Igbo Masquerades

IGBO MASQUERADES

Mask
As a step to the explanation of the full meaning of masquerades, here is a working definition of mask.
‘A mask is a covering for part or all of the face, worn to hide or protect it…’, ‘something that covers your face and has another face painted on it”. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Ed. Sally Wehmeier, Oxford University press, 2000)

Further from make up or outward covering, some people define mask as the condition of covering one’s appearance, true feelings, a person’s real nature.

Although the word masquerade does not as such seem to be derived from the word mask, but irregular to it in nature, but has a similar or even the same meaning. The same dictionary defines masquerade as “a type of party where people wear special COSTUMES and MASKS OVER their faces, to hide their identities.” In the definition, we see mask as a thing that is worn on the face. In the definition of masquerade, we see masquerade as a group of people, or a party where different masks are worn, of course worn differently by the different people. But generally speaking, masquerades have come to be identified as false identity, whether of a person or a group of persons or a party, or any thing that people have come to “mask” themselves with so as to deceive people with it.

The idea of mask is global, and the idea of masquerade is universal to some extent too. This means that apart from the figurative meaning of the word, the idea of the masked figure is what is common among many people and amongst many cultures of the world. Every culture makes do with masquerades; and every culture has its own ways of masking and masquerading. Some of the places of the globe where masquerades and masquerading is obtained include places like China and some other places like Mexico and Brazil in Latin America, Italy and some other countries especially in Far East and Africa.

In our own part of Africa, Nigeria and precisely Igbo land, masquerades are meant for celebrities and entertainments among other things, depending on how the people use and treasure it.

IGBO MASQUERDES
Like people of other cultures, for the Igbo people, the first main function of the masquerade is entertainment . This accounts for why masquerades appear in various sizes and shapes. The entertaining masquerades are also made in the likeness of animals and birds. And consequently, each masquerade moves like whatever figure and form it is made to be like. (Thanks to the ingenuity of the artists).

Entertaining masquerades are normally launched when the people that are inventing the masquerades decided, worked for it, inform the people and so commission it. And from the day of the great commissioning, the masquerade continues to be relevant to the community. The four great roles of masquerades in Igbo land are:

ENTERTAINMENT
ENFORCEMENT OF LAW AND ORDER
ENFORCEMENT OF DISCIPLINE AND MORALITY
THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY POLICING.

ENTERTAINMENT
Igbo entertainment masquerades
There is no known particular size or shape or even type that masquerades for entertainments are made. Thus, unlike the masquerades that enforce law and order or those that enforce morality, which have the appearance of people, (except that they are masked), entertainment masquerades can be made in the form of humans, animals, birds and sometimes even trees. Thus, in Igbo entertainment circle, masquerade types and their names vary according to the plan of their inventors. And so the names of the masquerades almost always have attached to them, the names of whatever the masquerade assumes its shape and figure. By names, some of the entertaining masquerades include:

Ijele masquerade (Mmọnwụ Ijele)
The Ijele masquerade is a peculiar type of masquerade. It is such a popular masquerade that its fame is felt in every part of Igbo land. Thus the Igbo proverb that says, “ijele pụta ụmụ obele mmọnwụ alaa”, (when the Ijele appears, the small masquerades disappear), lends credence to this. The Ijele masquerade is most popular in Anambra State, and to some extent, Enugu State. The Ijele masquerade has the onerous role of entertaining people during occasions. This masquerade is very big and completely adorned. That is why everything about the masquerade is very costly. Consequently, any person or group of persons who want the Ijele masquerade to entertain people for him or them during any occasion, such a group is hosting, such a person or group pays the Ijele group a specified amount of money (and some other items). The condition and other terms of hosting the Ijele masquerade group is however relative to the agreement of the two parties in involved.

Akwụnaechenyi
Akwụnaechenyi is another complex and costly masquerade like the Ijele masquerade. Akwụnaechenyi is very like the Ijele masquerade in appearance, to the extent that a non-initiate can even confuse it with the Ijele. Some people even say that Akwụnaechenyi is the female specie of Ijele. Like the Ijele masquerade, terms and condition of its performance hangs on the bargaining force of the bargainer and the Akwụnaechenyi group. Again, like the Ijele, and other masquerades, Akwụnaechenyi masquerade can perform during ọfalla, condolence visits, burial ceremonies, outing ceremonies, during festivities etc.

Mkpamkpankụ
Mkpamkpankụ is a very serious, fully masculine-featured masquerade. Mkpamkpankụ is brisk, aggressive, agile and notorious in its own way. It has the apperanance of a person. This masquerade is active to the extent that about two or more strong men are ever around it to with the rope that is tied around its west to draw it back from over acting. Again, as usual, before Mkpamkpankụ displays, the person who needs the entertaining service of Mkpamkpankụ masquerade must have to bargaine with the mkpamkpankụ masquerade group.

The Okwomma Masquerade
This is the type of masquerade that has similar features with the the Mkpamkpankụ. What makes the Okwomma very peculiar is the fact that it always has a short matchet in hand. It uses this matchet to shake hand, to collect money and to greet people. Again, like the Mkpamkpankụ, it is usually prevented from overacting with the heavy rope that is tied on its west.

Enyi mmọnwụ, mmọnwụ Ugo, mmọnwụ mbe, etc.
Just like others, enyi mmọnwụ (Elephant masquerade), mmọnwụ Ugo (Eagle masquerade), mmọnwụ mbe (tortoise masquerade), etc., assume the appearance of the creatures that they have their names attached to the word masquerade. Thus enyi mmọnwụ, mmọnwụ Ugo, and Mbe mmọnwụ, take the appearance of an elephant (enyi), eagle (ugo) and tortoise (mbe) respectively. And during their display, they do things that are peculiar to those creatures. However, in their bid to entertain, they mimic or act like them, albeit by way of imitation. Since the masquerades cannot be like these creatures in real life, they act like them in imitation. So they pretend to sleep and not really sleeping; they pretend to lay eggs, but do not really laying eggs; they pretend to scratch the floor and do other things like them as the case may be.

Apart from the above mentioned most popular masquerades, there are other notable masquerades that entertain; such as the Odo masquerade, the Ịzaga masquerade, the Ọgbakụ Masquerade, the Adamma masquerade, the Atụmma masquerade, the Ada masquerade, the Ojiọnụ masquerade, the Ọsịasịrị masquerade, the nwangwuisinabọ masquerade and numerous others. We stop with etc. here because there are as many masquerades in Igbo land as there are communities or even more, since sometimes some communities have more than one masquerade, though there are some that do not have any.

However, it is good to mention that the last three and their mates in the masquerade kingdom have more of the task of disseminating information relating to the advent of a new masquerade, coming festivals, the appearance of new moon, the death of some special people, an abomination, or that the masquerade (like Ijele, Okwomma etc.) to which they are attached will perform where, when and even how it has been scheduled.

For more on masquerades and other Igbo cultural identity, write us through richploughman@yahoo.com or info@igboniile.com