Efik mythology
Encyclopedia
In Efik mythology, Abassi
is considered to be the creator god. His wife, Atai, is known as the mediator
. It is believed that Atai convinced Abassi to allow two humans (one man and one woman), also known as their children, to live on Earth
, but forbade them to work or reproduce. The children were required to return to heaven
with Abassi whenever he rang the dinner bell. These rules were established so that the Efik people would not surpass Abassi in wisdom or strength. Eventually the children disobeyed and Abassi killed them both. Abassi and Atai were disgusted and gave the human race two gifts, argument and death. The gods also turned away from the people. It wasn’t until the Efik people started making human sacrifices for their sins that they believed Abassi and Atai started to hear their cries for help again.
. Abassi was thought to be the god of health. The tribesmen would often chant aloud to the sun in hopes that Abassi would hear their cries and heal them. It is believed that Abassi gave certain tribemen the ability to heal the sick through necromancy
. Whenever someone in the tribe was ill, the chief
would summon the witchdoctor
. If the witchdoctor was unable to heal the ill person, the ill person was to be immediately killed because Abassi did not want them to be healed. Within a healing ceremony, the tribesmen would start a fire. All the people of the tribe were required to gather around as they sang songs of worship to Abassi. If the witchdoctor was unable to heal the sick person, the ill person would immediately be thrown into the fire.
. Eventually this caused the people to begin worshipping the sun in the belief that it was Abassi himself. The Efik people began making human sacrifices to Abassi in order that they may receive a plentiful harvest
. Sometimes the Efik people would burn one of their tribesmen alive; other times they would impale
them with a large object. During the ceremony the tribesmen would shout aloud to Abassi. Communication with Abassi generally consisted of the same traditions.
were a disgrace to Abassi. It was thought to be evil for a woman to give birth to twins; the woman would be burnt alive and the twins were taken and left for dead in the bush (the desert). There was also an option for the tribe to eat
the twins rather than leave them in the bush.
missionaries, most notably Mary Slessor
, sought to influence the Efik people. Slessor ultimately taught the Efik people the Christian doctrine, as well as how to farm
in hopes that they would no longer depend on Abassi to provide a pleantiful harvest
. Over time, the practice of human sacrifice and the belief that twins were evil also ceased. Slessor opened an orphanage
and lived among the Efik people for a total of 30 years.
Abassi
Abassi was the creator god in the pantheon of the Nigerian Efik people. After a suggestion by his wife Atai Abassi created the first humans and introduced them to the world. However, to prevent them from exceeding his wisdom, he ordered the first humans to neither procreate nor labor...
is considered to be the creator god. His wife, Atai, is known as the mediator
Mediator
Mediator may refer to:*A neutral party who assists in negotiations and conflict resolution, the process being known as mediation*Mediator variable in statistics*The Mediator pattern in computer science...
. It is believed that Atai convinced Abassi to allow two humans (one man and one woman), also known as their children, to live on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, but forbade them to work or reproduce. The children were required to return to heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
with Abassi whenever he rang the dinner bell. These rules were established so that the Efik people would not surpass Abassi in wisdom or strength. Eventually the children disobeyed and Abassi killed them both. Abassi and Atai were disgusted and gave the human race two gifts, argument and death. The gods also turned away from the people. It wasn’t until the Efik people started making human sacrifices for their sins that they believed Abassi and Atai started to hear their cries for help again.
Health
It was believed that Abassi and Atai lived in the sunSun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. Abassi was thought to be the god of health. The tribesmen would often chant aloud to the sun in hopes that Abassi would hear their cries and heal them. It is believed that Abassi gave certain tribemen the ability to heal the sick through necromancy
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
. Whenever someone in the tribe was ill, the chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
would summon the witchdoctor
Witchdoctor
Erin Johnson, better known as Witchdoctor, is an established member of Atlanta’s Dungeon Family collective which includes members such as Goodie Mob, OutKast, Cee-Lo , Big Rube, & many others...
. If the witchdoctor was unable to heal the ill person, the ill person was to be immediately killed because Abassi did not want them to be healed. Within a healing ceremony, the tribesmen would start a fire. All the people of the tribe were required to gather around as they sang songs of worship to Abassi. If the witchdoctor was unable to heal the sick person, the ill person would immediately be thrown into the fire.
Nature
As time went on, the Efik people started believing that Abassi was the god of natureNature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. Eventually this caused the people to begin worshipping the sun in the belief that it was Abassi himself. The Efik people began making human sacrifices to Abassi in order that they may receive a plentiful harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
. Sometimes the Efik people would burn one of their tribesmen alive; other times they would impale
Impale
Impale may refer to:* Impaled , a magic trick simulating impalement* Impaled , American death metal band* Impalement, accidental injury, torture or execution* Impalement arts, a group of performing arts that includes knife throwing...
them with a large object. During the ceremony the tribesmen would shout aloud to Abassi. Communication with Abassi generally consisted of the same traditions.
Local beliefs
It was also believed that twinsTWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
were a disgrace to Abassi. It was thought to be evil for a woman to give birth to twins; the woman would be burnt alive and the twins were taken and left for dead in the bush (the desert). There was also an option for the tribe to eat
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
the twins rather than leave them in the bush.
Major influences
Over time, many ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionaries, most notably Mary Slessor
Mary Slessor
Mary Mitchell Slessor was a Scottish missionary to Nigeria.Her determined work and strong personality allowed her to be trusted and accepted by the locals, spreading Christianity and promoting women's rights.-Early life:...
, sought to influence the Efik people. Slessor ultimately taught the Efik people the Christian doctrine, as well as how to farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
in hopes that they would no longer depend on Abassi to provide a pleantiful harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
. Over time, the practice of human sacrifice and the belief that twins were evil also ceased. Slessor opened an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
and lived among the Efik people for a total of 30 years.