THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR NAME AND YOUR ANCESTRAL NAME
THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR NAME AND YOUR ANCESTRAL NAME
If you want your Aja to bear you maximum results perform it in your name with your father’s and grandfather’s names attached. Names have power and authority (ike na ikikere). It is not about the materials you use for the Aja but about the power and authority backing what you do and say. Any physical action you take should have spiritual force backing it to fruition.
Between your father and grandfather one or two of them may be dead, meaning now living in the spirit world thereby serving as connecting link with your ancestors in the beyond. Life is about balancing the seen with the unseen. From the beyond, these your ancestors fuel and authorise what you do in the physical. They bear witness to the fact you are not a stranger or a bast@rd. Your ancestors are your ndị ụwa because you took your ahụ ụwa From them.
And when you invoke your maternal land spirit forces during your ịgọ Ọfọ or other Aja mention the name of your mother attached with her father. These names connect you with the spirit of that land. They are your identity just as your father’s and grandfather’s names are your paternal land identity. It is like presenting your National Identity Card to prove you are citizen of your country. You’d easily have access to the benefits of your country if you have identification that prove you are a citizen and not an impostor.
There is a reason our transactions with Mmụọ is called Aja. Compare with Afa and Aja Ana.
When you perform Aja in your name and in the name of your fathers it shows you have spiritual legal backing to what you do. Spirits would consider you faceless Ofeke if you have not such backing and as such would easily treat you as an Ofeke such as tricking you or accepting your presents (Aja) without granting your request because you have no standing law attached to what you do that can speak for you for justice and fairness (Ogu na ỌFỌ).
It is even worse when you pray in the name of ancestors of a land where you are not recognised. The ancestors you are calling their names do not recognise you as their ahụ ụwa. It is like claiming you are a citizen of America when your name is not in the database of America as citizen. You’d be treated as an impostor.
Are you feeding your Chi?
Do so in your name with your father’s and grandfather’s names attached
Are you appeasing Ndị Ichie of your paternal?
Do so in your name attached with your father’s and grandfather’s names attached
Are you going before your paternal land deity to offer Aja?
Do so in your name with your father’s and grandfather’s names attached.
Are you on your maternal land deities to appease them?
Do so in your name attached with your father’s name, paternal grandfather’s name, mother’s name. and maternal grandfather’s name.
Are you before Ndị otu mmiri to pray and offer Aja?
Do so in your name attached with your father’s and grandfather’s name.
Are you doing ịgọ Ọfọ?
Do so in your name attached with your father’s name and grandfather’s name.
Etc
Igbo pay so much attention to name maka na Afa (name) bụ Afa (divination).
Maka na Nwa Nna ya dunyere ozi na eji ụkwụ agbawa ụzọ (a child whose father sent on errand walks with confidence).
Two major questions any Igbo person or spirit that want to identify with you will ask you are:
- Kedu Afa gị? (what is your name?)
- Ị bụ Nwa Onye? (whose child are you?)
