I was interested in finding out more about the concept of Abiku, and I came across an interesting article about the “real life story” of an Abiku, by Ayodele Olofintuade. The story tales place in Lagos and centers around an “Abiku” named Adunni, who painstakingly decides which mother to be born to.
Then the article talks a bit more about Abikus in general. The word means “born to die.” Apparently, the Abiku enters the womb of a pregnant woman and replace that child already in there (which I didn’t know). They enjoy alone time, ant-hills, dung hills, really dark nights, and when it’s hot outside.
The length of time an Abiku stays for varies. Some stay for a few days, some die “right after their wedding night.” Apparently, they don’t always return to the same mother; sometimes they go to different women.
Supposedly, Abikus like hanging out with each other; in the night, they transform into grown-ups, but return to their infant bodies before dawn. Abikus wish they were mortal because the constant rebirth means that they can never have peace. However, more than anything Abikus want to be powerful, which is why they like manipulating their parents so much.
Some names I came across that were not so conciliatory:
“Kilanko (Wherefore should the naming be ceremonious?); Oku (The dead, the deceased); Aja (A common dog); Omonife (It cannot be known by any better name than the mere one of a ‘child’); and Tepontan (No longer feared, respected and cherished).”
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I really found this concept of the Abiku and ogbanje very interesting. When I looked up the etymology (in Yoruba), apparently it means "predestined to death," from the word abi ("that which possesses") and iku ("death").
One of the most famous pieces of literature on abiku is The Famished Road by Ben Okri. You might remember that we read his story "In the Shadow of War" last year; he's also a Nigerian author. His mother was half-Igbo and his father was Urhobo.
In Igbo, the word "ogbanje" means "children who come and go" (because of their cycles of death and rebirth). It's actually also nearly synonymous with the word changeling, which is a fairy child left in place of a human baby kidnapped by fairies in Celtic and European folklore. What I found so interesting about this is that, again, this "evil spirit" idea was used to explain medical conditions like SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and sickle cell anemia. Sort of relates to Weston's ideas!
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