What is Ikenga: Ikenga the ancient Igbo Symbol of Prosperity and Abundance - Amarachi Attamah.

Gịnị bụ Ikenga? What is Ikenga: Ikenga the ancient Igbo Symbol of Prosperity and Abundance - Amarachi Attamah.

By Amarachi Attamah

Ikenga is the Igbo symbol of strength and success. It is a significant carving for success will power. It is a symbol associated with achievement and the awakening of the inner strength, believed to represent a man’s personal chi. It is made of two words, Ike and Nga (Ngagharị), the power or strength of motion or exploration. Just like the ọfọ, the Ịkenga is another important artifact of ndị Igbo, which has a deep spiritual symbolism. 

It is not a diety. Although both ọfọ and Ikenga are consecrated to activate their spiritual aspects, high cultural significance are attached to the carvings even in their ordinary form. In the past, some communities did celebrate annual Ikenga festival to acknowledge their success in every endeavor. The special object is usually carved with the ogirisi tree ( osisi ogirisi ).  

Before the colonial/religious infiltration, the ikenga was in most families. This is one of the reasons amongst artifacts from Igbo land; you will always find Ikenga in museums around the world. Most of our best carved Ikenga’s are still littered across the world in display glasses.

After initiation into the age-grade, specially carved concentrated Ikenga was given by some families as a symbol of ushering their sons into personal achievement and success in their endeavors- be it, Carvings (artist), blacksmithing, farming or hunting. It was handed in his right hand (aka Ikenga), the hand believed to be the active hand for work. Some distinguished women (in pottery, weavings, and trading) owned it too but not much as the men, as they were the ones who were to prove their achievements.

There are different types of the Ikenga carvings but the most popular ones are:

Ikenga mmadụ

Ikenga mmadụ- human figure with animal or divinity carvings on the head-could also be horns, seated on a stool, holding a machete in the aka ikenga (right hand) and in the left hand, holding head (depicting warriors victory), ọfọ, okike (elephant tusk) or oji. Each has a different significance, and ịchi traditional face marks on its face.

Ikenga mmụọ

Ikenga mmụọ (which represent Ndichie (ancestors); usually represented with two horns seated on cylindrical shaped carve.

Ikenga ọwa ọta or ikenga oge

Ikenga ọwa ọta or ikenga oge (the two faced Ikenga, which is the oldest form of Ikenga in ala igbo. It signified old and new years. .

Although the igbo people ( ndị Ịgbo ) revered the Ikenga so much, in fact, they believed that as long as a mans ikenga is active, he can wrestle the spirits and conquer, they also believed that an inactive Ikenga is useless and should be used as firewood, hence proverbs such as; “Ikenga adịghị ire, a waa ya nkụ.” One could argue that in the present day, ndị Ịgbo still reflect the achievement/victory spirit in their endeavors, even without physical Ịkengas, with their consistent notion, “Igbo na-agba mbọ. This could also seen seen in how they rose again after the war that took their all.