What is the meaning of Gelede?

Gelede in the context of Yoruba belief In other words, life is delicate and should be lived with caution and with an emphasis on diplomacy, consideration, respect and harmony.

What is the purpose of the Gelede ritual?

The Gelede is performed by the Yoruba-Nago community that is spread over Benin, Nigeria and Togo. For more than a century, this ceremony has been performed to pay tribute to the primordial mother Iyà Nlà and to the role women play in the process of social organization and development of Yoruba society.

What is a Gelede mask?

Gelede masks, such as this one, are worn by male Yoruba dancers at festivals honoring the women of the community, living and dead, especially the powerful Great Mothers, including both the elderly women of the community and the ancestors of Yoruba society.

What do Yoruba masks represent?

But the Yoruba mask also has a force that extends to the world of spirits and gods. These masks also have the dual effect of transforming the wearer and the ambivalence of serving good and evil ends. This indicates that the Yoruba mask apart from its spiritual essence is a symbol of great complexity and ambiguity.

Is Yoruba a religion?

The Yoruba religion (Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), or Isese, comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Yoruba religion is the basis for a number of religions in the New World, notably Santería, Umbanda, Trinidad Orisha, Haitian Vodou, and Candomblé.

What Are Yoruba masks made of?

An array of materials are used by the Yoruba including bronze, leather, terracotta, ivory, wood, glass and more. Many realistic bronze sculptures have been found that are believed to date back to the 12th century.

How do Yorubas call God?

The Supreme God or Supreme Being in the Yoruba pantheon, Olorun is also called Olodumare. Among Yoruba people who practice Christianity and Islam, the name Olorun refers to the Abrahamic God.

What is the oldest known Yoruba mask?

But the oldest African artifact that is definitely a mask is the highly realistic copper mask of the oni (leader) Obalufon, from the Ife kingdom of Nigeria (12th to 15th century). The eyeholes and the holes in the mask for strings of beads or raffia attachments indicate that it was worn in some ceremony.