Ekwensu is a

trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherw ...

of 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 ...

, a trickster spirit of confusion, that serves as the

Alusi Arusi are spirits that are worshipped and served in the Igbo religion. There are many different kinds of Arusi and each has its own purpose and function. Ancestors The Igbo ancestral world is divided into several interconnected realms, principa ...

(god) of bargains and the tortoise. Crafty at trade and negotiations. He is often invoked for guidance in difficult mercantile situations. He is perceived as a spirit of violence that incites people to perform violent acts. His companion was Ogbunabali. Despite contemporary interpretations, Ekwensu was not originally regarded as the devil. With the rise of Christianity, the more beneficent aspects of the deity were supplanted by missionaries who came to represent Ekwensu as

Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...

. Europeans influenced their beliefs of good and evil to convince Igbo that Ekwensu was Satan-like. The goal of European's influence was to easily colonize the Igbo tribe, forcing them to be fearful of something. Originally, Ekwensu was highly honored as one of the benevolent lunar deities.Enugu, Discover. “How Evil Is Ekwensu?” Medium, 17 Nov. 2019, https://discoverenugu.medium.com/how-evil-is-ekwensu-23cb43786224 The traditional Igbo do not think of Ekwensu as the force that stands in opposition to other beings. Hence, Ekwensu is the IGBO god of war, who guided warriors in battle. They were tricksters. They only believe in spirits whose nature is either good or bad, but they do have what humans know as an afterlife.Enugu, D. (2019, November 17). How evil is Ekwensu? Medium. Retrieved May 20, 2022, from https://discoverenugu.medium.com/how-evil-is-ekwensu-23cb43786224 He was the testing force of

Chukwu Chukwu () is the Creator deity, supreme being of Odinani, Igbo spirituality. In the Alusi, Igbo pantheon, Chukwu is the source of all other Alusi, Igbo deities and is responsible for assigning them their different tasks. The Igbo people believe tha ...

, and along with Ani the earth goddess, and Igwe, the sky god, make up the three highest Arusi of the ancient Igbo people.

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