Ekpe Masquerades

These photographs were taken in the Bende division, Umuahia and Aba. Jones included these notes: "There are two principle masquerades, both called Ekpe. Ekpe (Igbo) surviving basically in the Southern Ngwa and Ndokki area. The other Ekpe (Egbo) from the Cross River diffused from Calabar and Aro Chukwu with grades or separate masquerades known as Okonko and Akang. These have costumes of close fitting net and skin covered heads. More recent Masquerades called Ikem diffused from Calabar to the Ibibio and Umuahia area." 

This thread is dedicated to the people of my local area in Umuahia and its neighboring communities.


Ekpe (Egbo) Runner Uzuakoli. The mask is a pathological Ibibio, the costume is Cross River.

Ekpe (Egbo) Runner, Umuahia

Ekpe (Egbo) Runner ,Umuahia

Ekpe (Egbo) Runner, Uzuakoli

Skin covered head Photo'd in Item. Said to have been bought in the Middle Cross River Area.

Modern Ekpe (Igbo) head piece. Modern Ibibio in style and may have been carved by them

I wonder if that "Egbo" is a mispelling of "Ekpo" as we generally call them in Umuahia. The Ubakala one is very close to our traditional masquerade "Udomi" in Ibeku, but ours has more rafia (agwo) to the mask and waist.

Akhenaten, how do you paste pictures here; let me paste the one I'm talking about ?

FACE:

I wonder if that "Egbo" is a mispelling of "Ekpo" as we generally call them in Umuahia.

If I'm not mistaking, "egbo" is a Cross River's group word for "ekpe". So, if I had to guess, I'd say that the use of "egbo" with those pictures is in reference to "ekpe". "Ekpo" is something else altogether. I don't think they're talking about "ekpo". . . if I'm not mistaking.

Loving this thread.
Missed this years' Ekpe.
Ekpe ohuhu is my favorite. Mbiarabia laa 

ifyalways:

Loving this thread.
Missed this years' Ekpe.
Ekpe ohuhu is my favorite. Mbiarabia laa

Chineke mee, ndi ofe anyi hiri nne ngaa. mbiarabia laa oo !

Chinenye, our name for masquerade in Umuahia (Ibeku and environs) is ekpo. A gbaala m ekpo a couple of times. We call it I fu ekpo. e.g a furula m ekpo.

We do ekpe during iri ji. The main feature of our ekpe is the Ikpirikpe ogu (war dance ) with the ishi aja (three sacred heads on a platform) which is not put down by the carrier until after the ekpe. He also doesn't talk during the task and has omu (palm leaf) in his mouth to prevent him from talking.

Although we have a few ekpo around during iri ji, they don't get as much attention as the ekpe. This ekpe climaxes with the severing of a goat's head with one stroke of the matchet (an art not to be undertaken by the weak or careless as there is a price for failing in the task and a reward for success)

Okonko is similar to Iwa akwa and membership is accomplished in two stages; I da iyi (immersion in water) and I kpu ulo (home entrance). Being in okonko entitles you to participating fully in all matters that have to do with keeping law and order e.g land dispute, resolution of sacrilege and decision on how to deal with other societies.

Our Ibeku (Umuahia) tradition is rich but I will stop so far.

Aka m ji, a habeghi mu ye. ( I am still holding tight and my interest is still here)

FACE:

Chinenye, our name for masquerade in Umuahia (Ibeku and environs) is ekpo. A gbaala m ekpo a couple of times. We call it I fu ekpo. e.g a furula m ekpo.

We use "ekpo" much the same way, to mean "masqurade" or "ghost", and that's one reason why I said that I don't think they're talking about ekpo when they say "egbo". I also know that "egbo" is one Cross Rivers term for "ekpe", and they both refer to the ekpe society (or Okonko). So it just seems to me that whichever site Akhenaten is getting all of this from, is actually highlighting the masquerading society and not the masquerades (ekpo), in particular.

So, I don't think their use of "egbo" is a mispelling for "ekpo". Just my thoughts.

FACE:

We do ekpe during iri ji. The main feature of our ekpe is the Ikpirikpe ogu (war dance ) with the ishi aja (three sacred heads on a platform) which is not put down by the carrier until after the ekpe. He also doesn't talk during the task and has omu (palm leaf) in his mouth to prevent him from talking.

Although we have a few ekpo around during iri ji, they don't get as much attention as the ekpe. This ekpe climaxes with the severing of a goat's head with one stroke of the matchet (an art not to be undertaken by the weak or careless as there is a price for failing in the task and a reward for success)

Okonko is similar to Iwa akwa and membership is accomplished in two stages; I da iyi (immersion in water) and I kpu ulo (home entrance). Being in okonko entitles you to participating fully in all matters that have to do with keeping law and order e.g land dispute, resolution of sacrilege and decision on how to deal with other societies.

Our Ibeku (Umuahia) tradition is rich but I will stop so far.

Aka m ji, a habeghi mu ye. ( I am still holding tight and my interest is still here)

Sounds like an ekpe festival (not the same as ekpe society though, from the much I know). I definitely recognize that climactic part about severing a goat's head with one strike, but the Ikpirikpe Ogu, I'm unfamiliar with.

It is interesting how Efik culture was able to spread amongst the Eastern Igbo communities. This shows how our ancestors mingled with neighboring groups in incorporated aspects of other cultures into our own beliefs.

Chinenye, here is a link to Ikpirikpe ogu dance (don't know how to paste pixs/videos).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg_dSLOKywk&feature=related

Our ekpe is a combination of that, other ekpo types, and a procession through all the ama (compounds) in the clan before ariving at the communal ground for the climax (in our case Ama mbara oru).

There are 3 kindreds in my clan (Afara ukwu- Ibeku) and each kindred host their own ekpe but not in the same year (by mutual agreement), but it was very much centralised back in the days.

Ekpe is not a society in my place, but warriors were expected to participate in ekpe. Okonko, though a society, is not clandestine and the members are known by others.

To participate in real masquerade (ifu ekpo) you have to be initiated and mee mmanya ekpo. When I was growing up ( when villa was villa) we used to see the mmanya ekpo guys unmask and destroy the masquerades of the mmanya ekpoless guys. However, mmanya ekpo guys never used to show up during the build up of any major event (xmas and iri ji) they only showed up on d-day and went in groups.

I so much loved going home for xmas just because of masquerades and I also did little boys masquerades (agaba) and the ones that did not require mmanya ekpo.

Very nice video FACE. I hail from Umuahia as well. Umuahia South to be exact. Umuopara is my clan.

That's an interesting video. Reminds me of one picture EzeUche had on his profile. The guys were dressed (nearly, if not exactly) the same way as the men in the Ikpirikpe Ogu video.

FACE:

Ekpe is not a society in my place, but warriors were expected to participate in ekpe. Okonko, though a society, is not clandestine and the members are known by others.

Yeah, this is what I meant by ekpe the festival and ekpe the society. All this talk about masquerade and participation and initiation makes me feel bad. I've missed out on a lot, having never visited my town and surrounding areas since I left. All I'm pretty much left with are the diasporan replications of some of those celebrations/festivals.

At least, I get to watch some videos and see some pictures of original/authentic festivals/celebration, but that doesn't cut it though. Oh well. Someday I guess.

Akhenaten:

Very nice video FACE. I hail from Umuahia as well. Umuahia South to be exact. Umuopara is my clan.

Umuopara na Ibeku bu nwanne. Nwanne mmamma oo.

ChinenyeN:

That's an interesting video. Reminds me of one picture EzeUche had on his profile. The guys were dressed (nearly, if not exactly) the same way as the men in the Ikpirikpe Ogu video.

That dance is common in most Old Bende axis, but Abiriba, Abam, Arochukwu-Ohafia are the Don Dadas of it.

Oh okay. Thanks FACE.

FACE:

Umuopara na Ibeku bu nwanne. Nwanne mmamma oo.

Of course we are brothers. Umuopara is the youngest clan in Umuahia.

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