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Cowrie shell necklace from Nigeria, nineteenth century.
The Divine Goddess Eka-Eyen
By Rev. Vincent Akpabio
Lyceum of the Aquarian Isis
Kano, Nigeria
The Divine Goddess Eka-Eyen is an ancient Goddess in Ibibio Land and in the present Akwa Iboni State of Nigeria; particularly to Ekwere’s family of Iboi Village in the same above named state, worshiped from time immemorial.
Goddess worship or devotion formed the greatest part in ancient Ibibio’s religious beliefs and traditions before the arrival of Christian Missionaries in 1846, Despite the influence of the new religion [Christianity], it still remains the foundation of our tradition. We acknowledge and recognise the existence of GOD and call upon the Sky God and Earth Goddess in our traditional rites.
The name of Goddess Eka-Eyen re-emerged and resurfaced sometime in the last quarter of 2010 as the Goddess worshipped by our great grandfather and our ancestors Ekwere along with the people of this part of Nigeria before the advent of Christianity. He was the Priest of the Great Goddess and other Goddesses, which we are still researching. He was also the Village Head (Chief) until he changed his sphere of existence.
His death was at the time Christianity had started to influence the minds of our people, causing some of them to change their beliefs and religion. Some of the Ekwere’s children became Christians, while some remained loyal devotees of the Great Goddess. As generations passed, his descendants all embraced the new Religion, but they never forgot their tradition in which the Ancient Religion of the Goddess was rooted. The Goddess Eka-Eyen, her priestesses/priests and host of devotees beyond the Veil and on the earth plane worked and re-emerged in the Aquarian Age through one of the Ekwere’s descendents who was brought to where we now know was the site of Eka-Eyen’s Shrine for Healing when he was a young boy by his parents. The parents pledged that if their son was healed, when he grew up he would serve in the work of the Goddess and tread the ancient way. He was healed, but the pledge was not honored. Still, the Goddess has her priestesses/priests and devotees beyond the Veil, who did not forget!
Through pains and sufferings Goddess called the healed one to her service and to tread the ancient path. In brief this was how Goddess Eka-Eyen re-emerged in the Aquarian Age. Through Ekwere descendants and with the help of oracles the place which was her shrine had been located. An ant hill formed over it, looking very old. It served as her abode in a farm land that was once the palace of Chief Ekwere Akpan Umana Nyame. This aged ant hill, about 2.5 metres high from the ground and having also about 2.5 meters in diameter at the base, did not suddenly emerge out of the blue. We used to see it as we, who are the descendants of Chief Ekwere, normally go to this area of our village which was once the dwelling place of our ancestors. Here we attune with them and perform rites. We did know that the aged ant hill was a sacred place, but rather we thought it to be the grave of Chief Ekwere, so we never set fire around the place during farming nor demolished the ant hill.
Eka-Eyen is Ibibio language, and when translated into English language means “The Child’s Mother or the Mother’s Child (or Children). As the name implies, she is a gentle mother, like other Mother Goddesses, She lovingly cares for and protects all who are born of her. She is also a fertility Goddess. My grandfather used to tell me that the deity of our land is a Woman (Goddess).
Those whose inner sight has been developed normally see her with a baby on her back wearing a white loin cloth (commonly known here as a wrapper) which she tied under her armpits. Sometimes she appeared in this form without her baby, wearing a chain or bracelet made of cowries around her head and the same bracelet of cowries around her ankles. Still, with those whose inner sight has been developed, the top of the ant hill is also covered with cowries.
Goddess Eka-Eyen works in cooperation or in conjunction with the spirit guides, (this includes ancestral spirits) and the guardian angels (we called them Oboi Emana) the creators/creatresses of forms for the soul to incarnate and stay with the particular soul through out the earthly journey.
When some one does not work or live in harmony with his/her spirit guides and guardian angel and appeals for Eka-Eyen’s help, her hands are tied and she cannot help them. So those seekers of assistance of the Goddess Eka-Eyen should harmonise their relationship with their spirit guides and guardian angels, so the oracle told us.
At this stage of our research and investigations we discovered white is her sacred colour. A sacred place can be created for her by placing on a table or small stool a piece of white cloth (a white handkerchief will do); on it can be placed an earthen bowl (Usan Ideni - meaning “Goddess Dish”) in this can be placed a cowrie shell. This will dedicate the place to her.
When praying to her in this place, have a cup filled with libations. Call upon an individual ancestor (male or female), individual guardian angel and call the Goddess Eka-Eyen. Thrice make your request, pour libations for each of the three … Ancestor, guardian angel and Eka-Eyen, and drink the rest of the gin from the cup, saying “He or she who gives, partakes of the gift.” She, Eka-Eyen, will respond.
May the Divine Mother Eka-Eyen Bless Us All.
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