Background

Yorubas ” annual Egungun festival is a centuries old Yoruba tradition, and one of the most colourful cultural celebrations in West and Central Africa.” – BBC News

The festival revolves around the Egungun – a hidden fellowship of people who adopt elaborate masquerades and are supposed to morph into ancestral spirits during the event. Pictured here is an Iwo elder, shortly before his transformation

Amongst the Yoruba, the annual ceremonies in honor of the dead serve as a means of assuring their ancestors a place among the living. They believe the ancestors have the responsibility to compel the living to uphold the ethical standards of the past generations of their clan, town or family. The Egungun are celebrated in festivals, known as Odun Egungun, and in family ritual through the masquerade custom. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egungun

Oloolu Masquerade

Egungun (masquerade) is a popular practice found within the cultures of your Yourba those who reside within the south western part of Nigeria. It can be a means of uniting the folks to their deceased ancestors who appear in form of human-spirit to give warnings or shower their blessings on the land. Oloolu is usually a certainly dominant Egungun/ eegun (dissemble) within the Yoruba center of Ibadan. The elect Oloolu isn't perhaps new to the ears of any Ibadan inhabitants. At the mention of Oloolu, Ibadan people, females in particular, quiver in cold and worry which ascertain the case a well known Oloolu would be the such a lot feared masquerade in Ibadan and among the such a lot revered inside the full Yorubatouch down and Africa.

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The Oloolu masquerade is formidable owing to its powers, tale and sacrality. Women are not allowed to see Oloolu because of the female scalp fit the tip of its costume . It is assumed that one any woman that fact sees Oloolu will have her menstrual term disquieted and will finally die. Also, it's far believed whoever on the first appearance of one's Oloolu masquerade, the 1st individual it sees determination get ill and if paramount rites aren't performed, the victim could die.

The account of Oloolu masquerade has it that a renowned champion named Ayorinde Aje who fought battles next to Oderinlo, Ogunmola, Ogbori-efon and other Ibadan heros, went to war in Ogbagi, a the town in Akoko, in present day Ondo State. During the war, nobody was combar the vigorous war masquerade of the town and that was Oloolu. Ayorinde Aje was the sole person who challenged and overcame the masquerade. He then took the Oloolu bearer prisoner and led him to Ibadan. On the way, the bride of the captive refused to continue the journey and in aggravation, Ayorinde Aje beheaded her and commanded her spouse to add her head to the outfit of Oloolu. This was how Oloolu masquerade started out in Ibadan and why females are banned to see Oloolu masquerade.

Oloolu masquerade comes out each and every July to perform the Oloolu festival that is believed to bring blessings upon the land. At every appearance, Oloolu masquerade goes round major areas of Ibadan such as Popo-Yemoja, Beere, Oja’ba etc. Whenever Oloolu masquerade is on display, no new masquerade is allowed surface outside, otherwise, it's going to meet it's doom. History tells us that in the dynasty of Olubadan Dada, an Egungun (masquerade) known as Iponri-Iku got out immediately upon Oloolu was performing. The duo engaged in a duel. It was recorded that Oloolu expelled a mystical cowry on the ground and dared Iponri-Iku to pick it up if he can. As Iponri-Iku bent down to pick the special cowry, he broke his spine and eventually died. Since and then, no masquerade dare challenge the Oloolu.

The tradition of Oloolu masquerade forbid its bearer to have intercourse with a woman 30 days before coming out. Also, during the performance, the bearer must not wear shoes or carry any load other than Oloolu costume which include different pieces of clothes, a net, a human thigh bone, and a female skull attached to its head which makes it look more dreadful. The skull is that of the woman whom history said was beheaded by the warrior Ayorinde Aje. During the olden days, Oloolu masquerade used to wear a mask which detect the presence of women. But it was said that the mask was lost to Europeans who took it.

References

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.theyoruba.com/2017/10/yoruba-festival-of-spirits/amp/
https://oldnaija.com/2017/07/05/oloolu-the-father-of-all-masquerades-in-ibadan/amp/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egungun