Chukwu () is the

supreme being {{broad-concept article A supreme deity, supreme god or supreme being is the conception of the sole deity of monotheistic religions or, in polytheistic or henotheistic religions, the paramount deity or supernatural entity which is above all other ...

of Igbo spirituality. In the Igbo pantheon, Chukwu is the source of all other Igbo deities and is responsible for assigning them their different tasks. The

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and historically also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', / / ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Their primary origin is fo ...

believe that all things come from Chukwu (Chiukwu), who brings the rain necessary for plants to grow and controls everything on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

and the spiritual world. They believe Chukwu to be an undefinable

omnipotent Omnipotence is the property of possessing maximal power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as ...

and

omnipresent Omnipresence or ubiquity is the property of being present anywhere and everywhere. The term omnipresence is most often used in a religious context as an attribute of a deity or supreme being, while the term ubiquity is generally used to describ ...

supreme deity that encompasses everything in

space Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

and space itself. Linguistic studies suggest that the name "Chukwu" is a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of the Igbo words "chi" ("spiritual being") and "ukwu" ("great").

Conception of Chukwu

According to the Igbo people, who are the majority in the southeastern region of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

today, Chineke is the creator of the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

and everything good in it along with

rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

trees In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only p ...

, and other plants. Chukwu is a supreme deity, and in pagan traditions this was often anthropomorphized by the sun. How, Chukwu literally means "deity" as does Chineke, so for Christian and Muslim Igbos Chukwu means "God" and has no relation with the sun or any other natural phenomenon. Many Igbo

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

refer to the

Christian God In Christianity, God is the eternal, supreme being who created and preserves all things. Christians believe in a monotheistic conception of God, which is both transcendent (wholly independent of, and removed from, the material universe) an ...

as Chukwu. Chukwu (Chu-kwu) is similar to "The Most High" and "The Almighty" instead of a name like "

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

" which is of Germanic origin. This was usually referring to an idol in the pre-Christian era, but with the arrival of Christianity and Islam in the region, Chukwu became used for God. Chukwu in Igbo language means God the Almighty, the supreme and most high.Most Igbo names are attached to the supreme Being (God) example Ugo Chukwu, Ebere Chukwu and many more. The Igbo believe it is impossible for humans to conceive of the unlimited greatness of Chukwu. Many Igbo dialects refer to The Almighty by titles such as "Chukwu" (Chi Ukwu), "Chineke" (Chi Na Eke), "Chukwu Okike" (Chi Ukwu Okike), "Chiokike" (Chi Okike), "Chuku" (Chi Uku), "Ebili Ukpabi" (Ebili nu Ukpabi), and "Obasi" (Obi Alusi).translate.de.gov/ma/enwiki/en/igbo_mythology There are six aspects of Chukwu: # Chukwu – the first force and existence of all beings. #

Anyanwu Anyanwu (''anyaanwū'', meaning "eye of the sun" in Igbo) is the sun goddess of the good fortune, knowledge, and wisdom in the traditional Igbo religion called Odinala. She is an alusi, a tutelary spirit that was created by the Supreme god, ...

– the symbolic meaning of the sun. The sun reveals everything so Chukwu is the source of knowledge and the author of all knowledge. # Ala – the fertility of Earth, its people, and its spiritual world full of sub-deities. #

Amadioha Amadioha is the deity or god (Arusi or Agbara) of thunder and lightning of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. His main function is to do justice and avenge for the oppressed by striking their oppressors and their properties. But due to the ...

– the bringer of justice, love, peace, and unity, and the creator of humankind. # Chi – a sub-deity functioning as a personal, spiritual guide. # Okike – creator of laws that govern the visible and invisible.

References

{{Authority control Igbo deities Creator deities Names of God in African traditional religions African mythology African deities African gods

Conception of Chukwu

See also

References