STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF EGUNGUN MASKS IN KISHI

BY

ADEGBENJO, JOSEPH OPEYEMI

MATRIC NO.: 151120

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE

DEPARTMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS,

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES,
LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OGBMOMOSO,
OYO STATE.

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR AN AWARD OF

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY (B.TECH) IN FINE AND APPLIED ARTS

FEBRUARY, 2022

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 CERTIFICATION

I certify that this study, was carried out by ADEGBENJO, JOSEPH OPEYEMI, Matric Number

151120 of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Ladoke

Akintola University of Technology.

............................................. .........................................
Supervisor. Date
PROF. M.A AKINTONDE

.......…............................ ....................................
Head of department. Date
PROF. O.O. ONIYA

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 DEDICATION

This thesis, is dedicated to the Almighty God, who has been my guide since the beginning of
this program. I and also to my loving parents, my supervisor, siblings, and friends who have, in
one way or the other contributed to the success of this study.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am sure that I would need just as many pages as possible to do a good job of

acknowledging every single person who directly or indirectly made this thesis a reality.

However, I must make the best use of the limited space for acknowledgement.

First and foremost, I give thanks to the Almighty God and father who literally has

endowed me with words that filled these blank pages.

I will not hesitate to appreciate my able supervisor, Prof. M.A Akintunde for his

wonderful support, tutelage and advice. I appreciate his great contribution towards the success of

this study. My profound gratitude also goes to my parent, Mr. and Mrs. S.A. Adegbenjo for all

their supports and for believing in my dreams, and to all my siblings for their support and

tolerance throughout the process of this thesis.

Nevertheless, this work of acknowledgement is not complete without expressing my

profound gratitude to all my resource persons through which I was able to gather information for

the success of this study and to everyone who has contributed directly or indirectly to the success

of this thesis.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page 1

Certification 2

Dedication 3

Acknowledgements 4

Tables of Content 5

List of Plates 8

Abstract 9

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION 11

Research problem. 12

Scope of study. 13

Aim and objective. 15

Significance of study 15

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW. 16

The Arts of Egungun among Yoruba People 16

Role of Sculptures in Yoruba Egungun 17

Ifa and Egungun 18

Egungnu Tradition in Trado-Modern Society in South-Western Nigeria 22

Ará Òrun Kìn-ìn Kin-in: Masquerade in Communion and Maintenance

Of Ontological Balance 23

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CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Methodology 24

Study Design 24

Area of study 24

Study Population 25

Source of Research Data 25

CHAPTER FOUR
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF KISHI PEOPLE AND EGUNGUN TRADITION

The people of Kishi, Their Origin and Spiritual Believe 26

Historical Background 26

Exploration of the dual origin of a people 27

Egungun in Kishi 29

Types and Constituents of Egungun Costumes in Kishi 31

Spiritual Beliefs, Concepts and Performance Contexts 32

Classifications of Egungun in Kishi 35

CHAPTER FIVE

ANALYSIS OF EGUNGUN MASKS IN KISHI 37

Egungun Public Performance 37

Selected Samples of Egungun Masks 37

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CHAPTER SIX
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Summary 54

Conclusion 55

REFERENCES 57

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 LIST OF PLATES

Page

Plate 1 Onlo masquerade 38

Plate 2 Eegun Laroye 41

Plate 3 Eegun Danafojura (Ajayi agbo) 42

Plate 4 Eegun Danafojura (Oganla) 43

Plate 5 Eegun Ori-ade 44

Plate 6 Eegun Siaba 46

Plate 7 Eegun Larope 47

Plate 8 Eegun Tebogba 49

Plate 9 Eegun Sorobiagbon 50

Plate 10 Eegun Olore (Feyisipe) 51

Plate 11 Eegun Alakoro 53

Plate 12 Eegun Donkita / duro ko ki ika 54

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 ABSTRACT

The Yoruba people believe in the existence of a supreme being called Olodumare who cannot be

seen but they feel his existence. For this reason, they feel the necessity of someone or something

that will serve as an intermediary between them and Olodumare, the Supreme Being. Yoruba

people believe that egungun (masquerade) is the spirit of their ancestors and anytime it is being

celebrated, the spirit of their ancestors will come to visit them. Therefore, egungun is referred to

as ara-orun (the one from heaven). This is a shred of evidence that the Yoruba people believe in

afterlife concept. The egungun cults are referred to as the custodian of the ancestral spirit, this is

an attempt to reassure people about immortality and to reduce the fear of death through the

dramatic appearance of the spirit of the ancestor in the terrestrial world. The present study

focuses on the analyses of some selected egungun masks in Kishi. There are no written

publications on egungun from this Yoruba town of Oyo State, Nigeria. The present study

therefore aims at documenting the egungun masks in Kishi, thereby tracing the origins of some

egungun in the town, classifying their masks stylistically so as to add to the body of knowledge

and serve as a reference point to future researchers and related field of study.

This study was carried out in Kishi, Irepo Local Government Area, during an annual egungun

festival, between May and June 2021. The celebration provides an opportunity to interview Chief

Adebayo Adewuyi, Baloosa (chief priest) of Kisi on some salient issues concerning the

performance as well as costumes of the masquerades. The interview was equally backed up with

personal interview of some selected egungun custodians in the town, in addition to personal

observation. Attending the 2021 egungun festival and visiting the families of some selected

egungun masquerades were instrumental to gathering relevant information to complement the

response of the respondents. The study discovered that the egungun festivals receive special

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veneration, and more specifically, some egungun in Kisi represent ancestors incarnated to

commemorate their spirits. Some egungun are merely for secular purposes while some

incarnated to avert evil or upon the demands of certain gods from an individual or a family.

Egungun in Kishi town is not worshipped but appeased, it serves as an intermediary between the

devotee and Olodumare. Not all masquerades have headpiece, but headpiece serves as the seat of

supernatural power for the masquerade that has it. In addition to the spiritual importance of the

festivals to the devotees, it also fosters unity among the people of Kishi as everyone gathers to

watch the performance of the masquerades annually, irrespective of their religious belief.

Therefore, for the people of Kishi, especially the devotees, egungun festival goes beyond

entertainment but serves as bond for posterity and continuity of their tradition over the years. The

festival has impacted on the community, socially and economically.

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Egungun (eegun) is one of the significant aspects of Yoruba culture, according to the

ideology of the Yoruba people. For every hero in Yoruba land, a masquerade is made to

commemorate his spirit. The Yoruba believe that masquerade is the spirit of their ancestors and

anytime they appease and celebrate masquerade, they believe that the spirits of their ancestors

visit them, and this serves as the evidence that they are not alone but that the spirits of their

ancestors are still with them. Egungun in Yoruba is also referred to as Ara-Orun (the one who

comes from heaven/inhabitants of heaven).

The entire life of an average indigenous Yoruba is so configured and acculturated to the

existence of a supreme Deity called Olodumare (God), whom they believe cannot be seen or

accessed directly and in the light of this, they feel the inevitable essence of something which will

serve as an intermediary between Olodumare and them. This was what led to the creation,

molding, and setting up of Idols, which will serve as mediators between Olodumare and them.

Some images are carved, while some others are made of clay, ivory, or metals. Some others are

made of costumes and masks to represent the spirit of their ancestors or heroes because they felt

these alleged legendary people were powerful during their lifetime because of the supernatural

magical power they exhibited and explored. When they worshiped them, they believe they are

competent and so will carry their supplications to Olodumare. Many of these deities have

specific professions during their lifetimes, for instance, Ogun (god of iron) was a hunter.

The Yoruba people represent the spirits of their ancestors with masks or statues which

they consecrate and keep in a sacrosanct place, where the gods are being worshipped except for

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the supreme Deity (Olodumare), that is not represented because they do not know how He looks

like. The egungun cults are the custodian of the ancestral spirit, which is in an attempt to re-

assure the people of the credibility of immortality and to reduce the fear of the grip of death

through the dramatic appearance and performance of the ancestral spirit in the world of man. Not

all the heroes among the Yoruba have masquerades dedicated to them but all masquerades are

used to commemorate or represent the spirit of ancestors or heroes. But anytime an ancestor is

selected for worship, a mask has been carved or modeled after and for him, and suitable regalia

or costume is sewn with it.

The Yoruba masquerades are not only meant for commemorating the ancestral spirits;

some sacred masks are consecrated and sacrosanct to perform different functions. An example of

such is the Tebogba masquerade that is used for carrying sacrifice in Kishi. Another is Onlo

which is known for exposing witchcraft and to whom fertility is ascribed. This study was aimed

at a stylistic analysis of egungun masks in Kishi in Oyo state of Nigeria.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

 There has not been any written publication on egungun masks in the selected locality.

 It is expedient to carry out this research when the people that know much about the history

and origin of some certain masquerades in Kishi are still in existence.

 It is also important to carry out this work as early as possible to get complete and adequate

information, which will serve as a reference point and a legacy for future researchers and

allied areas of study as well.

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 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is to analyse some selected egungun masks in Kishi, Oyo state,

Nigeria.

Map 1.1: Map showing the southwestern states of Nigeria.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adeniyi-Fagbamigbe/publication/259959977/figure/fig1/

AS:297242977161228@1447879656431/Map-of-Nigeria-showing-the-relative-locations-of-the-

six-Southwest-states-of-Ekiti.png

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Map 1.2: Map of Oyo state, showing Kishi (Irepo Local Government)

Map 1.3: An overview map showing the streets in Kishi, https://www.google.com/maps/

place/Kishi/@9.0798187,3.8492438,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!

1s0x1036aecb46a0f9d7:0x569be2ad6a2ef262!8m2!3d9.0866702!4d3.8502617?hl=enNG

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AIM OF THE STUDY

This research aims to:

Document egungun masks in Kishi town because there has not been any publication on

egungun masks in Kishi.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 To trace the origin of some egungun in Kishi.

 To study the forms of the masquerades, styles and the materials used for the masks

and the costumes.

 To classify and analyze the masks stylistically.

 To know the relevance of egungun celebration to the community

 To study how the festival is being done.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this research is that it will add to the body of knowledge and

also serves as a reference point for future researchers as well as the related field of study.

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 The Arts of Egungun among Yoruba People

Egungun festival is one of the important aspects of Yoruba culture that cannot be ignored,

and it has also become one of the tourist attractions that positively affects the economy of the

locality in which the festival is being observed. Apart from being a tourist attraction, it also

fosters unity among the people in the locality. Egungun is celebrated in festivals and rituals

through the custom of masquerade. An elder from the egungun family called Alagbaa sometimes

presides over the ancestral rites, but egungun priests are the ones in charge of invoking the spirit

of the Ancestor. The chief priest in charge of invoking the spirit of the ancestor is known as

Alapini and the invocation is done when the egungun devotees drum, dance, and are possessed.

According to Lauren (1968), when the possession takes place, the spirit or god is believed to be

actually and perceptibly present. The dancer's spirit is suspended; his spirit momentarily departs

held in abeyance or hiatus and the spirit of the mask has taken over. When the wearer becomes

subservient to the spirit of the mask, he is often able to perform with skill greater than his own.

Lauren (1968) further suggests that the dance of possession is a moment when the gods through

the agency of man partake in human affairs usually to prophesy or perform acts that humans on

their own would be unable to.

Alade Aromashodu (2019) referred to egungun as a deity with colourful dress and one of

the greatest divinities in Yorubaland. The use of patchwork patterns, braids, sequins, tassels, and

amulets on the egungun costume is to make it beautiful and powerful. At times metallic objects

or mirrors are also sewn onto the garment, these catch the light as the masquerade moves,

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illuminating and creating flashes that suggest a connection to the spirit world. There are lots of

stories about the egungun cult and how it sprouted among the Yoruba. It refers to all types of

Yourba masquerades or masked, costumed figures. Specifically, it refers to the Yoruba masque-

rades connected with ancestral reverence, or to the ancestors themselves as a collective force.

Apart from the festive season, egungun masks are also performed during specific funeral rites, to

honour and mark the death of important personalities in the family.

Different egungun in Yorùbá land perform different duties, and their function varies from

the origin of their cult to the other. There is technically an egungun for every age grade,

association, worship of deities, artisan association, and cultural professionals in Yorùbá land

(Adebowale, 2020).

2.2 Role of Sculptures in Yoruba Egungun

Famule (2005) observes that in contemporary Africa, masking traditions abound cutting

across the northern, southern, eastern, western, and central regions. Thus, it could be argued that

masking traditions epitomize Africa's cultural identity. Gelede masks among the Egba, Egbado,

Awori, and other neighboring Yoruba subgroups, celebrate the women's spiritual power. The

purpose of this masquerade tradition is to make Iya Nla (the great mothers) use their spiritual

power positively. Both males and females participate in the rituals of gelede. While the female

attendants often dance with gelede masks that are displayed on wooden trays on their heads, their

male counterparts have the masks worn to cover some parts of their bodies. The gelede masks

display daily life scenes as well as serve as visual metaphors (Famule, 2005).

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 Kalilu (1991) believes many masks are memorial in intent, in an attempt by the masquera

ders to immortalize their names and images, they usually carve the masks as portraits. The pride

of being identified with one's family is a quality usually displayed by the Yoruba, hence masks

are carved with lineage attributes like face markings. Such masks may not perfectly resemble the

masqueraders but features such as face markings are descriptive details of the family to which

the masqueraders belong. Rather than being conceptual, sculpture in egungun is generally visual,

with no obscure symbolism attached. Therefore, the Yoruba world is heedless of individualism

and pomp. The use of images in egungun masquerade is born out of the Yoruba's high regard for

sculptured images. It seems, therefore, that it is a sweeping generalization to assert that African

art objects are seen only as fetish materials, representations of spirits, and objects of worship.

The philosophical and religious thoughts of the people may serve as the basis for many of

the objects, but the claim that "this is in order that the art objects can function and be looked

upon as sacred, religious objects and not as mere aesthetic objects do not sound plausible"

(Olapade, 1988).

Kalilu (1991) observes that it will be clear that the images used in egungun masquerade,

as well as in other traditional Yoruba religions, are generally for embellishment and not in any

way a representation of gods and spirits or objects of worship. Therefore, the unconscionable

view that all African art objects represent only spirits, that they are objects of worship and rituals

only, cannot be substantiated.

2.3. Ifa and Egungun

Ifa is the body of knowledge in form of oral history that was passed down to diviners by

Orunmila (the Yoruba god of divination and wisdom). Two of Ifa verses (OwonrinMeji and

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OturuponMeji) make us understand that egungun originated in Ile-Ife, the most ancient Yoruba

city. According to the author, the ancient people of Ile-Ife refer this type of egungun as ebora

(spirits) and not ancestors (Ara-Orun) as they are being referred to these days.

According to Fagbenjo (2013) egungun becomes a known deity in two different ways. In

the beginning, egungun was among the great divinities (Irumoles) that came directly from the

heaven beyond. History made us aware that there was once lived a great man whose name was

called Lapanpa, he was the one that started the cult of egungun. Fagbenjo narrates the

philosophical corpus related to the myths of egungun while citing the Ifa verses about the origin

of the masquerade in Yoruba land, and these goes thus:

''Ona ni ko to The path is not straight

Tarara ni mo ya I branch and follow the path

Lodifa fun lapanpa This divine Ifa oracle for lapanpa

Ti o ti alade orun That started his journey from the heaven above

Lo re e megungun waye To bring the cult of egungun to the physical world

Olodumare wa fun un legungun The believe that, God gave him egungun

Egungun ti eledumare fun lapanpa The type of egungun given to lapanpa by great God

Kii se eyi ti o da aso bori Was not the type that covered head with long cloth?

Sugbon o dabi ori But looks like a Shea-butter

Bi lapanpa ti gba kinni ti o dabi ori yii As Lapapa took the objects like Shea-butter

O npada bo wa saye He returned to the physical world

Oorun mimu si nyo ori ti lapanpa mu lowo''

The sun heated the Shea -butter brought by Lapanpa

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 He thought of what he could do to protect the Shea-butter from melting away, he later hid

the remaining Ori (Shea-butter) in his mouth to prevent it from total melting and wasting away.

On getting to the physical plane of existence. He wanted to utter a word saying, "mo de ti o fe ke

ni ohun re ba yi pada" (I have arrived, that he wanted to say, his voice changed). This was

because the Shea-butter had melted and slipped into his throat. His voice changed and resembled

not the voice of his contemporaries. He was ashamed of his voice, his character, and his life. He

was planning what to do to prevent the shame. He decided to cover his head with a cloth.

Whenever he wanted to speak out, he noticed a strange voice, completely different from the

normal voice of the generation of his days, thus, people became exceedingly gripped with fear.

People started to revere him, consequently resulting in the "egungun cult".

The second myth was, there was a great-grandchild of Oduduwa whose name was called

Obonba. This man had three children. The first child was called Alara, the second was called

Ajero, and the third was called Elekole. On reaching adulthood, they lived in different cities far

away from Ife. They later became the king of three different cities in Yoruba land. It was

believed that their grandmother killed their father Obonba because she was a witch, however, as

these three children become advanced in age, they wanted to inherit the exalted position of their

father. They were gripped with fear of their grandmother who had previously killed their father

with her witchery. This made them seek spiritual advice in the house of Ifa priest, who recited

the Oracle which verse came out thus:

"Paafa teere nii leke omi To torun ro wa ye

Lo difa fun Obonba

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Paafa Teere Is Always On the Surface of the River Tabi ajekaje ko si ni ka won"

Which divine Ifa oracle for Obonba

Who was coming from the heaven above to the Ifa priest advised them to offer sacrifice
physical world
Oyepe cloth two yards
Babalawo ni ki won ru ebo yii
Gogowu men cloth sixteen yard
Aso oyepe meji ati
When Ifa priests reached Igbo Igbale (the groove)
Aso gogowu okunrin alawe merindinlogun
The man who wanted to offer the sacrifice
Nigba ti awon babalawo de igbo igbale
Said he saw their father in heaven
Eni ti yoo se etutu so fun won pe
Telling him he should helped the three Children to be
brave and strong
Oun ri baba won lorun
And that they should always offer annual sacrifice to
O si so fun oun pe ki oun ki won laya him

Ati wipe ki won o maa ru ebo si oun lodoodun As a sign and pact toward ancestral support As a
remembrance of his continue existence
Eyi tio je ami ati apeere iranti oun
And their grandmother, who was his mother

Or any other witch would not have influence on their

Atipe ipa iya won agba blessing or overcome them

According to the tradition, the name of this Ifa priest was called Babatunde Esa Ogbin,

he was the first Alapinni, the head chief of the egungun cult in the land of Yoruba. The three

children of Obonba got all the sacrificial materials as prescribed by the Oracle, took them to

Igbo-Igbale (the groove). On getting to the groove, they tailored Oyepe cloth similar to egungun

cloth, they sewed gogowu cloth to cover the head of the image that looks like human structure,

and they did the same with shoes and the socks. Babatunde, the first priest of egungun cult, wore

the cloth and he went to the house of their grand-mother. On seeing their grandmother, she was

gripped with fear because she had not seen egungun in her life. The rumour in the cities was that

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the dead father of the children came to visit his children on earth. The rumour also reached their

grandmother, and she was filled with awe.

According to the myth, anybody under the attack of the witches and the wizards, Ifa

priest will invoke the spirit of egungun to deter such a negative vibration. The children claimed

their inheritance and they were installed as the king of three different cities in Yoruba-land. That

was how the egungun cult sprouted up in the land of Yoruba, from there, the cult gained

prominent significance among Yoruba in Diasporas and devotees of Ifa all over the world.

Egungun becomes a special divinity to be worshipped annually among devotees and also as a

sign and pact with the spirit of the dead to bring into manifestation the blessing of heaven upon

the people of the earth. It is also a remembrance of the spirit and the soul of the dead. It teaches

people that their beloved one who has departed to the world beyond should not be totally

forgotten but constantly be in their memory through the cult of Egungun. (In: What is

EGUNGUN_ _ Oyeku Ofun Temple.html 2013).

Egungun Tradition in Trado-Modern Society in South-Western Nigeria

There is a special category of spirits in the living-dead, the ancestors better referred to as

egungun masquerades, representing people who died and represented physically in costumed

figures (Aremu, 2012). These egungun masquerades are referred to as spirits and not ghost. This

is because egungun can talk, give commands, express feelings, and can be touched unlike ghosts,

who are invisible spirits, who cannot do any of the characteristics mentioned above. Egungun

lives in the family and is still considered to be part of the family. They are believed to be living

close to their homes where they lived when they were human beings. They show interest in their

surviving families, and in special regards to this, the families commemorate them in form of

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festivals, and people feel more at home with them in both memory and emotion. Aremu (2012)

suggests that egungun worship should not be seen as going against our modern religious beliefs,

since masquerade is a representation of our "dead father". His annual appearance should not be

seen as a religious celebration alone, but a welcome, whereby the left-behinds would then create

a joyous atmosphere to receive him casually with funfair before he departs to the world of the

spirits. Egungun masquerade, as a spirit from the celestial world, can be made to manifest the

power from the spirit world. Problems such as persistent sickness, poverty, barrenness in women,

poor harvest, and general backwardness of the entire community are taken care of when he

appears if properly and adequately appeased with rituals. What is important to realize is that the

spirit world, ranging from God to nature spirits and the ancestors can, to some degree, be

manipulated since the traditional societies are concerned with the maintenance of the spiritual

well-being and stability of the individuals and the group in the society. Egungun festival is

therefore the main avenue during which Baba Wa (our father); or baba mi (my father), could be

approached with various requests that relate to the sustainability of the society or individuals

(Aremu 2012).

Ará Òrun Kìn-ìn Kin-in: Masquerade in Communion and Maintenance of Ontological

Balance

The belief that there is life after death and that the spirits of the deceased are directly

involved in the daily affairs of the living are strong among the Òyó-Yorùbá people of south-

western Nigeria. These beliefs are evident in their egúngún culture, a decidedly Yorùbá masking

culture in which the spirits of long-dead ancestors are believed to manifest in bodily form as

egúngún, in re-visitation to the people they once knew and community they once lived in

(Akande 2018).

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 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

The approach to guide the analysis of egungun masks in Kishi in order to achieve the

earlier stated objectives is outlined here. This chapter provides the guideline through which this

research was carried out which entails study design, area of study, study population, source of

data, and method of data analysis.

Study Design

Literature was reviewed to explore related works in this area. The literature review included

published journal articles and internet articles. The study also included personal observation by

attending the 2021 Egungun festival in Kishi town. There was also interview aspect by talking

with the egungun devotees and custodians as well as some elders in the community.

Area of study

The research focused on the analysis of egungun masks, spiritual, and performance

context of egungun in Kishi area of Oyo state, Nigeria. The revelations made by interview

respondents will be applied to the intriguing questions raised by Father Kevin Carroll regarding

whether Yoruba masks/idols are fetish, ancestor spirit, or totemic emblems. Also, are they the

actual seats of supernatural forces or deities, or do they merely symbolize or represent them?

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Study Population

The Yoruba people of Kishi are the subject of this study. Their history and relationship with the

neighbouring ethnic group of Ibaruba are briefly discussed. The focus of the study is their

cultural practice and historical background of egungun tradition and analysis of the egungun

masks.

Source of Research Data

This study is the result of an intensive fieldwork in Kishi, Irepo Local Government area

of Oyo State, Nigeria. The festival under discussion takes place between May and June 2021 in

Kishi. The celebration provides an opportunity for the researcher to interview Chief Adewuyi

Adebayo, Baloosa of Kishi on some salient issues concerning the performance as well as the

costumes of egungun masquerade. The interview is equally backed up with personal interview of

some selected egungun custodians in the town. Therefore, the analysis that follows is an attempt

at situating the oral interview and the series of revelations within the framework of verbal art.

The interview was conducted on 20 egungun priests, 15devotees, and some elderly

people in Kishi Town. Personal observations were also done by attending the 2021 egungun

festival, and also visiting some of the families of some selected egungun masks in the town

which also go a long way in gathering relevant information to complement the response of the

respondents.

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 CHAPTER 4

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF KISHI PEOPLE AND

EGUNGUN TRADITION

The people of Kishi, Their Origin and Spiritual Believe

This chapter provides an overview of the cultural practice and historical background of

the people with a dual origin, i.e., the people of Kishi. The aim is to provide foundational

knowledge of the people and their Egungun tradition. It also focuses on the constituent of

egungun costumes, performance contexts and the classifications of egungun in the town.

Historical Background

Kishi is a large town in Oyo State, Nigeria, it is the headquarters of the Irepo Local

Government, and located in the northern part of Oyo state. Kishi is an extension of old Katunga,

the Oyo Empire, which collapsed in the 18th century as a result of Jihad activity by the

Hausa/Fulani of Ilorin, Kwara state. Kisi is about 250km from Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo

state, and about 150km from Oyo town. The present-day Oyo that came into existence after the

fall of the empire.

According to some oral history and tradition, different ethnic nationality such as the

Baruba, Yoruba, and Nupe have been in existence in Kisi since the 13th century. The first

inhabitant in a place called "Igbo-Ifa" was a crown prince of the Old Burgu Republic, Kilisi

Yeruma, a Baruba man. Subsequently, two Yorubas joined Kilisi Yeruma and ardently supported

him in the formation of the town. Later, the place was named "Kilisi", the name of the first

inhabitant. After the omission of the letters "l" and "i", it remains Kisi. This is the origin of the

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town's name. However, the corrupt version of the town's name, Kishi, is still revolving around

the original name. Today the name is either written as Kisi or Kishi.

In research conducted by Ahmad and Muhammad (2011), it was shown that Kisi, has

three predominant religions: Traditional, Christianity, and Islam. According to Ahmad and

Muhamed (2011), the traditional religion from Oyo-Ile reached the town in 1820. This claim

contradicts the fact that Kishi was originally referred to as Igbo-Ifa (Ifa Forest) as far back as 13 th

century. Thus, the people have been traditionalists from the beginning of time. The traditionalists

celebrate various festivals such as Egungun, Sango, Ifa, and Iyemaja.

Through Joseph Ladipo in 1910, Christianity reached the town. The first place of worship

was First Baptist Church. The second place of worship located at Ajegunle Area, Kisi, was

constructed in 1950. Islamic religion reached Kisi through a popular Oloyoyo family in 1868.

Later, Teefa's family was influenced by Oloyoyo's family. Both families propagated Islam in the

town and its environs.

Exploration of the dual origin of a people

As far back as the 12th Century precisely, 1301 A.D., the town (Kishi) was already in

existence. It began as different settlements, adventurer camps, and hamlets. The area that began

as old Kishi, since came into being, there has been no relocation or resettlement of the people in

the ancient kingdom. The town also had an impregnable defense network against external

aggression and was never conquered throughout its existence. It was also blessed with a lot of

historical sites.

The town was founded by the legendary Prince Kilisi Yeruma, who was said to have

come from then Dahomey Republic. The area is covered by the landscape of hills and mountains

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mixed with following streams and perennial rivers of Tege, Ajangba, Tesi, Gbandara, among

others. It is a natural attraction of people and vegetation. The vegetation comprises of rain forest

and savannah green land. Kishi is about 50km from old Oyo. All these combined to make the

entire landmass fascinating and good for settlement, hunting, and farming respectively.

Kishi is founded as a unity town from scores of settlements by Prince Kilisi Yeruma from

Nikki kingdom of now Benin Republic, who became her first king. The Kilisi Yeruma, from

history, was a grandson of Nikki's great priest, Kisra (A short history of Nigeria by C.R.Niven

1937), who was the spiritual leader of the Borgu tribe. Priest Kisra was said to have migrated

from the Arabia peninsular Enroute famous Borno Kingdom. King Kilisi Yeruma was also the

first son of Sabi (It is a royal custom for the first son born on the throne to be named Kilisi). Sabi

is one of the three warlord sons of the Priest Kisra. Sabi was the Prime king of Nikki, Borgu

province of Benin Republic that he founded. The remaining two, Woru and Bio, successfully

founded Illo (Sokoto State) and Bussa (Borgu part in Niger State, Nigeria) respectively.

However, the dual lineage of Kishi/Kisi was established with the marriage of the king of

Kilisi Yeruma to a regent from the Oyo empire, Adasobo. History reported that the Premier Iba

of Kishi/Kisi reigned when Alaafin Oranmiyan founded Old Oyo (1390/1400 AD).

Due to the historical motherly role of Yeye Adasobo throughout the Kishi/Kisi

countryside, sons and daughters in town and environs were given Yoruba names, likewise, the

Yoruba language was also embraced.

The name Kisi was ellipsed from Kilisi, the first name of the founder king Kilisi Yeruma

of the ancient town (the royal name for the first son on the throne). The record analysis showed

that the accommodating nature of the town favoured the influx of different immigrants of Old

Oyo Empire during her trial times. Thus, the popularity of going to the town of Kilisi aided the

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historical realization of Kishi perfectly. As the Kilisi Kingdom of the time has a formidable

defense network against external aggression, especially from Ilorin and Nupe emirates. Not only

that, but the town also serves as a trans genuine Savanah caravan route terminus from the

southwest (Ibadan/Iseyin) to the seat of Sokoto caliphate (Babs Fafunwa, History of Education in

Nigeria).

Unlike most Yoruba groups in southwestern Nigeria, the royal family of Kishi has a dual

legendary ancestral origin, traceable to Oyo Alaafin and to Ile-Ife, located at the central part of

southwestern Nigeria and to the royal family of Ibarubas of the Old Burgu Republic, located in

the present-day Benin Republic which gave them certain peculiarities that define their identity

and distinguished them from other Yorubas in their traditions and cultural practice.

Egungun in Kishi

The egungun in Kishi as a form of artistic response to spirituality. The egungun does not

operate as the channel of communication with the spirit beings alone but also regarded as a spirit

being itself by their devotees and also called by different names that amplify their spirits and

attributes. Examples of these are: Tebogba, the one that is capable of bearing/carrying the

sacrifice; Donkika/ Duro ko ki Ika, transcribe as wait and pay homage to the wicked; Alakoro,

the one that has attained the rank of Akoro / the one that has Akoro; Danafojura, known for its

love and affection for burning flames, and many others. These mythical attributes have

unquestionably convinced the devotees of the masquerade capability of meeting their spiritual

needs.

According to (Lawal, 1978), the Yoruba art is used to honour and communicate with

divinities whose spiritual support is deemed vital to individual and corporate survival. Ojo

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(1978) also in his work titled "The symbolism and significant of epa-type masquerade

headpiece" observed that names of the headpieces, as well as the name of the masquerades, are

based on the sculptural motifs on the superstructure of the headpiece, However, the motifs on the

superstructure headpiece/masks suggest the spiritual and secular attributes of each of the

masquerades that have them.

In his study titled ''Yoruba Masks; Notes on masks of the North-East Yoruba country",

Father Kevin Carroll raised an intriguing question that needs to be answered by every Yoruba

Art scholar whose research is related to sculpted/ carved headpiece or masks. The question says:

"Are Yoruba Masks/Idols, fetish, ancestor spirit, or totemic emblems? Are they the actual seats

of supernatural forces or deities, or do they merely symbolize or represent them? John

Pemberton III (1978), Marylyn Hermersely Houlberg (1978), and Kalilu (1991) among others

have responded to the questions based on individual observations at their research focuses.

Based on the information obtained on the interview with Ajayi Adewumi Elesu, the

custodian of eegun laroye and other egungun custodians in Kishi, it shows that masquerades

headpieces/idols that are molded serve as the seat of power or place where the power of the

masquerade is housed. Examples of these are legendary masquerades like eegun bara, eegun

larope, duronkika, tebogba and Onlo among others. While some other masquerades with carved

headpieces/masks did not have their power in the mask. Examples of which are eegun sereyemi

and eegun gbogi. He also emphasized that every masquerade that has a sculptural headpiece has

it as the seat of their supernatural power and without this, there is no masquerade.

John Rowland Ojo also corroborated what Ajayi Adewumi Elesus’ point of view on the

spiritual nature of the masquerade’s head piece in his work titled "The symbolism and significant

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of epa-type masquerade headpiece". He made it known that names of the headpieces, as well as

the name of the masquerades, are based on the sculptural motifs on the superstructure of the

headpiece. However, the motifs on the superstructure headpiece/masks suggest the spiritual and

secular attributes of each of the masquerades that have them.

On the contrary, Pemberton in his study of Igbomina-Yoruba masquerades asserts that

"carvings have nothing to do with the power of masquerade but at best reflect the pride and

affluence of the owner and the lineage to which it belongs" (Famule cited Pemberton III 1978).

Also, Kalilu (1991) in his work titled "Role of Sculptures in Yoruba egungun masquerade”,

shows that masquerades carved headpiece/ masks in Ogbomoso are neither representations of

gods or spirit, nor objects of worship. Thus, he believed that the sculptures are not all-important

in egungun costume.

It is important not to ignore the unhealthy states of egungun tradition in Yorubaland.

This is due to the use of egungun to carry out ulterior motives because of the divine attributes of

egungun. Yoruba believes that whatever an egungun does, good or bad, must not be questioned

or challenged by anyone. Acting under the disguise of this, some individuals used some

masquerades to commits some atrocities and also to bully some people which sometime leads to

a religious crisis among the devotees and other religions. While such situation has been recorded

in the past in Kishi, the festival was generally peaceful during the time of this study.

Types and Constituents of Egungun Costumes in Kishi

There are distinguished categories of egungun in Kishi town, regarding their physical

appearance and attributes, that is, their costume composition/ ensembles (eku egungun). Hence

these categorizations are only based on their physical attributes and have nothing to do with their

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spiritual status. Egungun in Kishi can also be categorized based on the type of their masks or

headpiece and also by their performance context. This will be further clarified under

Classifications of Egungun in Kishi section and chapter 5 of this report.

Clothing is an important aspect of Yoruba culture, of which their belief equates

nakedness with infancy, insanity, or lack of social responsibility. An elaborate dress also

represents and reflects social power and prestige. In performances honoring ancestors, exquisite

clothing is the major medium for the masker's transformation. An egungun costume is composed

of multiple layers of cloth lappets made from expensive and prestigious textiles expressing the

wealth and status of the family as well as the power of the ancestor (curled from “The egungun

as Yoruba cultural renaissance” - Vanguard News, 2019).

To beautify the costume, and also makes it powerful, the lappets are decorated with

patchwork patterns, braids, sequins, tassels, cowries, and amulets. The amulets hold medicinal

preparations which have Ase (performance power), protecting against enemies at a time when the

transformed person is vulnerable. The main protective amulets, however, are on the inside of the

costume, not the outside. For some masquerades, metallic objects or mirrors are also sewn onto

the garment. These catch the light as the wearer moves, creating flashes that suggest a

connection to the spirit world.

Spiritual Beliefs, Concepts and Performance Contexts.

To fully interprets the intentional aspects of the performance contexts of African art, the

place of the research that prioritizes the study of performance context of African religion, ritual,

festivals, and ceremonies such as that of egungun where the art of Textile/ Costumes, Music,

Sculpture/Ceramics, Painting, and Dance plays an important role cannot be sidelined.

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 The egungun in Kishi is a form of artistic response to spirituality and much more.

Egungun in Kishi did not just operate as a channel of communication with the spirit beings

alone, but also regarded as a spirit being by their devotees and also called by different names

which amplify their spirits and attributes and the specific tasks they perform. For example, eegun

tebogba (that is ''the one that is capable of carrying Propitiations'') is used to carry propitiation

for the whole community. No wonder, J.G. Frazer (1900) said religion is "a propitiation or

conciliation of powers superior to man, which are believed to direct and control the course of

nature and human life. Babatunde Lawal (1978) in his view of art’s significance among Yoruba

people, wrote; Art among Yoruba is used to honor and communicate with divinities, whose

spiritual support is deemed vital to individual and corporate survival. Other examples of

attributes and the specific tasks they perform by egungun include Duro ko ki ika or donkika

transcribe as wait and pay homage to the wicked and Danafojura, that is known for its affection

for burning flame, among others. These divine attributes have unquestionably convinced the

devotees of the masquerade's capability of meeting their spiritual needs.

While some masquerades are used to perform some specific tasks, some are for

commemorating the spirits of their ancestors while some are used majorly for entertainment

(eegun alare in Yoruba language) and these masquerades in the process of entertaining the

spectators and honoring the spirits of their ancestors, the masqueraders have to display

accomplished dance steps or skills so as not to bring shame to his Idile (family/lineage). As this

is reflected in the Yoruba saying "Bi Eegun eni ba joo re, ori a ya atokun (if the masquerade

dances impressively, the owner(s) will feel very proud and happy). Contrarily, if the masquerade

doesn't dance well, the owner will be ashamed. According to the tradition, what constitutes the

poor performance of the masquerades is the inability of the masquerades to follow the Yoruba

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drumming speaking tones messages that the masquerades are expected to act upon, which goes

in a long way affecting the performance context of the masquerade, examples of the Drum

speaking tones are:

"Eegun o!!! O le fe!!! O le se bi baba re se n se (transcribed as Masquerade, you

cannot do as your ancestors do) or b’oba sepe emi ni’wo ni, nba f’apa jo; b’oba sepe emi

ni’wo ni, nba f’ese jo; b’oba sep emi ni’wo ni, nba fi gbogbo ara gbon-ri-ri-ri-ri-ri-ri

(transcribed as, if I were you, I would dance with my hands; if I were you, I would dance

with my legs; if I were you I would shake my entire body continuously).

The invocation is done when the worshippers dance, drum, and become possessed by the

ancestral spirits. The invocation is done by the priest called alapinni. The chief priest that

invokes the spirit of the ancestors is called alapini. The festival is celebrated annually, and it also

contributes positively to the economy of the community, as well as fosters unity among

indigenous people.

Egungun also comes out and performed during specific funeral rites, marking the death of

important personalities. Egungun festival is common among the Egba, Egbado, Oyo, and other

parts of the South-West; and it is held between November and April when there is usually no

rainfall. The belief is that the ancestors should not suffer by being drenched by rain.

The masquerade ensemble acts as the medium for the masker’s transformation into his

ancestors. An egungun society is composed of men and women whose lineages have the right to

present the masquerade. According to the Yoruba's masquerades tradition, it is only the men

from the family that do the masking and wear the costume. Although women don't mask or wear

egungun costume, they do participate in the rites by singing praise chorus, and histories of the

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families. Elderly women of high title also perform invocations, prayers, and offerings. During

the annual festivals in Kishi, each of the numerous lineages is given a separate day and location

to perform, some masquerades were chosen to perform in the palace quarters while some are to

perform in some landmark area in the Town. The masker is kept at a distance from the

surrounding crowd with the help of attendants dressed in masquerade costumes of different

types. After all the egunguns have danced, the ensembles will be returned to the groove or shrine

till the next festival or performance.

Classifications of Egungun in Kishi

Based on my observation and research, egungun in Kishi can be classified based on these

three criteria:

1. Classification Based on Performance Context: This categorization has to do with the

way the masquerade behaves when possessed or when dancing, its body movements, and

the type of drum used for the masquerades.

2. Classification Based on their type of Masks: this categorization is only based on the

physical appearance and location of the Egungun masks and headpiece; hence, it has

nothing to do with their spiritual status

3. Based on their spiritual functions: This categorization has to deal with their spiritual

power, functions, and why they were created

S/ Name Of Spiritual Function Category Mask type

N Masquerades
1. Onlo Exposing witchcrafts Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
and ascribing fertility (Alagbara)
2. Laroye Sacred Masquerade Headpiece

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 (Alagbara)
3. Danafojura(Ajayi Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
Agbo) (Alagbara)
4. Danafojura (Oganla) Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)
5. Ori-ade Secular (Alarinjo) Headpiece
6. Siaba Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)
7. Larope Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)
8. Tebogba Carrying propitiation Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)
9. Sorobiagbon Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)
10. Olore(Feyisipe) Sacred Masquerade Facial Mask
(Alagbara)
11. Olore (Balogun) Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)
12. Alakoro Secular (Alarinjo) Facial Mask
13. Donkika Battle Sacred Masquerade Headpiece
(Alagbara)

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 CHAPTER FIVE

ANALYSIS OF EGUNGUN MASKS AND HEADPIECES OBSERVED DURING THE

2021 EGUNGUN FESTIVAL IN KISHI

Egungun Public Performance

The performance of egungun would not have existed without the imitative constituents, such as
the identity of the family. These are synonymous with movements and encompass both artistic
and ceremonial undercurrents. The performance is accompanied with the appropriate masks,
costume, and music. The usage of these masks and costumes depends on the type of masquerade,
the family belongs to and the spiritual function. Thus, movements become a significant means of
communication of the script as indigenous performances rely greatly on communicative delivery
and reception that may be achieved through imitation of the original steps, retrieved from their
mythical entanglements. Hence, performances have both communicative and aesthetic
capabilities.

The movements of egungun masquerades reveal an infirmity of gait as they dance

forward and backward. They hesitate upon every movement while dancing in a conscious effort
at modestly presenting their dexterity (won njo siba sibo). This display of amateurish dance
steps, depicting a novice’s attempt at a performance informed by limited understanding and skills
becomes a symbol of the cult’s association with wisdom. Thus, wisdom is associated with
modesty, calculation, and conscious delivery. As the masquerades symbolize the rare visitation
of the ancients, they dance as if they lack the skills, and sing in voices exhibiting links with both
celestial and terrestrial worlds. As the performance gathers momentum, their unparalleled
demonstrations negate the original reluctance.

Selected Samples of Egugun Masks

Onlo Masquerade

Onlo masquerade belongs to the family of Ojebola, the alagbaa of Kishi traditional

councils. The masquerade is known for exposing witchcraft, and it is also the one to whom

fertility is ascribed. This masquerade is one of the ancestral and powerful masquerades known

for different functions in Kishi. Onlo masquerade belongs to the category of masquerade in Kishi

referred to as eegun alagbara (powerful masquerade), i.e., unlike other masquerades, it is seen in

the public once in three years.

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Mask Description: The headpiece is made up of a black anthropomorphic wooden headpiece

(Plate 1). It possesses a human head and has the depiction of family tribal marks on its face. It is

dressed in a distinct industrially manufactured black costume and the fabric is attached directly

to the headpiece with a hand-woven net having different stripes on its face. This net enables the

masquerader to see through. Unlike other masquerades that have their hands covered with

gloves, this masquerade does not wear gloves. It holds an axe in its right hand and sorghum in its

left and wears locally woven fabrics as its shoe.

Plate 1: Onlo masquerade

Mask type:Headpiece
Medium: wood
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

It is imperative to note that the masquerade does not dance, and it has no drums. Only

those to whom fertility has been granted, through the Onlo masquerade by Olodumare, are to
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sing his praises anytime he performs in the public. Whenever the masquerade desires to enter any

compound, it does so by jumping over the fence of the house to arrest the evil people at work and

this earns it an appellation "a gbeburu wole Iya aje, atakoro wonu ile eleye" (he enters witch’s

house via the backdoor, he enters evil possessed women’s house unanticipated). And whenever it

enters a house and it smashes the strand of sorghum he holds in his hand on the ground, the

number of the seed(s) that drops equates the number of witches in the house and any witches that

faces him will defecate till death.

Bara Masquerade

Eegun Bara alongside Laarope and Duronkika are the legendary masquerades brought

from Oyo-Ile to Kishi in the early 16th Century (exactly 1520AD), during the reign of Alaafin

Onigbogi. Oseetan (also known as agbo elesu) brought the Bara masquerade alongside his Esu

figure which is the family's idol. Bara costume, made of black and red Fabrics, is being worn by

Oseetan anytime he wills to carry his Esu figure around the town, and it is peculiar to every

elesu's Family i.e. the Esu devotees, with each of the masquerades having its own Esu idol. The

black colour of the costume portrays it as an idol that can change or manipulates itself within a

twinkle of an eye, and the red colour characterizes it as a powerful being. According to one of

the respondents from the family, Mr. Ajayi Adewumi Elesu, the propitiation of eegun Bara

cannot be done without the Esu figure because Esu figure is what brought about the masquerade,

which implies that eegun Bara is being appeased to with the same thing. After all, eegun Bara is

being kept at the Esu shrine with the belief that whenever they are appeasing the Esu figure, they

are doing the same to the masquerade. This masquerade is known for the same function as the

Esu figure who is in charge of sending away calamities and pandemics (ajogun). Unlike other

masquerades, it comes out once in two years during the festival carrying its Esu figure around to

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bless people, but whenever it comes out to honour or mourn one of the dead in the family, it

doesn't carry the figure. This masquerade is fearful and powerful due to its appearance and

presence of cowries all over its red and black costume, it also carries Esu figure coupled with a

big kunmo (baton) which brought about the rhythm.

E je ki Bara o wole Allow Bara to enter

Be je ki Bara o wole If you don't allow Bara to enter

Eyin o ri kunmo ti laroye mu lowo don’t you see the baton that laroye carries?

Omu, latopa omu kenke Omu, latopa omu kenke.

Laaroye Masquuerade

Eegun laroye belongs to the category of masquerade referred to as eegun alagbara (powerful

masquerade) in Kishi. Bara masquerade still exists but those who know about the masquerade

and how to appease it are no more and therefore can no longer be displayed or perform publicly.

This brought about the existence of Laroye as a substitute, which implies that Laroye evolves

from Bara and they portray the same attributes and serve the same function.

Mask Description: Bara also has a headpiece with cowries and thunderstone patterned all over

its body (Plate 2). Its costume is made up of red and black traditional woven fabrics. The black

colour of the costume portrays it as an idol that can change or manipulates itself within a twinkle

of an eye, and red as a powerful being. The red colour likewise speaks of its association with

Sango (god of thunder). Whenever it comes out, it carries its Esu figure on its left hand, coupled

with a deadly baton on its right hand. It dances to bata drums whenever it comes out or during its

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performance. Eegun laroye, unlike other masquerades only comes out once in two years because

it comes from the same family with Danafojura of Ajayi Agbo. Any year this masquerade

performs, Danafojura will wait till the next year and vice versa.

Plate 2: Eegun laroye

Photograph: Ajayi Adewumi Elesu

Danafojura Masquerade (Agbo family)

Eegun Danafojura is also one of the ancestral masquerades in Kishi. It belongs to the

category of eegun alagbara in Kishi, and also known as warrior masquerade. The masquerade

was founded around the 16th century between the reign of Alaafin Onigbogi and Alaafin

Ofinran.

During the war that led to the exile of Alaafin Onigbogi, the Nupe set ablaze all the

buildings in the kingdom including that of this family too, of which one of their children was left

in the burning house and take refuge inside the Costume which has the power to resist burning

flames. The masquerade earns itself the name danafojura due to its affection for burning flames.

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According to the custodian of the masquerade, danafojura has been used for war in the time past

when the foes were using swarm of bees to attack them, which caused them to bring out this

masquerade with fire which gave them victory over their enemies.

Mask Description: Eegun danafojura kind of headpiece is covered with a black traditional

woven fabric which portrays it as a powerful masquerade (Plate 3). The black colour also signify

potency and likewise a masquerade that has been soaked in agbo/aro (empowering substances or

concoction). It also has cowries and gourd scattered all over its costume. There are four human

skulls arranged on the four cardinal of its head and nine mini bells arranged horizontally on its

padded chest.

Plate 3: Eegun danafojura (Agbo family)

Mask type: headpiece
Photograph: Ajayi Adewumi Elesu

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Danafojura Masquerade (Oganla family)

This masquerade was incarnated upon the request of the gods, according to the custodian of the

masquerade. The custodian already has his masquerade that he appeases and celebrate every year

which was named Soroko. His own Danafojura came into existence due to the dream he has that

the masquerades want to be living under his roof, this dream has been recurring over time till a

ateful day when he was supposed to perform with his Sorokio masquerade which got missing for

a while and was later seen. This makes them to consults the elders and the oracle and he was then

instructed to incarnate the Danafojura masquerade. According to one of the respondents, it is the

masquerade type that will determine the type of mask to be used. Danafojura of the Oganla

compound, like other Danafojura of Agbo family, portrays the same characteristics but different

physical features.

Mask Description: Unlike Danafojura of Agbo Elesu, it only has opa alarere (cowries)

patterned round its headpiece, and a red strip tied round its headpiece (Plate 4). Its ensemble is

made of a traditional black woven fabric, it also has an affinity for burning flames.

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 Plate 4: Eegun Danafojura (Oganla family)
Mask type: headpiece
Photograph: Ogunsina J. Dayo

Ori Ade Masquerade

Eegun Ori Ade belongs to the Oluwo of Kishi, Oluwo Ajayi. There are three Ori Ade

masquerades (Plate 5) which belong to the category of masquerades known as eegun alare, i.e.,

masquerade for secular reasons and entertainment. Unlike the masquerades in the category of

powerful masquerades, their costumes are made with different and colourful fabrics separated

into lappets. The lappets are designed with Z-like fabrics sown round its edges. The headpiece

rests on a flat board to which the lappets were attached. The headpiece is also made up of

colourful fabrics materials with tinsels attached to the flat board round their headpiece. it also has

a horizontal stripe hand woven net on its front which allows the masquerader to see through

when performing.

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 Plate 5: Eegun ori-ade
Mask type: headpiece
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

Siaba Masquerade

Eegun siaba is one of the legendary masquerades in Kishi. It also belongs to the category

of powerful masquerades (eegun alagbara). It belongs to the family of Baba eleta in Molete.

Masquerade Description: Eegun siaba costume is made up of oyster gray traditional woven

fabric, it has a buffalo horn in its right-hand which houses swarm of bees (Plate 6). On its

headpiece is a life chameleon crawling with three skulls. It also has cowries scattered all over its

body. Eegun siaba has its own special drum used for its procession whenever it comes out to

perform with the rhythm:

call: siaba siaba response: o da’kiri wo

response: o di ikoko call: Siaba siaba

call: sebe ori amo response: turned to wolve

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call: black cobra on drinking pot response: has become a spectacle

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 Plate 6: Eegun siaba
Mask type: headpiece
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

Laarope Masquerade

Egungun Laarope is one of the masquerades that followed Alaafin Onigbogi from Old

Oyo Empire (Oyo-Ile) to Kishi in 1520AD, it is an ancestral masquerade and belongs to the

category of powerful masquerades. It belongs to the family of Petu Maje.

Mask Description: Unlike other powerful masquerades, eegun Laarope costume is made up of a

traditional woven fabrics with different shades of green stripes on it (Plate 7). It does not wears

shoe or hand gloves like other masquerades. Below the hand-woven net sown on the ensemble,

which enables the masquerader to see through, another brown woven fabric called apo is

attached to it where other charms are being kept by the masquerade. Part of what made up the

masquerade headpiece is edun ara (thunderstone). It also has a tiger skin and skin of some wild

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animals on its costume. On his right hand, the masquerade holds a wooden axe, which is said to

be used by the masquerade to fight and scare off people.

Plate 7: Eegun Laarope

Mask type: headpiece
Photograph: Mesach Ojo

Tebogba Masquerade
Tebogba is also one of the major and ancestral masquerades in Kishi and it also belongs

to the category of powerful masquerade i.e. eegun alagbara. It does not come out annually like

other masquerades. It only comes out when the need arises, or it is required to perform its

function.

Tebogba as its name implies is the masquerade used to carry ebo (propitiation) for the

whole community whenever the need arises.

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Mask Description: It has a pot like headpiece made of leather (Plate 8). The costume is attached
directly to the headpiece and is made of a black traditional woven fabric and cowries strands
attached vertically round its headpiece. It wears a bright colour woven fabrics of red, green and
yellow colour as its shoe.Plate 8: Eegun Tebogba
Mask type: headpiece
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

Sorobiagbo Masquerade

Sorobiagbon is one of the modern-day masquerades in Kishi. These types of

masquerades were incarnated to avert evil or upon the request of certain gods. The custodian of

this masquerade has been attacked on annual basis by wasp, and when he consults the elders, he

was told to incarnate a masquerade. According to one of the respondents, any of this type of

masquerade must have black as part of the colour for the masquerades costume, the blue colour

on the padded patchwork of the masquerade is to embellish and beautify the costume. Part of the

constituent of the patchwork is ilarun (a cutting comb) and a mini bell on the fore front of its

headpiece (Plate 9). The cowries on its body are known as orisa oko alarere/ opa alarere, the

cowries were also attached to a rope as a strand carefully place on four sides of the headpiece,

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the masquerade also holds a Cutlass (apasa) on his right hand, the masquerader also wears a

factory woven gloves on his two hands to cover his hand.

Plate 9: Eegun Sorobiagbon

Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

Olore Masquerade

The Masquerade, eegun Olore belongs to the family of Feyisipe in Kishi and it is

categorized as a powerful masquerade due to the magical power it possesses. According to the

devotees, it is a believed that whenever the stripes of their ore (cane) hit anyone, it cleanses and

sends away the evil spirits out of them.

Mask Description: The mask is a facial mask like that of Alakoro (another masquerade to be

discussed later), but it is made with wood, and painted blue and nude colour (Plate 10). The

masquerade is dressed in blue and white stripe woven fabrics with red clothes tied around its

waist.

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 Plate 10: eegun olore (Feyisipe)
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

Alakoro Masquerade

Alakoro is not just a masquerade as others, as the name implies "ala-akoro". It is a two-

syllable word ala and akoro meaning the owner of akoro (coronet) or the one that has attained

the rank of akoro. Akoro, among the Eso's (guardians of the kingdom) in the old Oyo empires, is

a cadre or rank that is being awarded to them.

According to oral tradition from the members of the Dariagbon's family in Kishi and

some of the respondents, the mask of akoro originated from the old Oyo empire (Samuel

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Johnson, 1921). Thompson (1973) also recorded the presence of alakoro masks in Kishi, and this

is most suggestive, especially since the owner of the mask independently date their object to just

before the fall of Oyo-ile, the ancient capital of Oyo empire. According to one of the

respondents, Mr. Bimpe Aderunmu, he explains the masks came into existence as camouflage to

enter into the midst of the enemies, he further explains that, a brave warrior is dressed in red

regalia with human hair and the masks as that of a woman and is sent among the enemies. They

couldn't attack him because they felt it was a woman and this brought about how the warriors in

these masks launch an attack on them and prevail. The function of the masks was also to startle

and intimidate the enemies as they appear in the rhythm:

Sebi e le o duro Didn’t you say you will wait

E o le duro You can’t wait
Sebi e le o duro e rija wa Didn’t you say you will wait to see our fight
E o le duro e rija wa You can’t wait to see our fight
Fere kufe Run, run, run
Eru la fi nda bomo ojo It is a way to scare the child of the coward

Alakoro, unlike other masquerades, doesn't come out annually and does not have any rite

to perform for appeasing it or the gods, it is just a mask used or worn to honour the ancestors of

the past.

Description: A man is dressed in red regalia, holding a sword with a synthetic human hair

attached to the grotesque brass mask with lips closed suggesting dignity and the calm oval shape

of the mask makes it a pleasing envelope for facial details (Plate 11). The asymmetrical

placement of the eyes shows this probable suggestion of a death mask.

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 Plate 11: eegun alakoro
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

Donkika Masquerade

Eegun Donkika or Duronkika is also one of the powerful masquerades in Kishi. It is a

warrior masquerade. As the name implies duro ko ki ika (wait and pay homage to the wicked)

Mask Description: The costume is made up of a traditional black woven fabric with leaves tied

around its headpiece (Plate 12), which serves as a means of identification for its followers as a

way to prevent the masquerade from attacking them. It also has a black open net which enables

the masquerader to see through the costume and cowries arranged vertically towards the padded

patchwork. The masquerader holds a short axe on his right hand with the left hand hidden under

the costume.

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 Plate 12: Eegun Donkika/duro ko ki ika
Photograph: Adegbenjo Joseph Opeyemi

CHAPTER SIX

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

SUMMARY

The Spiritual and secular importance of the Egungun festival among the people of Kishi

and its environment have been reviewed. Critical perspective of Egungun in Kishi within the

larger context of the tradition among the Yoruba people of Nigeria was also explored. The study

also highlights the critical issues affecting the tradition among the people and the relevance of

this thesis to addressing the problem.

Egungun festival is one of the important festivals in Kishi. It receives special veneration

and more specifically, it is celebrated to commemorate the spirit of their ancestors. Egungun is

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also a visible manifestation of the spirits of departed ancestors who periodically revisit the

human community for a celebration and to bless his devotees/children.

Egungun among the people of Kishi is not just created, some are made to commemorate

the spirit of their ancestors, some are merely for secular purpose, while some others are made to

avert evil or on the demands of certain god from an individual or the family. An example of the

latter is Sorobiagbon, which was created when wasp insects were attacking the masquerader on

yearly basis. Another similar example is Danafojura of Oganla family which keeps on appearing

to the masquerader in his dream that he wants to be living with him. Egungun in Kishi is not

worshipped but serves as an intermediary between them and Olodumare (the Almighty God) and

thereby serves as a spiritual conduit. The headpiece is the seat of the supernatural power for the

masquerades that have them.

In addition to the impacts and importance of the festivals to the devotees, it also fosters

unity among the people of Kishi as everyone gathers to watch the performance of the

masquerades annually, irrespective of their religion. Therefore, for the people of Kishi,

especially the devotees, Egungun festival goes beyond bond for posterity and continuity of the

festival over the years. The festival has impact on the community socially and economically.

CONCLUSION

It is important to note that egungun in Kishi, just as in most African traditions, is beyond

the mask and mere representation of the ancestral spirit. Its dramatic appearance annually in its

costume is a proof of their belief in the afterlife concept, which reduces the grip of fear of death

among them. The egungun festival also gives an evidence of their ancestor's temporary

reappearance on earth, reassuring them that there is life after death.

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 Egungun is not only considered an ancestral spirit alone, but also given different names

that amplify their spirit, based on their physical features and spiritual attributes. For example,

Danafojura known for its affinity for burning flames, and Tebogba, the one who can carry

propitiations, among others. Apart from the names given to Egungun, the type of drum/music

they beat during the procession also influences their performance.

The masquerade headpiece serves as the seat of the supernatural power for the

masquerade that has it. The mask serves as a medium for the masker's transformation into its

ancestors. Irrespective of their religious affiliation, the Egungun festival among the people is one

of the festivals everyone in the community looks forward to, as it fosters unity and serves as a

bond for posterity and continuity.

Finally, the conceptualization of egungun as a religion among the devotees can be said to

be synonymous with the Christian belief that Jesus Christ is the intermediary between them and

the Almighty God. In a similar vein, egungun serves as a conduit/intermediary between the

devotees and Olodumare (Almighty God), leaving them with expectations following the annual

rituals that he will bless them. The masquerades serve as an artistic response of the devotees to

spirituality and means of communing with the extraterrestrial world.

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