EKWENSU

Before the whites came, EKWENSU was the name of a god in Igbo land and not the DEVIL like it is believed.

Most communities in Igbo land didn't only worship that god but also bore it as a name.

So you could walk into a community called OBIEKWENSU or UMUEKWENSU in Igbo land.

Ekwensu is a trickster of the Igbo people who serves as the Alusi (god) of bargains and the tortoise.

Crafty at trade and negotiations, he is often invoked for guidance in difficult mercantile situations. 

He is perceived as a spirit of violence that incites people to perform violent acts.

His companion was Ogbunabali.

Despite contemporary interpretations, Ekwensu was not originally regarded as the devil.

With the rise of Christianity, the more beneficent aspects of the deity were supplanted by missionaries who came to represent Ekwensu as Satan.

He was the testing force of Chukwu, and along with Ani the earth goddess, and Igwe, the sky god, make up the three highest Arusi of the ancient Igbo people.

It is made up of two words “ikwe” and “osu".

Ikwe implies “to allow,” and “osu” which could mean “fulfilled or fulfillment”. In other words, Ekwensu does not act without your permission, you have to allow him to act before he acts.

Moreover, Ekwensu is a god and is in the likes of the gods worshipped in Igboland. Like “Anị” and “Amadịọha,” Ekwensu is a powerful god of war.

African Culture ✍️