The Mystery in Spirit Manifest (Masquerades in Igbo Land) 

For some time now, I have been trying to come out with this article on masquerades from the ethnic Igbo community of Nigeria where I come from, but there have been hinges here and there. These hinges were both caused by lack of adequate financial capacity to carry out such research which according to the Igbo tradition is reserved only for those who have known the ways of the spirit i.e. masquerade initiates and the ability to meet with these masquerades especially during their outings. I would want to state something very clear here because of the response I got from a friend of mine whom I confided in about my plans. After I narrated my plans to him, he looked at me and told me to leave masquerades and spirits alone because he believed that such research should not be carried out by a believer (a Christian). I must state that I was highly disappointed by his response which is why I have decided to make it clear to anyone who may choose to think in that direction that what I did is nothing both an act of trying to know my cultural heritage as regards to spirit manifests (masquerades).

Anyone who has been reading my article would have noticed that I did not write anything yesterday and the reason was just that, I was on transit yesterday after I had travelled from Abia State to Enugu State (both states are within the South-Eastern regions of Nigeria) heading back home. After saving some amount of money even though it is not the right time for spending in the crypto market, I had to carry out some trades as regards the journey I intended to embark on. I had to move to Enugu State because I had already made phone contact with a man I respect when it comes to culture and spirit manifest in the Igbo community of Nigeria.

The truth is that he is not a man who believes in technology, this is why there is no single documentation of him and his spirit manifestation you can find on the internet. He also warned me very sternly not to mention his name if I intended to write and share this article on the internet. Even though I begged and pleaded with him to give the right to include his name in this research work, he vehemently stood his ground and even threatened to discontinue the interview at some point but as a writer who needed his experience, I had to accept. This is why I will not be adding his name in this article even though I feel a very strong need to do so.

In other to understand the flow and pattern of this article and what I wanted to achieve, I posed these questions to the man I interviewed. These questions were not in any way arranged or planned rather they came in the spur of the moment i.e. in the cause of the interview.

·        What is a Masquerade?

·        Are there types of Masquerades, if yes, what are they?

·        Who can be initiated into the Masquerade cult?

·        What does it take to prepare a Masquerade for an outing?

·        Does the Masquerade have any connection with the spirits and is there any presence of diabolical charms?

·        What kind of music and dance accompanies a Masquerade?

·        Are masquerades mere humans?

I will try as much as possible to summarise his responses to these questions one after the other in a bid to reduce the lengthiness of this article so that everyone can be able to read to the end. Let me start with the first question and his response.

What is a Masquerade?

This question made him look at me in a manner that showed how much he appreciated what I have come to do. This is because there have been a lot of misconceptions about masquerades especially within the Christian community of the Igbo land and even the world at large. If we want to understand or know more about something, we must try as much as possible to look at that thing from its foundation or root. When I asked him this question, his first response was a smile and a little nodding of his head in affirmation of the correctness of the question I asked. In his response, he said that masquerades are known as Mmanwu in the traditional Igbo community and it is a performance that is carried out by only the male folks who are members of a secret society particularly meant for the men. He asked me to underline the word only because, in the Igbo tradition, no woman is expected to know or have anything to do with the process and performance of masquerades.

He went on with his answer by telling me that these masquerades have their colourful attires which is used to signify their ancestral belief in others to invoke their spirits during any performance.

Are there types of Masquerades, if yes, what are they?

In his response he said that there two major types of masquerades (Mmanwu) and they are:

1.     The visible Masquerades

2.     The invisible Masquerades

For clarity sake, I asked him to elaborate on these two types of masquerades so that my reads may have a better understanding of the two major types of masquerades. He obliged and continued by saying that the Visible Masquerades are merely used for entertainment and public showman-ship.

He said that most times the masquerades we see even on televisions are among the visible ones. This is because they are known to have no mystical connections or powers.

Reacting to Invisible masquerades, he said that they are the only ones seen at night which means that, these masquerades only come out when there is either danger or a message from the gods. He said that their outing is announced so that no man or woman except those who are initiated in the secret cult of the masquerade will come out or try to see it when it comes out. These masquerades are accompanied by strange sounds and noises which are said to be the sounds of the spirit. He even told me that any woman who sees the masquerade knowingly or unknowingly will be made to go through some sacrificial rituals and this is done if the woman does not die even before daybreak. He said that the worst of it all is when a pregnant woman sees the masquerade, he said that the woman will be made to go through rigorous ritual exercises to avoid the death of the unborn baby and even calamity which may befall her family.

He made me understand that there are three types of invisible masquerades namely:

·        Achikwu Ocha/Oji (black and white). They are both known for regulatory ordinances within the community.

·        Agu Mmuno

·        Ogbagu

Who can be initiated into the Masquerade cult?

When I asked him this question, he looked at me and asked me if I have been initiated in any masquerade cult in my community or village. I told him that I have not been initiated and I don’t think there would be a need for me to get initiated. As soon as I finished talking, he laughed so loud as if I have said something very funny. In my confused state, I asked him why he was laughing and he looked at me for the second time and said;

“if it were to be in the olden days, you would have been made to pass through some ritual processes before the commencement of this interview session with him”.

I kept quiet for some time and he looked at me and noticed that I was sorry for not being an initiate before coming for the interview. He then answered the question I asked him by saying that once a male child gets to the age of reasoning his father will make necessary arrangements for him to be initiated.

I asked him about those male children who lost their father while they were still very much tender, how will they be initiated. He said that their father must have a brother or a male relative who will take that duty but the wife will have to inform the relative of her intention to initiate her male children into the masquerade cult. The truth is that every mother feels so happy when their son is initiated into the masquerade cult because it is a sign of maturity in the things of the spirit.

What does it take to prepare a Masquerade for an outing?

This question almost made him discontinue the interview session because he felt I was trying to know beyond my level as a non-initiate of the masquerade cult of the Igbo community. As I pressurised him, he told me that he would not go into details rather he would only talk about the preparation on a peripheral. Although this decision did not come without a warning from him for me not to disclose the secrets to others since I am not an initiate. He continued by saying that the most important thing is that the masquerade carrier will be in the forest for a certain period of days in preparation and communion with the spirits. He made me understand that this mode of preparation does not include that of the invisible masquerades. He said that it is only for the visible masquerades and for which are mainly used for entertainment.

Does the Masquerade have any connection with the spirits and is there any presence of diabolical charms?

I would have been happier if he had thrown more light on this question because I wanted to get the information and use it to enlighten others who do not know. When I asked him this question, He told me outrightly that he would not discuss that with me since I was not an initiate. I must confess that I felt so bad because this was among the very reason why I embarked on the research. After pleading for so long, he looked at me and said, “You will not understand and I am trying to save you from what might befall you if I tell you”. This statement made me stop persuading him for an answer to the question. I want to apologise to you all for my inability to get the answer to the question. Please forgive me.

Due to his response to the above question, I felt there was no need to ask him the remaining questions which I understand to be very sensitive when it comes to masquerades in Igbo land. I thanked him and appreciated his kind gestures towards my research. I offered him the little token I came with just to show appreciation for his help. I left his house and made my way straight to the park where I boarded a bus heading straight home. I believe I have been able to share these insights with you my reader especially those of you who are not from the shores of Africa. I hope you will find this article helpful in your research into the African masquerade cult.

I love you all.

All images used in this article were gotten from my friend who is a photographer.