Ekwensu

Ekwensu was a Trickster God (Alusi) of the Igbo people who served as the Alusi or God of Bargains and the tortoise. Crafty at trade and negotiations, he was often invoked for guidance in difficult mercantile situations. Like most Trickster Gods, the deity was a force of Chaos and Change, thus in his more violent aspects, Ekwensu was also revered as a God of War and Victory who ruled over the wicked spirits and the chaotic forces of nature. His companion was Death. With the advent of Christianity, the more beneficent aspects of the deity were supplanted by missionaries who came to misrepresent Ekwensu as Satan.^[1]

He was the testing force of Chukwu, and along with Ani the Earth goddess, and Igwe, the Sky God, make up the three highest Alusi's of the ancient Igbo people. Ekwensu is also the Igbo word for Satan.

See also

• Odinani
• Eshu
• Trickster

References

Further reading

• Opata, Damian U. Ekwensu In the Igbo Imagination : a Heroic Deity Or Christian Devil, Nsukka, Nigeria : Great AP Express, 2005.
• Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (New York: Doubleday, 1993).
• Opata, Damian U. Haunted Ontologies: Translation and Trauma in Postcolonial Igbo Society of Southeastern Nigeria.

v t e Odinani Establishments Chukwu Alusi Chi (Primary) Alusi Agwu Nsi Ala Amadioha Anyanwu Ekwensu Igwe Ikenga Ndebunze Njoku Ji Concepts Inouwa Mmuo Ofu na Ogu Eke Orie Afor Nkwo Topics Odinani Ekpe Mmanwu Sacred Places Earth Aguleri Ibini Ukpabi Derivatives Jonkonnu Obeah