IBIBIO - Nigeria

There are nearly 2 million Ibibio people in Nigeria, situated between the Cross & the Delta River. Of these Ibibio people there are western Anang Ibibio & southern Eket Ibibio. The main economy rests on the palm tree. The palm tree oil is extracted and then sold. Traditionally the Ibibio cultivate maize, plantains & yams. Ekpo is the name for ancestor and the principal masking society, its masks, and the dances that honour the deceased. Members of the Ibibio ekpo society have an important judiciary, legislative, political & religious role in the village. Its a graded association who run the ancestor cult which includes two types of masks:

Idiok, is ugly and awakens wandering spirits. Idiok black masks can often be of a natural appearance and can have movable jaws. They ugly, amoral, corrupt & evil souls which are sentenced at death to continual ghosthood. They appear only at night, after the handsome masks have retired. Dressed in black-dyed raffia, they dance disorderly, with planned wild motions to inspire terror in those they come accross. Dark Ibibio masks can have distorted facial features that are looked at as advanced states of damaging tropical diseases.

Mfon, is handsome and imitate spirits who have reached paradise. Mfon white & yellow masks come out during daytime burial ceremonies representing the recent dead, & at annual agricultural festivities. Their dances are slow and beautiful, with dressing made of bright coloured cloth. Known as good and beautiful, mfon masks represent souls of people whose life on earth was productive and morally faultless. These ancestors are not named, but are the collective community of souls whose positive influence is wanted amongst the living tribal members. During the ceremony, young tribal members imitate the spirits, who have briefly returned to the world of living.