confusion and
forgetfulness (mmuo nkpasa uche). It is believed that a
person possessed by Agwu can be holding a key in his hand
and yet be searching for it frantically in his room. Talking
during sleep or when alone is also believed to be symptom
of his presence. Agwu scatters the brain; hence he is also
called Mmuo eli eli, eke eke, Mmuo ntunye nku, or Akaose
(spirit of confusion). He can also send the possessed man
many worries, a chain of misfortunes, deterioration of crops,
financial breakdown, etc. (p. 123).

When a person is sick, poor or in misfortune, Agwu is blamed,

however, when a person is healthy, wealthy and gifted with creative
talents, Agwu’s benevolence is praised. This implies that Agwu not
only brings evil and misfortune, it can also come with blessings.
However, Aguwa (1993) avers that unlike a mere spirit force, Agwu
exercises intellectual and volitive faculties. Being a trickstar, it is
difficult to identify whether it is male or female; Agwu can manifest
in both forms or can play both roles at will, at once or at anytime. It
is the chief messenger of the Almighty God and is the spirit-force
that inspires people with exceptional talents.
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Nwankwo (1987) recollects and records his conversation with Agwu

– when Agwu was asked about himself, he replied:
I am the spark of Divine Essence charged with the
responsibility of providing man with tools of
existence … I hold the key to those secrets of
creation which man is expected to know and reveal
such secrets as are necessary for the advancement of
mankind … in the study of science, philosophy,
religion, occultism, mysticism, I am the first port of
call. Intelligence, wisdom, knowledge and power is
bestowed on those who have received the blessings
of the agent of the Almighty God. These privileges
are nevertheless without a price and it is that you
shall be clean before God at all times of your life. (p.
69).

One only needs so little a demonstration as to close his eyes, stand

barefooted on the earth, open wide his arms and solemnly echo:
Agwu gosi m ike gi! (Agwu show me your power) to experience the
awe of Agwu’s divine aura.

Agwu was respected and feared in ancient Igbo society because of its
capability to sow confusion even in the clearest mind. It can as well
transform a dull mind with very clear thought. The dibia avoids the
wrath of Agwu, since clarity of mind is necessary for the success of
their everyday mission, thus, Agwu is referred to as the god of
medicine men. Ogbalu (1981) avers that:

Agwu is the god of medicine and divination. He is

worshipped by every person during a person’s Iru Agwu
ceremony particularly males, if they are to behave well and
have common sense. To him is assigned the responsibility of
men who act as if they have no common sense. (p. 54).

Establishing the relationship between Agwu and medicine men,

Arinze (1970) further explains:

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Agwu is the common patron of all diviners. Hence each
dibia offers prayers to Agwu every morning soon after
rising. The dibia strikes the tortoise shell rhythmically and
speaks in a technical language, praising Agwu whom he
believes will not delay in enriching him. (p. 123).

To the diviner, Agwu is, therefore, a patron. In fact, it is believed that

those who become ndi dibia and diviners are possessed by Agwu
deity, who supervises them as they carry out their specific functions.
The misrepresentation of Agwu or not following its disciplinary
measures has consequences for the dibia or diviner. However, when
a healer does not charge his clients too much money; when he
prepares medicines according to its directives; listens and carries out
appropriate instructions; avoids certain prohibitions, such as not
using one’s healing power unduly against others or taking other
people's wife or husband; not going to sleep with a woman during
her menstrual period; avoiding certain places like funerals of people
of questionable character; not being stingy, but showing
compassion. Such a person will Agwu bless beyond measure

8. Nmuo Mmiri or Nne Mmiri: The Water goddess

In African ontology, spirits inhabit mountains, trees, the ground, the
sky, the water- rivers, seas, oceans, canals, etc. The sprit that
inhabits the water are popularly called mammy water, Mami Wata or
Mami Wota in pidgin English and occupy a prominent place in the
pantheon of Africa gods and goddesses. The Igbo equivalent of
Mammy Water is Nmuo Mmiri. She is a female deity with variant
names, and the sustainer of sea life, the bringer of hope, provider of
help and protection, the bringer of gifts and exotic things. Indeed,
she is said to hold the key to the gate that leads to the world of
solutions. Whenever the Igbo pray he does not forget to add ka uzo
anyi buru uzo mmiri, which means, “may our journey follow the
path of the stream”. It is she who guides people to exotic lands, and
chooses to permit human beings to travel and reach their
destinations on top of the sea.

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Figure 8: Nne Mmiri

In Igbo cosmology, Jell-Bahlsen (2014) avers that Nne Mmiri is an

ancient and important deity, which underscores awe for female
fecundity, sacredness of life and water. This deity is supremely
beautiful, colorful, sparkling, elusive and benevolent, however,
equally dangerous as she can cause turmoil among a people, diseases
and even bring about death. Unlike Ala deity, she usually has
multiple spouses and can grant children to human beings. Those who
are her devotees find in her a source of fertility, children, food,
health, wealth, etc. The Nne Mmiri represents the female dimension
of the Igbo universe and a role model of female achievement. Her
icon among the Igbo is the python, crocodile and tortoise.

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Conclusion
Awolalu and Dopamu (1979) categorized divinities into three: the
primordial divinities who dwell in the heavens and were with the
Supreme Being during the creation of the universe, like Orisha nla
(Arch-divinity), which Idowu (1962 & 1973) avers was given the
responsibility of creating the human body. There is the category of
deified ancestors who were human beings that lived extraordinary or
mysterious lives and were made divinities after their death, like
Sango who was a former powerful king of Oyo. There are also
personified forces and phenomena which speak of spirits that have
their abode on mountains, hills, rivers, seas, oceans, trees, roads,
markets, caves, brooks, lakes, forests, etc. Their abode also
determines the place where they are worshipped, and also the
residence of the priest of the deity. While Awolalu and Dopamu
were developing these categorizations of deities, the developed a
structure that better served the Yoruba deities than that of the Igbo.
This is not to say that there are no Igbo deities that can fall into any
of these categories. For instance, the primordial deities, conveniently
accommodates the major Igbo deities. Of course, the personified
forces and phenomena also classified Igbo deities as many of them
are known by their habitats, showing how ecological factors can
influence religion believe and practices.

However, as regards deified ancestors, this categorization is not

very popular among the Igbo. There are certainly times when deities
are generated through the murder of persons, but these deities are not
named after the persons whose spirits were conjured to bring the
deity into being; these are man-made for the people's survival and
well being. Bringing Awolalu and Dopamu’s categorization
structure into the Igbo world of deities reveals that there might be
the need for further categorization. And further categorizations must
include:

1. National deities, meaning deities that are worshiped only in

a particular area like the Ebumiri of Umunumu in Mbano,
Ọfọ Itu in the Mbaise, Idemili in Uga, Aguata, Haba in

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Agulu, Nnagwurugwu of Isu in Arọchukwu, and Ọha Mmiri
of Oguta, among others.
2. There are also Trans-National deities, which include deities
that are worshipped within and outside national boundaries
like the Ibini Ukpabi, Amadioha, Ala, Ahajioku, etc.
3. There might also be the need to make a distinction between
male and female deities, and the implications of such a dual
categorization for the Igbo world.

These categorizations notwithstanding, the belief in deities remain a

very important component of Igbo traditional religion. This must not
be understood as polytheism as has been misconstrued by both
western and African scholars. For instance, Onwu (2002) asserted
that:

No matter what other writers say, polytheism (which means

belief in or worship of many gods) is practiced among the
traditional Igbo. But it does not imply that all the local
deities are of equal importance and power to the people.
Although a lot of local variation exist in names, categories
and details of belief in and worship of these divinities, a
number of them are believed to be major divinities and are
widely acknowledged. (p. 2).

The idea of Supreme Being is very strong in Igbo traditional

religion. While there are a multiplicity of lesser gods, there has
always been only one Supreme Being who is the source of all that
there is, including the deities themselves. If we look at this issue
from the perspective that these deities are only deans or messengers
of the Supreme Being then there would be no conflict of supremacy.
And in fact the supremacy of the Supreme Being points to the fact
that Igbo traditional religion is a religion of structure, inextricably
bound up with the total structure of Igbo traditional life. It is within
this structure that the Igbo person’s existence, welfare and destiny
are totally caught up. It is in his believe that the more he or she can
control nature and the force, the more he or she is able to enjoy

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protection, longevity, progress, success and peace with God, the
divinities and the ancestors.

*Prof. Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, O.S.A.

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Tansian University, Umunya Anambra State
Email: [email protected]

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