{{Short description|Igbo sun goddess}} {{about||the sculpture by Ben Enwonwu|Anyanwu (sculpture)|the surname|Anyanwu (surname)}} {{Infobox deity | type = Igbo | name = Anyanwu | image = | caption =guilty | deity_of = Sun Alusi of Good Fortune, Knowledge, and Wisdom | symbol = sun disk | norse_equivalent = Sól (Germanic mythology) | venerated_in = Odinala | ethnic_group = Igbo people | equivalent1 = Inti | equivalent1_type = Inca }}
'''Anyanwu''' (''anyaanwū'', meaning "eye of the sun" in Igbo) is the sun Alusi of the good fortune, knowledge, and wisdom in the traditional Igbo religion called Odinala. She is an alusi, a tutelary spirit that was created by the Supreme god, Chukwu, to fulfill a specific responsibility related to nature or a principle. They are similar to bisimbi in Bakongo religion and orishas in Yoruba religion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amadiegwu |first=Mildred |date=2004-08-06 |title=The power of the alusi |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/aug/06/1 |access-date=2023-06-16 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Anyanwu is also the name given to a major character in the Octavia E. Butler's ''Patternist series''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Patternist Series |url=https://www.octaviabutler.com/patternist-series |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Octavia E. Butler |language=en-US}}</ref>
Anyanwu is also the name attributed to the "Spirit Face" (who is assertive) of Sunny Nwazue in Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nnedi.com/books/akata.html|title=The Akata Books - Nnedi Okorafor|website=Nnedi.com|accessdate=2 April 2019}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Traditional African religion}} * List of knowledge deities * List of solar deities
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Odinani}}
Category:Fortune deities Category:Fortune goddesses Category:Igbo goddesses Category:Knowledge goddesses Category:Solar deities Category:Solar goddesses Category:Tutelary deities Category:Tutelary goddesses Category:Wisdom deities Category:Wisdom goddesses