The Inception of Egungun (masquerades)

    The Engungun was  created during a variety of localized designs throughout the Yoruba region of southwestern Federal Republic of Nigeria. The tradition is clearly previous as a journal entry from February, 1826 by British people mortal Hugh Clapperton describes in some detail associate egungun performance. this instance is within the variety of egungun masquerade costumes found within the Oyo/Ogbomoso space.

The costume consists of an oversized variety material|of fabric|of material} strips and panels of varied lengths that square measure suspended from a wood board that's lined with cloth. This wood board is balanced on the pinnacle by the egungun performing artist throughout masquerade. The layering of fabric utterly covers the dancer's body even throughout active movement. The designation egungun suggests that "powers concealed" and refers to the character of egungun as each a masquerade and additionally the embodiment of the supernatural power resident within the ancestors. Egungun masquerades square measure performed in Oyo Yoruba communities throughout annual and/or biennial festivals referred to as Odun Egungun. The performances square measure staged at intervals the lineage compound and additionally additional publically in marketplaces and/or ahead of the palace. The performances pay respect to severally named ancestors or additional usually to the collective cluster of lineage forbearers. By therefore doing, the egungun's presence testifies to the living member's commitment to continued the traditions of their predecessors.

The body of the egungun costume composed of layer upon layer of adorned artifact celebrates the wealth and standing of the family compliance their predecessors. Over time, extra panels material|of fabric|of material} were typically placed over older cloth by the house owners of egungun or members of the lineage to honor or ask for favor with the ancestral spirit. within the example for purchase thought, a range of fabric appliquéd panels, presumably applied over variety of years, is clear within the construction of the costume. This includes domestically made indigo-dyed artifact made from home-spun cotton and machine made artifact made up of foreign silk, cotton and velvet. samples of European needle purpose are enclosed in many strips. the amount and richness of appliquéd artifact panels connected to the costume emphasizes the wealth and standing of the egungun house owners and by extension the ancestral spirits that square measure being honored. The dazzling variation in artifact textures, colours and styles is accentuated throughout egungun performance because the individual strips of fabric move in undulating patterns because the dancer performs. Even throughout intense dance or twirling movements, the ingenious style of the costume permits for the fabric panels to splay move into all directions and however ne'er reveal the body of the dancer below. the choice of bound appliqué panels on this egungun costume was actually intentional as they appear to symbolize or emphasize mythic and religious power. This includes a silk panel that show pictures of mermaids and another panel in white on a deep blue background that illustrates royal crowns and pontifical keys. in step with Catholicity, these keys represent all authority in heaven and in Earth that were initial given to Peter in Matthew 16:19. The house owners of the costume connected variety of pin-back and {clothing|article of artifacting|vesture|wear|covering|consumer goods} buttons furthermore as many raised metal disks to a cloth panel below the stripped netting on the front of the mask. a number of these metals square measure related to Catholic spiritual symbolism furthermore as well as 2 circular metal discs one with the raised image of female parent|The Virgin|Blessed Virgin|Madonna|Jewess|mother|female parent} Mary and kid and therefore the Sacred Heart of Jew and therefore the different with the image of St. Christopher. These references recall the words of John Pemberton III, United Nations agency remarked that "the Yoruba have the originative ability to include beneficent powers from no matter sources into their ancient modes of non secular and inventive expression" (1989: 185, n.214). different buttons connected to the front of the costume reinforce notions of physical, political and supernatural powers related to the ancestors. A pin back button advertising a drinking water displays a photograph of the Nigerian boxer Hogan Bassey. Bassey won the featherweight world boxing title in Paris in 1957 and therefore the following year was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

 He was additionally honored with different awards in Senegal and Federal Republic of Nigeria. Another raised disc connected to the costume advertises Guinness (the brewage company) with the expression "Guinness is strength." Since its introduction in Federal Republic of Nigeria, advertising has associated Guinness brewage with strength and virility. the recognition of this whole light-emitting diode to the institution of a Guinness still in urban center in 1962. it's noteworthy that this was the primary Guinness still outside the uk and solely the third within the world. additionally of note may be a political button promoting the NPC--The Northern Peoples Congress that was active simply before and once Nigerian independence in 1960. Together, the buttons counsel a date for the costume to a minimum of the middle twentieth century.