ABIKU: The Born To Die Spirit

Spirituality is almost everything and virtually every human being believes in spirit. A spirit is a spirit whether evil spirit or good spirit. What differentiates them is their deeds.

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So even if anybody claims there are no spirits, it logically implies that the person knows there are spirits but thinks they do not exist because to deny something is to have an idea of it.

The Abiku spirit is a general spiritual belief among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The Abiku spirit is a wicked one that wreak havoc and brings sorrow to any home.

The Abiku spirits are believed to be starved spirits who moved from their abode to another home so that they could be fed. The kingdom-ship of the Abikus is a well organized one.

The abikus pick their victims with the sole aim of feeding themselves. This is why whenever they enter any home, they make sure they eat all they could and this is evident on the physique of the body that inhabits the spirit.

According to the Yoruba people, it is always a matter of vote for an Abiku spirit to leave its abode to carry out its mission. It is believed that the spirit enters the body of a child while the child is in his mother's womb. No two Abikus stay inside one body.

These Abikus have different missions and mostly the child dies when he is 12years old. There are some Abiku spirits that die during important ceremonies. Some die immediately after birth, some after graduation, some after they are married, some after given birth.

The bodies these Abikus inhabit look emaciated always. The majority of the food that the child is given is always eaten by the spirit. So the child is thin.

The mother of such child is always terrified and constantly looking for ways to appease the Abiku spirit to leave her child's body. In the process, the mother is reduced to nothing. She spent almost all her money on the child to free him from the spirit. This act of spending gives the spirit joy because it means more food for the spirit.

One of the ways the Yoruba people drive the Abiku spirit from the child's body is by putting iron ring on his leg and a bell on him. It is believed that the sound of the bell will drive the Abiku spirit away. This has worked for some people but for some, it is exercise in futility.

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The Yoruba people give these Abiku children funny names. Most of these names sound like they are begging the child to stay. 

Examples:

Malomo -  do not go away anymore

Kosoko - there is no hoe (to di a grave)

Durosinmi -  wait to bury me

Biobaku - if he does not die

Rotimi - stand by me

Kokumo - he does not die anymore

Matanmi -  do not deceive me (that you will stay this time)

Kasimawo -  let’s wait and see (if this one will die)

Beyioku - if this one does not die

Banjoko - sit with me

Durojaye -  wait to enjoy life

When an Abiku child dies, such kid is not buried properly. The Yoruba people believe that such child should not be given proper burial as that might make the spirit to visit the family again. They are quickly buried anywhere in the bush.

There is this practice also by some Yoruba people and that is cutting part of the child's body so as to show how cruel the spirit was. Sometimes they do this to stop the spirit from visiting the same family. But history has it that these children who were amputated after death still come back to the same family as amputee! It is strange really but it is the reality of the things many Yoruba people experienced during the traditional settings. 

It is easy to find that strange but try read some Yoruba books about the Abiku spirit to fully understand the power of this spirit.

The prayer here is God should not let us experience the Abiku spirit because it will make a wealthy man the poorest in the community.

What do you call Abiku spirit in your tribe as Africans? For the Westerners, do you have similar spirit? If yes, what do you call it? Try share your experiences with us.

Thanks for reading. Your boy @smyle the philosopher.