Module 1: Egungun Arts Among Yoruba Peoples

Egungun masquerades are elaborate displays using cloth and other media to honor forces relevant to the living.
Their widespread presence and diverse visual forms in Yorubaland necessitate collaborative research among Yoruba subgroups.
The collection of essays aims to classify masquerade types through material, perspectives, and perceptions of researchers in specific communities.
Contributors present typologies for their study areas and consider other aspects of interest.
Despite methodological differences, the studies reveal variations and similarities across Yorubaland.

Paka (Paaraka):
- In Iganna, it features swirling cloth panels suspended from a horizontal stick.
- In Ila-Orangun, it represents lineage ancestors with carved headdresses, skins, mirrors, and medicine packets.
- In Ilaro, the term is an archaic name for all Egungun.
Systematic study of these comparisons may reveal the tradition's origins and development.
Particularistic studies, when combined, validate generalizations about Yoruba art and highlight artistic homogeneity and diversity.
Egungun is suitable for comparative analysis due to its presence across all Yoruba subgroups.

Classifying Egungun types is complex due to the need to understand indigenous taxonomies.
Challenges include:
- Distinguishing between personal Egungun names and generic terms.
- Determining sets where a masquerader fits into multiple categories.
- The practice of layering costumes during performances.
- Varied criteria for classifying Egungun types.
- Range of variations within type categories.
These factors complicate the analysis of indigenous taxonomies and masquerade classification.

Egungun specifically refers to the masking tradition of the Oyo Yoruba, honoring ancestors.
It is strictly applicable to masquerades among Oyo sub-ethnic groups in Oyo, Ibadan, and Osun provinces, and areas under Oyo Empire's influence.
The masquerade is connected with ancestral worship.
Oral traditions link the origin of Egungun with ancestor worship during Alaafin Sango's reign (Adedeji 1969).
Only some masqueraders, called Baba (Father) or Iya (Mother), are literally "for the ancestors."
Others are for the ancestors as part of the Egungun society, sharing the forebears' spiritual power.
Their presence honors ancestors, demonstrating commitment to tradition and lineage reputation.

Egungun masquerades honor ancestors and act as status symbols for the living.
A reciprocal relationship exists between those from beyond (ara orun) and the living.
An individual exists as part of a larger corporate entity, especially the idile (lineage).
The idile includes all persons tracing their origin to a common progenitor, fixing an individual in time and space.
It provides a deep sense of belonging and purpose, seen as an unbroken chain of existence.
Lineage praise poems (oriki orile) evoke emotion and pride, connecting the self with ancestors.
Achievements are seen as glorifying the corporate entity rather than being personal accomplishments.
A lavish Egungun enhances the importance of its owner and lineage.
Exquisite fabrics materialize the verses of lineage praise poems, honoring both living and deceased idile members.

The essays are grouped as follows:
- Studies of Iganna, Ilaro, and Egungun poetry align with the Oyo tradition.
- Ila-Orangun and Ijebu-Remo Egungun are influenced by Oyo practice with other elements.
- Owo is outside the Oyo tradition, combining Yoruba and non-Yoruba influences, thus using the broader term egungun.

The essays present new data from field research in Yorubaland, offering various approaches to indigenous classifications.
No single system applies to all Yoruba groups; multiple systems may exist in one area.
Revealing the complexities of Egungun, this collection demonstrates the need for comparative studies as one way to develop and test generalizations about Yoruba art and culture.

The bibliography includes works cited by contributors and other sources on Egungun.

Abraham, R. C. 1958. Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. London: University of London Press, Ltd.
Adedeji, J. A. 1969a. "The Alarinjo Theatre: The Study of a Yoruba Theatrical Art from its Origin to the Present Times," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of lbadan.
Adedeji, J. A. 1969b. "Traditional Yoruba Theatre," African Arts 3, 1:60-63.
Bascom, W. R. 1969a. Ifa Divination. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Beier, U. 1956. "The Egungun Cult," Nigeria Magazine 51:380-392.
Drewal, H. J. 1974. "Efe: Voiced Power and Pageantry," African Arts 7, 2:26-29, 58-66, 82-83.
Lawal, B. 1977. "The Living Dead: Art and Immortality among the Yoruba of Nigeria" Africa 47, 1:50-61.
Thompson, R. F. 1971. Black Gods and Kings: Yoruba Art at UCLA. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Warning: List of stolen African art objects with descriptions and contact information. Includes figures from Bateke, Ibo, Akan, and Bakongo, as well as masks from Gere and Marka.

Research conducted in Ilaro in 1975 and 1977, based on observations, film documentation, and interviews.
Generic types of Egungun are distinct from personal names given to specific masqueraders.
- Example: A masquerader of the type onidan may be called Ajobiewe.
Circumstances of creation determine personal names.
- Example: Ogunpari (The-War-Has-Ended) or Ajofoyinbo (One-Who-Dances-for-the-Whiteman).
Mythological Origin: The wife of the Olo'gbin of Ogbin was raped by a gorilla, resulting in Ijimere, the first Egungun masquerader. (Collected by Joel Adedeji at Iwo).
Egungun and Sango: The mortar (odo) is an important symbol for both Egungun and Sango.
Layering: The layering of masquerade types also occurs in Pobe, Benin, among Anago Yoruba.
Dancing Mat: Ulli Beier was told that the dancing mat, called Fafa in Osogbo, is an imitation of Agemo, the Ijebu masquerade.

Diagram illustrating the types of masquerades and the festival chronology in Ilaro.
The diagram includes procession of different Egungun each with its unique character across a timeline of day and evening performances.