In
Igbo mythology
Odinani, also known as Odinala, Omenala, Odinana, and Omenana (), is the traditional cultural belief and practice of the Igbo people of south east and Igbo people of south south Nigeria.Afulezy, Juj"On Odinani, the Igbo Religion", ''Niger Del ...
, Ahia Njoku, also known as Ifejioku, Aha Njoku, is a
goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
worshipped by 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 ...
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, ...
.
She is responsible for
yams, which were an important ingredient in the Igbo diet, and the men who care for them (Farming yams is a traditionally male job in the Igbo tribe unless one is weeding or harvesting). Ahia Njoku's name would often be called upon to settle altercations between Igbo people regarding ownership of farmland or agricultural conflicts.
The Ahanjoku Festival is celebrated among the Igbo people on a full moon before the New Yam Festival. It is an elaborate festival in which sacrifices and offerings are made to Ahia Njoku to ensure a healthy yam harvest in the following season. Until the ceremony is carried out, newly harvested yams are not consumed. In addition to the ceremony, the accompanying festival is a time of social gathering and celebration amongst Igbo people.
In some parts children who were dedicated to the service of the deity were named Njoku. As adults, such children were expected to become prosperous yam farmers, which made them into nobility. The name gives you a nature that believes in the phrase - "larger than life". It is this nature that makes you a leader, visionary and a equally grand organizer
See also
Njoku Ji
References
Agricultural goddesses
Igbo goddesses
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