Que représente l'Egungun?

L'Egungun incarne les ancêtres revenus visiter les vivants. À travers des danseurs masqués et costumés, les défunts conseillent leurs descendants et veillent au respect de l'ordre moral de la communauté.

Comment se déroule une fête Egungun?

L'Odun Egungun est une cérémonie annuelle où les danseurs masqués paraissent en public. Les hommes portent les costumes et dansent, les femmes chantent louanges et invocations, et la communauté honore ses lignées.

Où pratique-t-on le culte de l'Egungun?

Il se pratique surtout chez les Yoruba du sud-ouest du Nigéria et du Bénin. Par la traite et la diaspora, il s'est aussi implanté au Brésil, notamment dans la région de Bahia et sur l'île d'Itaparica.

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EGUNGUN

neutral

Masquerade of the ancestors

✦ SoulYoruba →Afrique de l'Ouest — Nigéria / BéninElder

Gender: Undetermined

Egungun designates, among the Yoruba of south-western Nigeria and Benin, the masked and costumed apparitions that embody the ancestors returned among the living. The term evokes the collective of the dead, whose presence the Egungun makes visible. In the Yoruba religion, the ancestors watch over their descendants, dispense counsel and enforce the moral order. Annual ceremonies, the Odun Egungun, honour the departed and tighten the bonds between families, communities and lineages. The costume constitutes the heart of the rite. It layers precious cloths, notably the indigo-and-white striped cloth, and ornamented strips which, as they whirl, dispense a breath of blessing. Hidden amulets link the dancer to the world of the spirits. The men wear the costume and dance, while the women sing the praises, invoke and sustain the organisation. According to an Ifa tradition, women are said to have first held authority over the Egungun before ceding it to the men. The cult is practised above all in Yoruba country and is found, through the diaspora, in the region of Bahia in Brazil.

Era

Yoruba traditions, West Africa

Frequently asked questions

What does the Egungun represent?

The Egungun embodies the ancestors returned to visit the living. Through masked and costumed dancers, the departed counsel their descendants and watch over the respect of the community's moral order.

How does an Egungun festival unfold?

The Odun Egungun is an annual ceremony in which the masked dancers appear in public. The men wear the costumes and dance, the women sing praises and invocations, and the community honours its lineages.

Where is the cult of the Egungun practised?

It is practised above all among the Yoruba of south-western Nigeria and Benin. Through the slave trade and the diaspora, it also took root in Brazil, notably in the region of Bahia and on the island of Itaparica.

Related spirits

YANSAN ORUN SOPONA YEWA

Sources and references

Margaret Thompson Drewal, Yoruba Ritual: Performers, Play, Agency (1992)
, Encyclopædia Britannica, Egungun
, Wikipedia (FR/EN)