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Juju

West African English for charms and the unseen power behind them, and in Edo State the oath sworn to traffickers.

A cord knotted with no loose end: knots for binding and protection, and the endless knot of Buddhist and Chinese art.

Also: ju-ju, jùjú, oath juju

Juju is a word used in Nigeria, Ghana and elsewhere in West Africa for charms, shrines and the power attributed to them, with a feared side of curses and harm. Its origin is disputed, and some think it came from a French word for toy; it was a term early European visitors used broadly for African religion. Today a Nigerian may speak of juju as a charm or as a cause of misfortune. Juju music is a separate Yoruba popular genre. In Edo State, women trafficked to Europe have been made to swear an oath in front of a shrine, said to bind them to repay debts. In 2018 the Oba of Benin publicly annulled such oaths, and priests were told to stop performing them.

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