Tradition of Using Masks in Africa: Epa Helmet Mask

Art can be characterized as the articulation or use of human inventive aptitude and creative energy, commonly in a visual shape, for example, painting or model, delivering attempts to be acknowledged principally for their magnificence or passionate power. The value and beauty can differ amongst viewers, browsing through the Heartman collection at the Texas Southern library the Epa: Osanyin Ancestor Helmet Mask. The figure stands 3.5 feet tall, 14 inches wide and has a decorated figure on top of another mask helmet weighting close to 50 pounds. The analysis developed to inform individuals of the art and functionality of traditional Epa Helmet masks of the Yoruba in North-Western and how the display set the tone for the community.

Osanyin, Orisa of the forest (even Ebora), maintain abundant flora within being that the forest is believed to hold great power and vast uncharted levels of knowledge and forms of medicine remain in its canopies. The name Osanyin is also linked to the sound of the agogo gong (dance bell of power) that is in turn linked with leaves, agogo igun, used to turn away evil. Osanyin follows the elements as four leaves as they correspond with our connection with nature. The first ewe afeefe (leaves of air-wind); ewe inon (leaves of fire); ewe omi (leaves of water); and ewe ile or ewe igbo (leaves of the earth and of the forest). These ministers know about the leaves utilized reciprocally, among them note is taken that there are leaves with ideals, for example, sheet of fortune, bliss, delight, richness, distinction, luckiness, freshness, adaptability, peace, life span, strength, attire, body, feet, In any case, there are additionally leaves of wretchedness, fever and other much more fearsome ailment. The leaves come in type of decoration, showers of filtration which are proposed to frame an enchantment lake between the holiness and certain items that are revered including the blood of a particular creature. This Healer or Priest deals with the non-surgical healing powers of herbs and powders. Osanyin is even the general named of an herbal cure and poisonous mushroom in Yoruba. Osanyin is the repository of boundless information on herbal medicines sustained to cure illness as well esteem supernatural powers. Herbal preparation indefinitely goes along with powerful incantations, recognized as ofo ase.

This helmet is ascribed to Oshamuko of Osi town, an understudy to the ace craftsman Arowogun (Areogun) of Osi-Ilorin, who delivered his develop works from around 1920 to around 1950. It depicts the whiskery Olosanyin. In his correct hand Olosanyin handles a fashioned iron staff (opa orere) designed with winged creature symbolism; in his left, a chevron-designed impala horn bolstered by a specialist. Such horns were loaded with ground-breaking solutions used to fix physical or psychological instabilities. The minister's uncommonly long hair is styled into a solitary interlace and embellished with medication gourd holders. The finish of the mesh lays on the heads of two artists who play their instruments to proclaim the minister's forces. Notwithstanding exhibiting specialized aptitude and understanding into his subject, Oshamuko likewise demonstrates incredible creative ability (imoju-mora) in rendering the minister's apparel as a dynamic shape. Over every hip of the cleric's jeans the artist cut hitched closes that he reached out over the shoulders of two chaperons to contact the medication gourds every hold.

In more detail the mask can only be carved of a single piece of Ikoko wood of an Ikoko tree the largest hardwood found in the west coast of tropical Africa. The helmet has faces on both sides, one has open eyes (looking at the world of living) and the other set closed (looking into the realm of ancestors). Almond bulging prominent opens on the helmet, and always a rectangular mouth. The helmet is more or less a superstructure divided by a thick disk separating the wearable helmet half from the figurine display on top. The figurine cravings include the largest, the (Osanyin) priest, and surrounding him are representatives of hunters, farmers, kings, and mothers.

Origin of Yoruba

The origin of the Yoruba individuals in Nigeria is vigorously bantered about. Some trust they originated from the east in Mecca, some say from the north in Egypt. Confirmation demonstrates that ethnically, Yoruba's have been in the territory known as Yorubaland since the seventh century BC. Researchers trust the zone was most likely possessed before by people groups of the Nok culture. Yorubaland covers the advanced nations of Nigeria, Togo and Benin. The term Yoruba to portray ethnicity, did not come to fruition until the point when the sixteenth century and wasn't generally utilized until the nineteenth century.

Yorubaland was initially comprised of 16 kingdoms and numerous other sub-kingdoms and domains that are second request branches of the underlying 16. Every kingdom is controlled by an Oba (ruler), however each may have an alternate political method for running things. In a few expresses, the Oba had finish control though in others, the chamber individuals settled on generally choices. Majesty was regularly gone down through ages, however not in the customary way. To choose an individual from one of the numerous imperial families an electoral college was comprised. An illustrious family or royalty could be totally alluded from authority if any individual of that family carried out a wrongdoing, for example, burglary, murder, and or assault or rape.

By the eighth century AD, the Yoruba made one of the most primer known kingdoms in Africa. An arrangement of cautious dividers and massive barriers were raised and named Sungbo's Eredo. In excess of 99 miles in length and 66 feet high, it is the biggest pre-frontier landmark in Africa, bigger than the Great Pyramid. An association between the Queen of Sheba has been related in both the Bible and Quran, albeit late archaic exploration may demonstrate that the course of events is off.

Having manifested and cultivated urban areas since the twelfth century, the Yoruba outperformed most different societies adjacent. They made towns with strongholds and high dividers revolved around the Oba and most Yoruba would dwell in well-constructed homes. By the fifteenth century, the Oyo Empire was established and wound up one of the biggest West African states. Governed by an Oba, otherwise called Alaafin of Oyo, the Empire inevitably developed so huge they started having a nearness among neighboring kingdoms.

Yoruba "A Divine Journey to the Inner Self and God Consciousness."

Yoruba is a West African otherworldliness or spiritulity just shy of a definitive religion that a few anthropologists assess is nearly 10,000 years of age. It includes the convictions of the Yoruba individuals, whose country is in the South Western piece of Nigeria and abutting parts of Benin and Togo. However the convictions of Yoruba are additionally unimaginably vast reaching far and wide. A portion of this was because of movement that happened before the Egyptian heirs. However the latest relocation is a direct result of the Atlantic Slave Trade that conveyed the people groups of Yoruba to Trinidad, Tobago, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Venezuela, and North America.

Today, numerous individuals of African diaspora are coming back to their underlying foundations through investigation with the Yoruba spirituality. The spirit of Yoruba centers profoundly around self-manifestation, taking in one's predetermination (or destiny), cooperating with the spirits of nature and additionally one's precursors, and getting yourself ideal with the god-like maker Oludumare.

Oludumare isn't a "he" or a "she." The main proper pronoun here is "it" in light of the fact that Oludumare is a genderless being who is in charge of all creation. It lives in a great domain, a long way from its creation. However, it has sacred errand people who help to mediate between the Almighty and Mankind itself. These delivery people are spirits called "Orishas." In Yoruba you should accept and interface with the Orishas to achieve God Consciousness.

There are numerous sorts of Orishas. Some who have dependably been available and others are people who made the jump to godlikeness. And after that there are spirits who appear as common assets, for example, streams and trees. While some are like the Western idea of an Angel, there are likewise some key contrasts. Orisha's are not impeccable creatures. They really have extremely human qualities, an assortment of idiosyncrasies and diverse dispositions. They wed, separate and even have their own most loved lagers and meals. Orishas additionally live on the Earth, as opposed to the sky. Some say that there are 400 and others say that there are more than 3,000. Of the genuine number nobody can be sure. Each Orisha has their own particular shading, drum beat and even a piece of attire that is related with them. Orishas are likewise equipped for having the assemblages of their supporters or clerics. This is done through an intricate move custom where certain orishas are evoked through a specific move and drum beat. The Orishas ascend from the Earth and mount the bodies and spirits of those associated with the custom. People can both happen in these customs. A few people associated with the custom much sexual orientation twist as far as their apparel, on the off chance that they need to summon an Orisha of the contrary sex.

Nonetheless, not all spirits are great. There are some negative spirits called "Ajogun." These spirits are regularly in charge of the terrible things that may occur in somebody's life: mishaps, dejection or a sickness. Individuals attempting to dispose of an Ajogun will counsel a priest, who plays out a divination custom to take in the soul's thought processes and the most ideal approach to expel them.

Ashe is an existence constrain like Chi in Chinese conventions or the vitality that courses through the chakras in Indian conviction. Ashe is a power that has the ability to achieve change – whether great or awful – and is contained in everything from lightning and tropical storms to blood and hallowed names.

In Yoruba, we get the opportunity to pick our own particular fates prior to when one is conceived. This can be to the exceptionally correct points of interest of where we live, who we cherish and our life reason. However, once we are conceived, we overlook these fates and should battle to recollect them once more. Counseling the spirits is a decent method to take in one's life predetermination and reason.

Yoruba corral with Christianity

At the point when Europeans came to Africa, or exchanged Africans abroad, the Africans were compelled to grasp a significant number of the European ways – including their religion. The Yoruba otherworldliness survived better under Spanish and Portuguese Catholicism than the English Evangelical Christianity. Catholicism had parallels like the Yoruba Faith. A confidence in a god-like God who had numerous assistants (holy people and heavenly attendants). At the point when the Yoruba changed over to Catholicism, they made their Orisha's into holy people. Be that as it may, the transformation wasn't such a straightforward undertaking – since the Yoruba had to a lesser extent a faith in high contrast "great and shrewdness." Yet in any event their Orishas’ could withhold some support in Catholicism.

In the Christian Evangelical framework, a large number of the Orisha's were basically canceled. Moreover, the Catholic Yoruba combination is fit and practiced in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Trinidad, Haiti, Cuba and New Orleans. Due to Yoruba's versatility, it can embrace different religions effortlessly. This might be a piece of the religion's ubiquity. Some say that Yoruba – with its various adaptations included – is the world's best top 6 most rehearsed religion. Some have honed both Catholicism and Yoruba at the same time. However, others are deserting their Christian Faith through and through. They are tempted by a confidence with African Roots, an individual association with the spirits of the celestial, and a profound association with the spirits of nature.

Epa Festival

Epa mask or helmets are utilized to advance wellbeing and prosperity inside a community by celebrating and regarding predecessors, cultural saints and important figures (considering moms, priest, ranchers, kings and hunters) amongst to townsmen. Starting in Ekiti and spreading to quite a bit of North-Eastern Yoruba villages (counting Owo, Efon Alaye, Igbomina and Ijesa), the semi-annual, week-long Epa celebration recognizes the province these people have played in building an effective network.

At the point when in excess of one masquerade plays out, the covers show up in an endorsed arrange. Oloko, who presented cultivating and hunting, is the beginning performance cover of the Epa festival. He is trailed by a warrior who conveys a lance and a firearm to protect the land and individuals; he may have been an originator or leader of a town. Olosanyin, the minister of Osanyin and the Orisa (god) of herbal medicine, shows up straightaway. He has extraordinary information of psychology research and the capacity to recognize and utilize corrective plants. Olosanyin is trailed by a lady who is respected for her procreative forces or as the pioneer of the townswomen. The last to show up is a male ruler saddled horse back.

The Osanyin (signifying 'god of herbal medicine') helmet delineates herbalist priest of the god and furthermore speaks to the capacity of these clerics to channel the intensity of Osanyin to secure and protect the community and increment prosperity. Osanyin masks ordinarily take after jagunjagun performance and stamp the mid-mark of the Epa festival. Epa masqueraders perform gracefully, relentless and controlled motions due to the immense and overwhelming helmets they bear on their heads amid exhibitions. The performers prance around the town and must leap on a raised hill to show their capacity to sustain the head piece without adjustments to balance. It is accepted to be an awful sign for the town (now and again prompting adversity) if the helmet should fall off the entertainer's head amid the hop. At the point when not being used, the masks are kept in holy places where villagers can go to and give contributions and thanks.

Conclusion

Africa has a long convention of using masks and it is trusted that enchantments were indispensable to their way of life well before the primary century B.C. The wide assortment of employments for covers, which included customs of myth, creation, and romantic heroism; fruitfulness fertility ceremonies; horticultural celebrations; funerals; ancestral factions; commencements, and stimulation, serves to demonstrate that their utilization has been broad for several African civilizations. Myths assumed an integral part in propelling the perspective of African people groups and keeping up conventions inside every territory. Huge numbers of their stories and traditions contain clarifications of how the clan started or how the world was made. Others offered insights about the historical backdrop of the tribes or how they moved from different zones to their present area. There were likewise stories of predecessors and legends, clarifications of the services they authorized.