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By HRH Dr. Sabo Azyjidoku Emmanuel
After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the omni present God, the omniscient God, the omni potent God disappeared from man. Subsequently, the gate of
the Garden of Eden was locked and sealed. Man was rejected and became dejected.
Man was indeed worried-sick, became so thirsty and anxious to taste the flavor of God presence, might and benevolence once again. Man began to grope, to trace the where about of the Almighty God. This forced man on the random chase to hunt for God on the mountain/hill top, to sink deep into the ocean base, to appeal to the celestial bodies: the stars, the moon and the sun, to penetrate through the woods/forest. Man even thought that God has found shelter inside the cavity of animate and inanimate things such as cows, serpents, stones, ornaments, mermaids
mermen etc and are being revered in worships.
The obscurity location of the Garden of Eden is still a mystery. But however, hypotheses have been drawn to the fact the Garden of Eden is located somewhere
in the Middle-East within the conglomerate countries of Iraq, Iran of the old Babylonian world, right there in Asia. This presupposition is premised on the
religious evolution cradle, that first manifested on the planet-Earth. For instance, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are five of the major
religions of the world. Others are Sikhism, Taosim, Confucianism, Baha’i, Shinto, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. Outside Asia continent are the African Traditional Religions, Voodoism, Zionism, Rastafarianism, Guru Marahji j etc.
In the aftermaths of the disintegration of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9, which is an origin myth meant to explain why the world’s people speak
different languages; a scenario when after the Great Flood, at the Shinar agreed to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach heaven, God observed the city and tower, confounded their speech so that they can no longer understand each other and scattered them around the world.
That marked a watershed in Nationhood formations. Subsequently, there were some swift dispersals from the centre. The human society became fragmented
and there were treks and movements of human beings to very many and various directions on the earth surface to form kingdoms, nations, countries, empires,
dynasties, towns, villages and households; every entity with their tribes, languages, belief systems (Religions) to profess.
The Jukun (Wanu) people in the migration process, had traversed the Yemen to Africa and journeyed down to the Benue trough, to establish the famous Kwararafa Kingdom after so many battles en route. To state the obvious, this migration did not prevent the Jukun people from worshiping their deities. The Aku who is the King, doubles as the spiritual leader. Besides, the Jukun people since the beginning of times were neither atheists nor agnostics. They acknowledge the
supremacy of the Almighty God, called “Ashido”, whom they believe is the maker, the creator of Heaven and Earth, ever since. The intrusion of the 2 (two) famous world-based beliefs (faiths), Christianity and Islam hand dispossessed them of their own way of worship as they are now tagged as ‘Pagans’ or ‘Kafirs’. But on close watch, the Jukun Wanu are theists; only that their approach in identifying who this God is and his workings in their lives is a subject of debate.
To set the path of history straight, the belief system in Jukun Wanu society has so many deities being represented by array of gods specificity, their function,
their powers and influence or efficacy. During libation, appeasement, supplication the powers of the deities are provoked to evocation to convey messages to the
supreme God Almighty called ‘Ashido’. When in the incantation mood or in soliloquy, the worshippers submit solemnly of not being fit or worthy enough to
have direct connection to the venerated God or ‘Ashido’, except through the deities (gods) as intermediaries or go-betweens.
The following deities or gods, the Jukun Wanu in community after community hard revered since antiquities are indeed some basal of the ancient
Jukun Wanu pantheon which can be observed in certain localities. They are; 1. Ashikande – god of thunder; sometimes is being provoked to strike offenders of taboos and prohibitions.
- Abyi – a deity of fortune; to cleanse a victim of misfortune.
- Anghofyi – a goddess of procreation, fertility, purification
- Anagu – a god of prosperity and deliverance
- Abwooh – a goddess of victory, expedition and triumph
- Akunase – a god of adventures and breakthrough
- Ashitakpoko – a goddess of vengeance
- Abaku – a god of war
- Asekpa – a goddess to ward off evil spirit
- Amweshi – a god to provoke curse
- Angbanyi (d’Ayipu) – a god of anger and nemesis.
In fact these gods are countless in a typical Jukun Wanu domain. And at the propitiation, atonement square, or shrine, the victims have to undergo or pass
through some strenuous, vigorous, rigorous and rigmarole processes to perfect the act. First and foremost, there must be the brewing of the local bevvies (asha or burukutu liquor) for the galaxy of the cult members to swig, eat, dance and other merriments at the occasion. Masquerades like Agashi, Anamgbo, Akateme, etc shall add colours or make the occasion groovy as they display ancestral gait and
patterns, acrobatically. Today, the ancient Jukun Wanu pantheon (pantheon stands for all gods of a nation or people) is gradually disappearing into the thin air. What is now around us is just the remnant- residue or the miniature value of the holy relics of the past.
This piece, you are advised, is not a remediation, neither nor is it to promote pantheism. The exercise is just a reminder- remainder of the Jukun Wanu people’s
past.
Now, what is your take on these insinuations?
“I wonder how the Whites successfully convinced Africans that polygamy is a sin but homosexuality is a human right. Africans should learn on how to practice their religion. Until the day that Africans will start
practicing their own culture they will never develop’’.
-Kim Jong-Un
This was forwarded by Morgan on Kwararafa People Assembly dated 23rd March, 2022 at 11:49am.
or The Biblical quotation: Proverb 29:25. “The fear of man lays snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe”.
And in passing, PERCYPETER AGAGA in his book, THE CHURCH THE GREAT COMMISSION THE WORLD, stated that: “Christian children (kids) should be natured and to grow up in integrity. Let their Yes be Yes and there No be No. Only God should be the feared Being in their life. Our children must come out of the cocoon. The future of our country and of our children, depends on their conducts and characters, not church attendance.”
Thank you all, be saved, be protected.
