326 Ibis, Symbol of Tehuti
are equally important to the spiritual ceremonies.
The Amama, the highest rank in the Ekpo society,
is the level of the greatest wealth in the village.
Molefi Kete AsanteSeealsoIgbo; Yoruba
Further Readings
Correia, P. I. A. (1921–1922). L’animisme Ibo et les
divinites de la Nigeria.Anthropos,16–17, 360–366.
Ezekwugo, C. U. M. (1987).Chi,the True God in Igbo
Religion. Kerala, India: Pontifical Institute of
Philosophy and Theology.
Idowu, E. B. (1956). The Degeneration of the Ofo
Anam.Nigerian Field, 21 , 173–177.
Idowu, E. B. (1973).African Traditional Religion,a
Definition. London: Praeger.
Mbiti, J. S. (1969).African Religions and Philosophy.
London: Heinemann.
Ukpong, J. S. (1982). Sacrificial Worship in Ibibio
Traditional Religion.Journal of Religion in Africa,
13 , 161–188.
Umoren, U. E. (1994). Religious Symbols and Crime
Control in Annang-Land.Orita, 26 , 67–78.
IBIS, SYMBOL OFTEHUTI
In ancient Kemet, Tehuti was the head or leader
and messenger of the gods. Represented by an Ibis,
Tehuti is also called Djehuty, Tahuti, Sheps, Lord
of Khemenu, Khenti, Mehi, ASten, and Thoth,
and, finally, Hermes Trismegistus. The name
Tehuti is derived from the Kemetictehu, meaning
to measure in relation to the moon. Tehuti is
derived from the oldest name of the Ibis in Egypt,
hence his physical depiction as an Ibis, often illus-
trated with a head of an ibis as well as a baboon
on occasion. Tehuti is known as the father of
written language, and many other contributions
to mankind are attributed to this legendary figure.
The Ibis RepresentationMost of the Neteru or Gods were associated with
an animal or totem. Of course, the Ibis is the
symbol for Tehuti. An ibis is stork-like bird that
is presently extinct in Egypt, but was plentiful in
ancient Egypt. The writing system of Egypt used
the wordakh(i.e., the image of a crested ibis) to
express a powerful concept.
The akh is an evolved spirit form as a result of
the reintegration of the ka and ba after death. The
ka is the essence or spirit, and the ba is the person-
ality concept; the merging of the two is what
brings one to the image of a crested ibis, the akh.
Also, in medu neter, the ibis and the heart are
interchangeable. The name of the ibis is “Tekh,”
and the beak of the ibis resembles that of the cres-
cent moon. Tehuti’s connection to the crescent is
believed to relate to his invention of the 365-day
calendar because he also measured the Heavens
and planned the Earth.A Writing System
In the beginning, in Africa there was the word, an
oral tradition, a powerful concept with the ability
to breathe forth life and make all things manifest
into reality. Then came Tehuti, who demonstrated
the ability to transform these energetic oratory
tools into symbolic representations to further
enhance communication and emphasize the way
people see themselves and their world. Tehuti is
credited with the invention of the world’s oldest
and most sophisticated writing system, medu
neter. His depiction often shows him holding a
scroll and papyrus, the symbols of a scribe, and
wearing a crown that illuminates his Earthly roy-
alty, cosmic powers, sovereignty, strength, and
virility. The Kemetians’ reliance on symbols was
prevalent throughout their ancient culture, and
Tehuti simply stepped it up another dimension by
giving meaning to the visual clues. Tehuti laid the
foundation for formal written communication.
In addition to the invention of divine words,
Tehuti personified the thought process, manifested
first from knowledge and wisdom. Thus, Tehuti is
often recognized as the epitome of manifest real-
ity. He is the source of power that can make all
come to fruition. In many other African religions
and traditions, the power of the word, such as
Nommo, is believed to possess the innate ability
to heal the sick and resurrect the Dead. Adherents
of New Age occult sciences believe that prayer or
word–sound–power has the ability to change the
molecular structure of water or simply raise the
vibration of food to be eaten.