EKWENSU DEITY AND THE PARADOX OF THE CHRISTIAN DEVIL

Abstract

The advent of Christian religion and western civilization no doubt had a great impact on the socio-economic life of people living in the geographical area called Igbo land. Despite the much talked about positive impact of Christianity and activities of the European Christian missionaries on the socio-cultural wellbeing of the Igbo, the coming of Christianity arguably led to an unprecedented steady decline of Igbo Traditional Religion. Many beliefs and practices in Igbo religion were condemned with all manner of derogatory terminologies. The belief and the cult of many Igbo deities were termed idolatrous and evil. The identity and character of Ekwensu were demonized and distorted; a deity which was found to be a heroic Igbo deity of war and patron spirit of ancient Igbo warriors was mistranslated as the conceptual and ontological equivalent of the Christian Devil. The existence of shrines dedicated to Ekwensu, the ritual or cultic activities alive in these shrines, the honour and celebration of Ekwensu in cultural festivals and naming of natural objects and phenomenon after Ekwensu, are all proofs that the ancient Igbo never conceived Ekwensu as an evil deity. The study further observes that in Igbo trado-religious thought, contrary to what is obtainable in Christian worldview, the presence of evil in the world is attributed to man and not to any evil spirit whose mission, vision and activities are antithetical to God.

Keywords: Ekwensu Deity, Duality, Christian Devil