Tolani answers “What is an ogbanje? I am only 40 pages in...”

Stephanie asked this question about Freshwater:

What is an ogbanje? I am only 40 pages in and am confused as to what has actually happened to Ada? on page 19 it says"The air cracked and we remembered. It was the sound ofo ur brothersisters, the children ofo ur mother, the ones who had not come across with us. Ndi otu. Ogbanje." So are they themselves ogbanje? The things inside Ada? How did they get there?

Tolani Here's my answer, as a Nigerian. Ogbanjes are spirits believed to inhabit people and are held responsible for infant deaths. A child suspected to be a…moreHere's my answer, as a Nigerian. Ogbanjes are spirits believed to inhabit people and are held responsible for infant deaths. A child suspected to be an ogbanje won't live long and as a result, may bring bad luck and sorrow to their parents. Exorcisms may be performed to get rid of this bad spirit. They are also called repeating children as they are able to reincarnate after dying. For a better context, I suggest reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.(less)

flag

View 1 comment

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more