Members of some secret societies wear miniature masks of wood or ivory as badges of membership or symbols of their rank. Masquerades play a central role in many cultures in western and central Africa. They are less common in northern, eastern, and southern Africa , although they occur among a few groups in these regions. The Chewa people of rural Malawi hold ceremonies with individuals wearing spirit masks when a new village headman takes office.
People in many societies believe that spirits become visible and perform through masquerades. The Dan of Ivory Coast and the Ibo of Nigeria believe that the spirits of the forest act out masquerades. Powerful water spirits perform during yearly masquerades in other Nigerian communities.
Spirits acting through masked performers oversee the symbolic rebirth of adolescents into adults. However, it is imperative to note that the spirits carried out the functions in conjunction with the different groups of people; the Edion elders , the Ohen priest. These masquerades also supported and presided over the transformation and initial of different groups within the society. The spirits are believed to be present during the initiation of young men and women ushering them into different cadres and roles within the society.
It supported their learning of new roles and guided the initiates as they supported the community. Another role of the masquerade spirit in the Esan community was socio-political control. Traditional African societies were plagued with socio-political conflicts, and the spirits were required to preside over negotiation and arbitration of such cases. Since the Esan community had different groups of people, the young initiates, and the elders and the masquerade working in conjunction, it was easy to deliver judgment to the people who went against the set society norms and values.
Given that societies understand the concept of peace, the Esan people were also faced with hostilities arising from boundaries between neighboring communities of people.
During such situations, the agreements were done at the Okoven; the boundary under conflict. Among the Senufo people of Ivory Coast, the masks were danced mainly by men. However, their types of masks were symbolic Olupona, Some masks were small while others were large with peculiar features that described different powers.
However, the masquerades performed during initiation and even at funerals. Fig 1. During funerals, the dancing of the masks closer to the corpse was symbolic to the expulsion of the deceased from the community. In some instances, several masquerades converge to perform at a festival especially during a prominent personality funeral. The masks with the peculiar symbols of crocodiles, hyena, and open jaws on their masks were an imitation of the ancestors and their bush power that could expel the wondering spirits using their medicines.
There are instances when men wear and dance female masks during ceremonies. Such female masks are decorated to indicate the societal recognition of feminine creatures and order therein. The Mende society of the Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea among the masqueraders, are unique since the masks are mainly danced by the women.
In addition, their festivals are unique since the females alternate their male counterparts in a three-year period Okagbue, During the female season, the females perform various functions. It was a game, but he rejoiced in it as a girl does in her first masquerade.
New Word List Word List. Save This Word! See synonyms for masquerade on Thesaurus. We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms. June 3, Leave a Reply. Related Articles. Check Also.
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