My Encounters With A Mystical Ghanaian Dwarf (Azizaa) In 2022
Chronicles of a Ghanaian-Japanese Vodu Priest
What are dwarves or Azizaa?
Since I was young, I have been fascinated by dwarves. I was captivated by these small beings, from watching Disney’s Snow White And The Seven Dwarves to learning about hobbits in the Lord of the Rings film series. In Ewe mythology, dwarfs are known as forest dwellers that live in mountains and the wilderness. As a boy, my father shared his own experience of engaging with dwarves. In the Ewe Vodu tradition, the dwarf is popularly known as “Azizaa” and sometimes “Agee”. Most people confuse little people and dwarves, but the two are not the same.
Those with clinical dwarfism are human beings like you and I, while the dwarves I am referring to are spirits. They are mystical dwarves, cohabiting the world with us but not always readily apprehendable to our waking senses. I will share vivid details about my encounters with an African dwarf called, “Obubuyaya”, who was introduced to me quite recently by my father, Christopher Voncujovi, a Vodu priest that runs a shrine in Ghana. My encounters with Obubuyaya led me to reflect on Ewe Vodu spiritual practice and then to study Japanese dwarves like Sukunahikona. I’ve learned that indigenous people in both Africa and Japan have long used esoteric wisdom from…
