Here is something interesting.
In many Igbo communities, when someone does something extremely painful, cruel, or wicked, people may exclaim:
“I bu Ekwensu!”
(You are a devil!)
But think carefully.
If Ekwensu traditionally carries the idea that what is given room will manifest, then why is the same word used for a wicked person?
Could it be because such a person has given room to cruelty?
Given room to wickedness?
Given room to destructive thoughts until they became actions?
In other words, the person is not being called Ekwensu because of horns or a tail.
The person is being called Ekwensu because they have become a vessel for something harmful that was allowed to grow within them.
This raises a deeper question.
When our ancestors called someone Ekwensu, were they merely insulting the person?
Or were they warning us that whatever we repeatedly welcome into our hearts eventually becomes part of who we are?
Perhaps the greatest battle is not against what is outside us.
Perhaps it is against what we allow inside us.
What do you think—did the missionaries fully understand Ekwensu when they translated it as “Satan,” or is there an older Igbo meaning that many people have forgotten?
#Ekwensu #IgboCulture #OmenalaIgbo #IgboHistory #IgboTradition #AfricanSpirituality #AncientWisdom #ThoughtProvoking #DeepQuestions #LetsDiscuss
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