The Ogbanje Spirit (Igbo)
The Ogbanje is a malevolent reincarnating spirit in Igbo cosmology that deliberately plagues a family by being born, dying young, and then being reborn to the same mother repeatedly. These spirits cause endless grief to families, with children dying before puberty in each cycle. The Igbo believe that each Ogbanje buries an iyi-uwa, a special stone that serves as the connection between the spirit world and the physical world and allows it to find its way back to the same family. To break the cycle, a dibia (priest-diviner) must discover and destroy the iyi-uwa. Once the stone is destroyed, the