Gelede

Gelede is an annual festival honoring our mothers (awon iya wa) not so much for their motherhood, but as female elders. It takes place in the dry season (March-May) among the Yoruba people of SW Nigeria and neighboring SE Benin.

The mask or headdress (since it does not cover the face) is one of a pair worn together by men masquerading as women to amuse, please and placate the mothers who are considered very powerful, and may use their powers for good or destructive witchcraft purposes. (Surely a more civilised response than the mass murder of witches in Europe: between 1450 and 1750 around 60,000 witches were killed in Europe).

The Gelede ceremony involves carefully choregraphed dance, singing and music, especially drumming. Dozens of masquerading pairs may take part. The daytime fesival is held in the marketplace, and is preceded the night before by an Efe ceremony at which male masks are used by jesters who make satyrical performances including social comment.

It probably originated in the late 18th or early 19th century. It may be associated with the change from a matriarchal to a patriarchal society, but then one might expect it to have older beginnings.

The Gelede ceremony may also take place at the funerals of cult members or in times of drought or other serious situations which are thought to have been brought about by malevolent witchcraft.