Ogbanje is a term used in Igbo culture to describe children who die and return to be born and die again.
Here are some key points about Ogbanje:
The literal meaning of Ogbanje in Igbo language is "children who come and go". It is believed that Ogbanje are born into the same family repeatedly, causing grief and sometimes anger in their parents.
Ogbanje are believed to have a connection to the spirit world, and they are called back to that world, which leads to their death. Ogbanje leaves a charm or totem buried near their birthplace, which gives them the power to be born again to the same family.
To stop the cycle of an Ogbanje, it is necessary to find the charm, called 'iyi-uwa', he or she has hidden, and destroy it..Ogbanje children are believed to have strange and odd personalities, and they often have extraordinary abilities such as superior intellect or insight into human condition.
Ogbanje is a significant part of Igbo culture and has been featured in many literary works, including Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart". NNL.
