Jengu - Jengu As Deity

Jengu As Deity

"Jengu" may refer to a single deity, as well. In some traditions, this god replaces the class of miengu spirits, while in others, it acts as their leader. Among the Isubu, for example, this god is called Jengu, and is depicted as a man with backwards feet.

Bakweri belief talks of a female deity named Mojili or Mojele. Mojili became the progenitor of the maengu when she lost a bet with Moto, the ancestor of mankind, over who could build the longer-lasting fire. Moto won the right to stay in the village, but Mojili was forced to flee to the sea. The Bakweri still worship Mojili as the ruler of the maengu. In fact, her name is so powerful, that many believe that children under seven may die if they hear it uttered. By extension of this tale, the maengu are said to be the wives of the rats, as the ancestor of the rats also lost the bet and fled to the forest.

Another Bakweri tradition names this goddess Liengu la Mwanja and makes her the consort of Efasa-Moto, god of Mount Fako (Mount Cameroon). Long ago, the two formed an understanding that Efasa-Moto would live on the mountain, while Liengu la Mwanja would inhabit the sea. When lava from Mount Fako's 1992 eruption made it all the way to the ocean, many hailed it as a sign that the god was visiting his wife.

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