chukwu is the supreme deity in odinani as he is the creator, and the igbo people believe that all things come from him and that everything on earth, heaven and the rest of the spiritual world is under his control. linguistic studies of the igbo language suggest that the name "chukwu" is a compound of the igbo words "chi" (spiritual being) and "ukwu" (great in size). each individual is born with a spiritual guide/guardian angel or guardian principle, "chi", unique to each individual and the individual's fate and destiny is determined by their chi. thus the igbos say that the siblings may come of the same mother but no two people have the same chi and thus different destinies for all. alusi, alternatively known as arusi or arushi (depending on dialect), are minor deities that are worshiped and served in odinani. there are many different alusi, each with its own purpose. when an individual deity is no longer needed, or becomes too violent, it is discarded.