Oron Mythology
The Oron are a people located in Southern Nigeria and Cameroon.
Like the Ibibio people and Efik people, the Oron people recognized a hierarchy of a spiritual power culminating in the Great, Omnipotent, Omniscient and all-powerful Abazi Odung Oyong (God of the Sky). The special attributes of this God were that he lived in the sky from where he saw and judged all human actions; He is regarded as the creator of the everything both humans and every existing thing on Earth, rewarding all good deeds and punishing bad ones, also being the source of life and death and manifested himself daily among the people.
However, this Omnipotent God was far removed physically and manifested himself through equally powerful representatives who are also designated Abazi, mainly the Abazi Odung Isong (God of the Earth), it is said in Oron folklore that Abazi Odung Oyong creates meanwhile Abazi Odung Isong sustains being the source of food, water, shelter, medicinal herbs and all other things that sustain life, also the sustenance of the living which final resting place is death.[1]
Many Abazi was held in high esteemed after the Abazi Odung Oyong, in Agriculture She was represented by Abazi Utei (God of farming) to which everyone sacrifice at the beginning of every far farming season, and every family had Abazi Okoro (God of the Compound) which is the protector of the people, animal, properties and among others, sacrifices were made on Obribong a local market day. Similarly God of prosperity (Abazi Inam) which was credited for responsibility of the wealth of any individual or society. Finally in the Fishing sacrifices were made to Abazi Esuk (god of the river) by throwing the head of beheaded cows in the river for security in the sea with blessings and abundant catch.[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ Talbot, Percy Amaury (1967). Life in Southern Nigeria: The Magic, Beliefs and Customs of the Ibibio Tribe. ISBN 9780714617268. Search this book on
- ↑ Okon Edet Uya, History of Oron people, p.52-53
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