ajẹ

Yoruba

Etymology

From à- (“nominalizing prefix”) +‎ jẹ́ (“to be”), literally “One who creates, one who allows things to exist”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /à.d͡ʒɛ́/

Noun

àjẹ́

1. In the Yoruba religion, the concept of the biological, spiritual, and creative powers (or àṣẹ) of all women and mothers
   • They are believed to have powers of elemental, biological and artistic creation; healing; destruction; spiritual and physical development and fortification, this is the origin of the association with the term as being a witch.
2. A female figure with supernatural powers.

   Synonyms: ìyá mi, Ìyàmi

3. (derogatory, proscribed) witch, sorceress

   Synonyms: ìyá àjẹ́, ẹlẹyẹ

Usage notes

• The translation of àjẹ́ as witch has been identified by scholars and practitioners of the Yoruba religion as an inaccurate translation of àjẹ́ since àjẹ́ represents rather the mystic powers and forces of womanhood rather their more dangerous destructive aspect. This mischaracterization has been popularized by the introduction of Christianity as well as cinema in Yorubaland, see Èṣù. In Yoruba philosophy, àṣẹ is a neutral force, which means that individuals who use the àṣẹ power trigger its potency, and they can decide whether to use it for good or evil. In other words, “the mothers, who use their special power for both the detriment and benefit of individuals and communities, evoke a striking image of duality." In addition, using the term "witch" is especially dangerous because in many African communities the accused can be ostracized or lynched because of false accusations, thus the term been proscribed by many figures.

Derived terms

• iṣẹ́ àjẹ́ (“witchcraft”)
• ìwà àjẹ́ (“sorcery”)
• Ìyàmi Àjẹ́ (“supernatural female spirits believed to have a large amount of power”)

 

Related terms

• oṣó (“sorcerer”)
• Ìyàmi Òṣòròǹgà

Further reading

• Soetan, Olusegun. Òṣòròmọ̀nìgà: Representations of witchcraft in Yoruba films [1], 2021