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Ancestors and secret

societies

In African tradition the dead are revered. They live on.

As soon as a relative dies, he is brought into a temple
for the dead. The Fon and the Gun of Benin call this
„Yoho“ , and is represented ba a Asen. The Asen is a
statue that symbolizes the soul. The living thank the
dead with ceremonies. There are different forms of
Asen, according to the region they come from.

In the traditional Yoruba society the Egungun ( the

returned dead spirit) is revered. In Yoruba tradition
the ancestors come back from the „other side“ to be
honored. The belief in the resurrection of the dead is
celebrated with different rites. There are also different
kinds of Egungun. The Egungun are seen as jokers,
and when they appear they draw large crowds. They
are friends of the children as well as adults.. In their
colorful robes they dance to the sound of the gangan
drums accompanied by hand clapping of the
children. Egungun is also feared. As a god he
deserves awe and is holy. His robe is frightning, and
the uninitiated are not allowed to touch it. The belief
that touching the robe will kill the uninitiated, because
of this the Egungun always has body guards with long
sticks around him to make sure that nobody comes to
close.. The uninitiated may never enter the Igbale or
Egungun convent. If it does happen the Marino or
watchman will beat the person. This is done to
prevent the memory of the dead will not be
desecrated.

The Oro Secret Society in Benin.

Oro secret society initiation in Benin.

Gelede secret society dancers.

Gelede society masks in the Soul of Africa

Museum.

The Egungun JuJu man.

The Egungun JuJu man.

Funereal ceremony of a Senufo hunter in

Burkina Faso.

Egungun JuJu man costume in the Soul of

Africa Museum.

The "running JuJu" of Nontang.

Kheghebecio in Oku, Cameroon.

Mabuh "the running JuJu" of the Kwifon

society in Oku, Cameroon.

Samba secret society ceremony in Oku,

Cameroon.

Samba secret society mask in Oku.

Weiterführende Themen

Slavery

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