*MASQUERADEANDTHEMASQUERADER: THEATRI

CAL
PRODUCINGFORTRADI
TIONALCULTURALFESTI
VALS*

 ThereisaStrongRelat
ionshi
pbetweenGodandMani n
Afr
icansocieti
esandthustherel
ati
onshi
pispr
onouncedi
n
art
ist
icPresentat
ion

 Theat
reGener
all
yar
ebel
i
evedt
oOr
igi
nat
efr
om Tr
ibal
rit
ual
s
andCeremoni
es

 Jahi
nzej
ahn'
s(1949)asser
tst
hatt
heat
rebegi
nsi
nRel
i
gion
andEndsi
nAesthet
ic

 Atypical
Nigeri
aperf
ormancei
ssymbiosi
soft
het
hree
aspectofperf
ormanceTheyar
eDance,Dr
amaandMusic

 Aesthet
ici
sveryCrucial
tot
heCi v
il
isat
ioni
nter
estas
at
testedbyMichealBenne(1991)

 Accor
dingt
oAesthet
ict
hedi
vi
dingl
i
nebet
weenAni
mal
and
manisCivi
l
izat
ion

 Thefi
veancientconceptessent
ialtotheunder
standingof
Yor
ubaAestheticsareasfoll
ows: Ase(PowerAut hori
ty)
,
Ori
(PersonalDesti
ny),I
wa(char acter
),Ewa(Beauty)and
Ona(ART)

 Masqueradeconnot
est
hear
tofpr
etendi
ngt
obean
ancest
ralper
sonage

 MASQUERADERr
efer
stot
heper
sonwhocar
ri
est
he
Masquer
ade

 Pr
oduci
ngi
sawayofmobi
l
isi
ngandhar
nessi
ngr
esour
ces
 bothHumanandMat
eri
ali
nor
gani
singandEv
entei
therf
or
prof
it
sornot

 Masquer
adeser
vesAest
het
icandRel
i
giousFunct
ions

 OgunbaseeFest
ivalasanint
egr
al,dy
nami
cpar
tofcul
tur
e
t
hecult
ureofanun-ali
enat
edAfr
ican

 Lay
ewu(hunt
ersmasquerade)i
stheonl
yEgungunt
hat
bel
ongt
oaprofessi
onal
Guild

 Thefol
lowingarel
aidt
ot heCl
aim ofr
eachEgungun
MasqueradeTradi
ti
onstheyar
e: Thei
gunmuko, TheEyo,
TheAgemo, TheEpaandTheElewemasqueradeTr adi
ti
ons

 MythhasitthatEgunguncul
tder
ivesi
trel
ati
onshipbetween
aguerri
l
laandawoman, whohadgonetotheforestt
o
appeasethesoulofadepart
edancest
orswhowasnotgi ven
adecentburi
al

 Oroisr
efer
redt
o"Agan"anditi
sfor
biddent
olookat
.The
aganmustbebroughthomebef
oret
heEgungunfest
ival
can
commence

 TheEgunguncultistpar
adethefol
lowi
ngt i
tl
esinOrderi
f
Seniori
tyt
heyare: Al
agbaa,Oloi
ko,Ol
ojowon,Ogogo,
Alapini
(theyoungestofthem)

 Egunguncanbecl
assi
fi
edi
ntot
hreet
heyar
e:

 EgungunOje{Thi
sareMagi ci
anscalledEgungunApi
ndan
,t
heyperfor
mtoenter
tainthekings.Thepeculi
art
rai
tsi
sthe
over
flowi
ngnatur
eoftheirr
obes}
 EgungunEleruorEgungunIdil
e{Theyar ei
dent
if
iedbyThei
r
maskandl oadtheycarryonthei
rhead.ThesearetheReal
car
rierMasquerade.TheyareusetoFighti
ngwar}

 ThePakaalsoref
err
edtoasEgungunOlor
e{Theyar
ethe
onesfol
lowedbyfol
lower
swhippi
ngthemsel
vesi
nri
tual
obser
vance

 Elebubon(2008)fur
thercl
assi
fyEgunguni
ntot
hree
functi
onal
linesnamely:

 EgungunAl
are:
ForEnt
ert
ainment

 Ar
a-Or
un:
ForRel
i
gious/
Ancest
ral

 Tombol
o:Appr
ent
icemasquer
adef
orChi
l
dren

 Thei
gunnukoMasquer
adei
sbel
i
evedt
obeofTapaOr
igi
n

I
gunnukoMasquer adear
eusual
lyTallandf
ri
ght
eni
ngbut
theyareshortoneswhoarev
erywickedandper
for
m
Acrobati
cstoo

 Thecostumesofthet
alloneshav
eSevenSegment
swhi
l
e
theShor
tonesareint
hreeSegments

 Charact
eri
sti
cscommont
oal
lEgungunTr
adi
ti
onsar
eas
fol
l
ows:

 Thear
eref
ert
oas"Ar
aOr
unki
nki
n(Heav
enl
yAncest
ors)

 Theyal
lhav
eIgboi
gabl
e(pl
aceofTr
ansf
ormat
ion)

 Theybl
esst
hecommuni
ty,
Ent
ert
ainmentandBegf
oral
ms
 Duri
ngaTradi
ti
onal
performanceSecul
art
imeisst
opped
andpremodi
almyst
ical
timeismadepresent