Rituals of Protection: The Akalogoli Charm and Igbo Beliefs on Malevolent Spirits in the Early 1900s

In the early 1910s, Northcote Thomas captured a photograph titled “Burning palm flower [man burying akalogoli charm to ward off evil spirits].” The term Akalogoli is thought to derive from the Igbo words akala, meaning sign or mark, and ogoli, referring to a wastrel or ne’er-do-well. It denotes a malicious, tricky, or malevolent spirit, believed to be the wandering specter of individuals who led troubled lives.

The written record

In Igbo culture, as well as in neighboring communities, people who died under unfortunate or unnatural circumstances—such as suicide, execution, or mysterious illness—were often denied proper burials. These deaths, known as onwụ ike (hard death), left the deceased in limbo. Instead of being buried in family land or a graveyard, their bodies were disposed of in the wilderness, often referred to as the “evil forest” (a term readers of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart might recognize). In such cases, the individual’s spirit would be unable to transition into the afterlife, where they would typically become ancestors or await rebirth. As a result, they were believed to remain on earth, sometimes becoming violent spirits or mischievous poltergeists. These spirits caused disturbances such as making household items disappear, frightening people, or causing distress to relatives.

Historical context

In Igbo belief, spirits have an aversion to earth or soil. This is also seen in the legend of owummiri (mami water), a spirit that hovers above the ground when walking. Throwing soil or earth on malicious spirits is therefore believed to repel them, a key element in rituals like the one Thomas documented.