The Most Powerful Igbo Deity
The Igbo people which leaves in the South Eastern part of Nigeria has so many deities and sub-deities in their traditional believes. These deites are their perfect medium of communicating with their almighty creator known as Chukwu, the most powerful deity that controls others.
Chukwu (Chi Ukwu) means “Great Spirit” in in English language, just as God which is of Germanic origin.
The Igbos see Chukwu as the most supreme and the most powerful deity amongst other aspects of god which includes:
Anyanwu
The spirit that dwells in the sun. It’s the deity that reveals everything that happened in the world to Chukwu (Great Spirit). Igbos believes that Anyanwu is the symbol of the sun that watch upon the universe as God’s eye.
Ala
It’s known as the mother earth that controls the fertility of Earth, which also has other sub-deities.
Amadioha
It’s known as the god of light and thunder that brings justice, love, peace, and unity, to the world.
Chi
This is a sub-deity known to be a personal god that guide and protect every individual as a spirit.
Okike
This is a creator of all laws that guides every God’s creations, both physical and spiritual. Etc…
Chukwu is the creator of all the entire universe and also the creator of all the aforementioned pantheons above. That’s why Chukwu is often reffered as Chineke in Igbo language, which means, “The God Who Creates”, which suggested that Chineke/Chukwu is the creator of all universe, both physical and spiritual.
It’s generally believed in Igbo land that no other god is more superior or higher than Chukwu.
Again, Chukwu doesn’t attributed to be either a male or a female, though it’s mostly reffered as “He”. It’s great and powerful spirit that no man kind has ever seen.
Chukwu is mostly believed to inhabit the sky, associating with the Anyanwu (Sun).
According to Chinue Achebe, “The central relationship between Chukwu and the Sun is evident in the people’s cosmology and traditional prayers.”