Northern Edo Masquerades
Masking traditions are a major part of the Edo groups of Nigeria, who trace their beginnings to the kingdom of Benin, their neighbors to the south. The politics and social structures of the Edo groups tend to be more similar to their neighbors, which consist of the Idoma and Igala. Basic political units are formed from ritual ties. A council of elders within a number of Masquerade societies forms each small village’s government. Okpella is well known in and around Edo state as a cement town, which with ties to other African cities, towns, and villages under the direction of Glo-Mobile, one of Africa’s fastest growing networks that is helping to increase the technology of Africa to its network capacity to 10 million lines by the end of 2006, the village is still alive with African traditions and culture. Men and women of the Edo people belong to masquerade societies, with their primary belief to control anti-social forces (voodoo, witchcraft, demons, devils, etc.) and help to bring about a better, safer, and well-adjusted community or village.
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“Our ancestors were savages. The story of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf is not a meaningless fable. The founders of every state which has risen to eminence have drawn their nourishment and vigor from a similar wild source. It was because the children of the Empire were not suckled by the wolf that they were conquered and displaced by the children of the northern forests who were.”
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