Aziza
Encyclopedia
Aziza means "near to God".
The Aziza are a beneficent fairy
race from Africa
, specifically Dahomey
. Living in the forest, they provide good magic
for hunters. They are also known to have given practical and spiritual knowledge to people (including knowledge of the use of fire
) and thus play a role similar to that of Prometheus
in Greek mythology
.
The Aziza are described as little hairy people and are said to live in anthills and silk-cotton trees.
While the Aziza are usually described as a people, some traditions also refer to a single individual by name "Aziza", with similar traits. For example, Jeje oral tradition has a divinity called "Aziza" (described as a small, single-legged man smoking a pipe
).
According to Ochuko Tonukari, Aziza is also a god of the Urhobo people of the Western Niger Delta of Nigeria. Indeed, The story of Aziza is one of the most puzzling aspects of Urhobo religious evolution, for a god who had bid fair for supreme status, and seemed poised to achieve it, suddenly fell in the regard of men and has almost no worshippers today. He has not suffered oblivion like the other gods in Urhoboland who were his contemporaries. He has just shrunk into insignificance, the god who was once great and is now living on past glories.
However, in most parts of Urhoboland till date, endless tales of terror are woven about this powerful god. In one quarter, it was believed that Aziza is a one handed and a one legged god, Ukrobogbowovo or ebere-ohwo, somewhat a goblin, who cannot be seen with the physical eyes except it decides to appear in corporeal form before anybody. He was that rarest of hero, a kind of wizardry intellectual who could act decisively and swiftly. It was described as "effectual in action, the powers of movement, fierce-moving in its paths." The Aziza was the embodiment of the Urhobo dictum, "To think and to act are one and the same." It is interesting that it was the power of movement itself, so speedy and firm was it perceived to be. It used its great knowledge to help not only himself but also to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.
The Aziza are a beneficent fairy
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
race from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, specifically Dahomey
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
. Living in the forest, they provide good magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
for hunters. They are also known to have given practical and spiritual knowledge to people (including knowledge of the use of fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
) and thus play a role similar to that of Prometheus
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
The Aziza are described as little hairy people and are said to live in anthills and silk-cotton trees.
While the Aziza are usually described as a people, some traditions also refer to a single individual by name "Aziza", with similar traits. For example, Jeje oral tradition has a divinity called "Aziza" (described as a small, single-legged man smoking a pipe
Pipe
Pipe may refer to:* Pipe , a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules* Smoking pipe* Pipe or butt, a cask measurement* Pipe , a type of metal casting defect...
).
According to Ochuko Tonukari, Aziza is also a god of the Urhobo people of the Western Niger Delta of Nigeria. Indeed, The story of Aziza is one of the most puzzling aspects of Urhobo religious evolution, for a god who had bid fair for supreme status, and seemed poised to achieve it, suddenly fell in the regard of men and has almost no worshippers today. He has not suffered oblivion like the other gods in Urhoboland who were his contemporaries. He has just shrunk into insignificance, the god who was once great and is now living on past glories.
However, in most parts of Urhoboland till date, endless tales of terror are woven about this powerful god. In one quarter, it was believed that Aziza is a one handed and a one legged god, Ukrobogbowovo or ebere-ohwo, somewhat a goblin, who cannot be seen with the physical eyes except it decides to appear in corporeal form before anybody. He was that rarest of hero, a kind of wizardry intellectual who could act decisively and swiftly. It was described as "effectual in action, the powers of movement, fierce-moving in its paths." The Aziza was the embodiment of the Urhobo dictum, "To think and to act are one and the same." It is interesting that it was the power of movement itself, so speedy and firm was it perceived to be. It used its great knowledge to help not only himself but also to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.