In Jan 2018, while living in Cotonou, Benin, I had a chance to be present for an Egungun event in nearby Porto Novo. Egun what? Well, glad you asked…! Egungun are some of the most popular—and most colorful—street manifestations of the Yoruba-speaking peoples of western Nigeria, Benin, and eastern Togo.
From the Scholars…
Prof. Drewal, an authority in this field, defines Egungun as masquerades that honor ancestors–those who have already departed, and therefore are not present physically, but who are still present in spirit. They normally occur as periodic festivals of remembrance and renewal, but they can also happen at special occasions (such as funerals) or even at times of social crisis (such as droughts or epidemics).
To quote Prof. Drewal, “Yorubas use the full range of their artistic imaginations and powers of inventiveness, ‘imoju mora,’ to give visible, tangible form and substance to the normally invisible presence of ancestral spirits. Using the unique qualities of textiles—their textures, colors, weight and flexibility—they create moving (both literally and figuratively) experiences of the spirits of their departed loved ones.” [1]
Egungun, he adds, are “collaborative works of art. They are a labor of love by all family members, women and men. Everyone contributes to the creation of these ensembles. Those who can sew will prepare the cloth lappets. Those who can carve will create wooden headdresses. Those who know how to crochet will create the cloth netting that covers the face of the masker. Those who can bead, embroider, or applique will prepare varied decorations for different parts of the costume. Those men who… can dance will perform inside the costume. Those women who can compose songs and sing will be part of the chorus that chants the praise poems and historical narratives of the lineage. This collaborative artistic enterprise helps to create family unity and cooperation as it celebrates ancestors… [who] are still with us in many ways… [as] Yoruba ancestors are departed, not dead.” [2]
Costumes must completely cover the body of the masker, from head to toe, as his identity must remain secret to anyone who is not a member of the Egungun society. To help maintain this secrecy, whenever Egungun speak, they do so in a deep, disguised voice. Equally important, no one in the public is allowed to touch Egungun. To help enforcing this rule, each one of them has a “handler” with a stick to whip unashamedly anyone who gets too close!
Egungun festivals are all about music and dances—occasionally rather acrobatic in style—but their purpose is not just for entertainment. As Prof. Lawal explains, “the word of the ancestors is law, [so] some Egungun masks serve as judges, helping to adjudicate outstanding quarrels…, or warning against antisocial behaviors. Others bless the sick and the barren, or officiate at rituals aimed at cleansing the society of witchcraft and disease.” [3]
And From Porto Novo…
So that was from the scholars… Let me add now a few of my own words, based on my experience in Porto Novo. What a memorable afternoon! The town square was crowded to capacity at the street level, with the overflow standing on the roofs of the structures around it. Masked dancers kept on coming and going, each one with his own troupe of drummers, and each one with a costume more elaborate than the previous one. And what costumes! These were creations of a richness in color and texture impossible to describe. The dancing was indeed rather acrobatic, with the continued drumming providing the rhythm, and the whirling of the costumes’ lappets adding to the visual effects. Occasionally, an Egungun would run into the crowd, creating a bit of a melee between spectators trying to get out of his way, and “handlers” whipping away left and right. The event’s energy and adrenalin were absolutely palpable in the air!
…And then the guy with a chicken on his hat came out!!!
Memorable afternoon indeed. But then again, how can one ever forget such a thing?
Towards the end of the afternoon, I was advised to leave the “show,” as things normally get a bit physically rough as the event winds down. I took the advice, so cannot report on the finale. I certainly can attest to the beauty and drama of the preceding hours!
Notes
[1] Drewal, Henry. “Whirling Cloth, Breeze of Blessing: Egungun Masquerades among the Yoruba.” In Homegoings, Crossings, and Passings: Life and Death in the African Diaspora, ed. R. Williams. Porter Ranch: New World African Press, 2011, p. 175
[2] Ibid., p. 178
[3] Lawal, Babatunde. The Gèlèdè Spectacle: Art, Gender, and Social Harmony in an African Culture. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1996, p16
Further Readings
- Baloubi, Désiré. “From Nigeria to Benin: Introducing the Ìdaacha Dialect of Yoruba.” In The Transformation of Nigeria: Essays in Honor of Toyin Falola, edited by A. Oyebade, 559-584. Trenton: Africa World Press, 2002.
- Baloubi, Désiré. “Beyond Those Arbitrary Borders.” In The Foundations of Nigeria: Essays in Honor of Toyin Falola, vol. 2, edited by A. Oyebade, 529-544. Trenton: Africa World Press, 2003.
- Bolin, Michael, Erika Kraus, and Felicie Reid. Benin (A Travel Guide Written by Former Peace Corps Volunteers). Durham: Other Places Publishing, 2014.
- Drewal, Margaret and Henry Drewal. “More Powerful than Each Other: An Egbado Classification of Egungun,” African Arts, vol. 11, no. 3 (1978), 28-39 & 98-99.
