Little things can trigger great memories of the past. I stumbled on this mask in a shop at the souk that collected all manner of knicks and knacks from all over the World. On enquiry, the seller told me he believes it’s from somewhere in West Africa.
Looking at it transported me back home to my native Igbo land of Enugu State in Nigeria. It brought back a flooding of memories of cultural festivities that showcased fierce masquerades and the drumbeats of the African drums and special gong, especially at Christmas or New Year season.
It reminded me of my days as a young girl and how we used to run as swiftly as we could to get away from the young agile masquerades who loved to send our adrenaline pumping by chasing us around the square or through the bush path – especially the young girls.
Traditionally where I’m from, women don’t come near masquerades and stood to watch from the peripheries. It’s only the domain of men who have attained a certain level in their age-grade. To be initiated in the masquerade group required a ceremony of its own which is only attended by men and held at a secret place.
To my understanding, some of these traditions have been eroded by Western culture, but there are still some villages that hold on to their cultural heritage.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
P.S. Some clips I found on YouTube about some Igbo festivals.
a cooking pot and twisted tales 
Very interesting Jacqueline. My son-in-law is of the Igbo, reflected in his surname of Eboh but because he was brought up in the UK from a young age has only seen initiation ceremonies on his visits back there.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! That’s just great. Igbo men make good husbands (they believe in taking care of their wives). The challenge with living in the diaspora is the disconnect with the cultural things going on back home but I guess we can’t have it both ways.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum had a Special Exhibit of Contemporary African Artists. Many were from Nigeria. It is great to see art made by Africans for the way Africa views itself as opposed to the old negative stereotypes we have seen in America for years. Two Women Nigerian Artists assumed the role of the Trickster one that usually only men perform. To me the costumes kinda looked like Hazmat suit but their purpose was to challenge gender roles. It was a great exhibit. Here are some links from the show. Hope you are able to view them.
https://goo.gl/photos/BZ86EvPx8R3Vdvto9
https://goo.gl/photos/q5XvqJF3rZAywAvN7
https://goo.gl/photos/uAyCoyF64uJSb6mKA
LikeLiked by 1 person
Usually, the Western World spends far more time portraying stereotypes because it serves to push an agenda and far more sensational to do so.
LikeLike
I can imagine being chased around by a someone wearing a mask like that could be a thrillingly terrifying experience for a child. I think it might make me scream a bit too, come to think of it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We did quite a lot of screeching and squealing in excited fear 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds fun! 🙂
LikeLike
Seeing the world through your eyes (and the community, thanks @dancingpalmtrees) is wonderful – sort of like taking a walk about together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Igbo festival looks and sounds so much like festivals of my native state Jharkhand. In the celebrated Chau dance, people wear similar masques and dance on beats. Wonderful to know this culture😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s just interesting to know. Wow! I believe that we all share many cultural similarities, especially, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
LikeLike