Agadi Nwanyi na asi asiri (the gossiping old woman) – An Igbo Mythology – The First Dibia, Igbos, African, Nigerian Mythology, Free to Read, Short Story, Fabling, Pam, Fablingverse, Osu, Ugiri tree, Agwu, Onwa, Chinaeke, Mbe, Nkita
A long time ago, in the early years of the Igbos, after they had settled in their new land, a great woman was born, and she was called Agadi Nwanyi na Asi Asiri—the Gossiping Old Woman—the First Dibia.
Whenever the first Igbos migrated to a new land, they would make a deal with the arusi of the land to ensure the god was okay to their settlement. One of the men, usually the first son—di Okpala—would activate the arusi with a sacrifice. This man and his lineage would later be called Osu (but that’s a different and very complicated story) for they were the pure ones, the ones connected to the god of the land. Nobody could lay a finger on them without facing the god’s vengeance.
After being activated, the god or goddess of the land—usually a version of the elemental gods—would grant the immigrants permission to become citizens and give them laws to live by. If these laws were broken, either the entire community would perish, or the culprit alone would suffer the consequences.
In the land where Agadi Nwanyi was born, the arusi was the female embodiment of that part of the earth, she was the goddess, Nneoma. When she gave the founders her laws, they accepted them and vowed never to break them, thus earning her permission to settle in the land.
The Osu, despite being the one to activate the goddess, could not see into the spirit realm. The Igbos, learning that everything in the land was connected to a spirit, struggled to adapt because they lacked spiritual insight.
One day, an old woman, Agadi Nwanyi, received a calling. At first, it was deemed Ara (madness)—something unprecedented in their history, even in their former land. To the onlookers, she seemed mad, so they avoided her. In her so-called madness, during Onwa Abuo (the second moon of the lunar year), she ventured into the forest. She stayed there for three moons, and in Onwa Agwu (the month of the masquerades, the fifth moon), she returned to her community, appearing like a madwoman yet exuding the wisdom of the sanest among the Igbos.
Nobody knew what had happened in the forest, but the old woman had accessed the Void of Agwu and gained the wisdom of their world and the one beyond. She knew the names of all gods and spirits and how to make requests of them. She had become the first dibia. She could hear everyone’s thoughts, see the past and the future, and understand everything about everyone.
It became clear that the god of wisdom and divinity himself had called her to his service. The Igbos called her Agadi Nwanyi na Asi Asiri—the Gossiping Old Woman—because she knew everything and shared all she knew. She proved invaluable, even curing illnesses by listening to the spirits of trees. She became their dibia, their native doctor.
While she lived, everyone sought her wisdom, and she helped all without charging a personal fee, taking only what the gods and spirits required. But one day, Onwu (Death) came for Agadi Nwanyi.
Chineke had once sent The Dog (Nkita) to instruct the Igbos on how to avoid death becoming permanent after the first human died. However, Nkita met The Tortoise (Mbe) along the way and got distracted by the keg palm wine which Mbe had offered him. Forgetting the original instruction, Nkita told the humans to bury their dead in the earth, cementing the permanence of death.
When Agadi Nwanyi died, the Igbos became hopeless, realizing how dependent they had become on her wisdom. They refused to bury her and begged the Osu to summon the goddess of the land. They cried, beseeching the goddess to plead with Chinaeke to return the old woman to them.
Chineke heard their pleas but bound by the laws of death, could not bring her back. However, moved by compassion, He offered a replacement. Through their goddess, He instructed them to bury the old woman, promising to restore what they missed about her.
After they buried Agadi Nwanyi na Asi Asiri, a sacred Ugiri (bush mango) tree sprouted from her head. The seeds of the tree held all the knowledge she had gained through her connection with Agwu, along with the ability to access further wisdom.
The Igbos were instructed to take two seeds from the Ugiri tree, cut them into halves, and tie each half vertically on the same string. This string was called Afa. From time to time, Agwu would call certain individuals, bestowing upon them the ability to read and understand Afa. Some would even gain the ability to see what the old woman had seen.
Over 5,000 years have passed, and the Igbos still use Afa to access the wisdom of Agwu. Folklore has it that Agadi Nwanyi will one day reincarnate to once again deliver the Igbos from the harshness of Uwa (the world).
Hope you enjoyed Agadi Nwanyi na Asi Asiri (The Gossiping Old Woman) – An Igbo Mythology of The First Dibia.
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