Book

The world of the Ogbanje

Fourth Dimension PublishersEnugu, Nigeria • Published In 1986 • Pages:

By: Achebe, Chinwe.

Abstract
Ogbanje is a 'personality disorder' that describes someone who is not true to their god-given nature and talents, in spite of an excess of good attributes. Ogbanje can be extraordinarily handsome or beautiful, achieve meteoric success, but die prematurely without making any lasting mark. They are believed to be part human and part spirit; their fate entwined with one of two spirits who intercepted them at birth and renegotiated their fate to include serving them in the world. In exchange they are given fame, wealth, or beauty, but always a short life. Achebe reviews the Igbo cosmology, creation myths, and the concept of CHI, which is the divine, creative spark imbued in persons by the supreme deity CHI UKWA. NNE MMIRI and ONABULUWA are the spirits whose pacts contradict a person's CHI and create the alienated personality of the ogbanje.
Subjects
Magical and mental therapy
Religious beliefs
Magicians and diviners
Congregations
Ethnopsychology
culture
Igbo
HRAF PubDate
2003
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Western Africa
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Psychologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 2001
Field Date
1982
Coverage Date
1982
Coverage Place
Anambra State, Nigeria
Notes
by Chinwe Achebe
Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68)
LCSH
Igbo (African people)