Masquerades are popularly seen during traditional events such as festivals, rituals, ceremonies, and funerals where masked dancers are said to embody different spirits. For today, we will be listing five popular masquerades in Yoruba land:
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The Egungun masquerade festival is an annual festival in Yoruba land that features masquerades believed to be the spirits of departed ancestors.
Reports say Egungun which means masqueraders is a secret society that listens to the requests of the living and carries their messages back to the ancestral community in the land beyond.
During this festival, the Egungun masquerade goes out dressed in colourful regalia, carries a whip and flogs anyone in the way of the spirits.
Agemo masquerade is common with the Ijebu people. During this festival, the spirit deity Agemo, who is believed to be a protector of children and who safeguards Ijebu’s future through its blessing is honoured.
In Ijebuland, great reverence is given to the Agemo festival because it is believed that during this period, any barren woman that prays to Agemo for a child, gets their prayers answered.
Agemo masquerade festival is celebrated between June and August and it is usually a week-long event.
Alapansanpa also known as Eegun Ogundeji, is one of the highly dreaded masquerades and is celebrated in Ibadan. They are popular for their visit to the Olubadan palace (the King of Ibadan land) annually in the month of June.
During this time, members of the Ogundeji family march around the town and also to the Palace of the Olubadan. During this procession, several young men use canes to beat each other to test their endurance.
Alapansanpa is greatly feared and no other masquerade is permitted to make a procession on the same day with it.
Another popular masquerade in Yorubaland is the Eyo. Eyo masquerades come out during the Eyo festival and it is a time when a dead king is escorted to the land beyond or a new king is being crowned in some parts of Yorubaland.
The Atipako is another prominent masquerade in Yorubaland and it is commonly called the ‘load-carrying’ masquerade. This masquerade carries stones, mortar and pestle on its head while moving.
It is said that these items means blessings for the land. The Atipako is usually accompanied by women and the ancestral rites performed during this festival are carried out by an elder referred to as ‘Alaagba’.
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