Further Perspectives on Kifwebe Masquerades - MIT Press This site uses cookies to help personalize content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. (1985). Ekpe Efik was used as a government instrument in Bakassi in exercising authority for more than 200 years ago [4]. Corrections? [12] Due to the support of the missionaries, the Efik language became the language of religion. Although Duke town is believed to have been occupied since the 15th century by the Enwang, it was not until the 17th century that the Efiom Ekpo families moved in large waves to the site. Iboku, Enwang, Usukakpa and Abayen. Cameroon-Nigeria Relations, 1884-1961: A Study in Political, Economic and Social Interactions Between Two Nigerian Neighbouring States. Due to the number of unfortunate incidents at Ikpa Ene and Ndodoghi, the Efik sought to leave these islands. Lawino says that her husband's house is a "dark forest of _______________________". Goldie describes Eburutu as a country that consists of various ethnic groups. The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. One of Thompson's pupils, Ivor Miller, has now produced a noteworthy study, concentrating specifically on one particular secret society, Ekpe, of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon; its transfiguration on Cuban soil into the Abakua society; and the ensuing effect of Abakua in shaping all aspects of the . Nsibidi: The Original Nigerian Writing Script - Culture (3) - Nigeria Right now, Ekpe . Worn as personal wrappers during initiations and at social events, ukara cloth distinguishes Ekpe members. . Ivor L. Miller Papers - Amherst College - ArchivesSpace Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the . Working with both kp and Abaku leaders, he has documented the foundation of the society in 19th . One-word searches work best.Use AND to require multiple terms: LEFT Small ukara with minute patterned design and Omu Aro symbol. Why do you think it is important for us to understand our past? . African Script - Culture - Nigeria Ekpe society | African secret society | Britannica Ekpe is a mysterious spirit who is supposed to live in the jungle and to preside at the ceremonies of the society. In the culture we have discussed, the term dalilu refers to: an individual's personal power, knowledge, or ability, inborn but enhanced and developed through training and experience. Ekpe masquerade mimic the form of a lion or leopard moves. The Role of The Ekpe Traditional Institution in Dispute Prior to the arrival of the missionaries in 1846, many Efik traders were fluent in English and a number of African and European languages. [78] Raffia palm clothing (Efik: f Ndam) could also be exported from other communities especially when a community made the best raffia clothing. Large amounts of pepper was also uncommon in Efik cuisines. An entire topic will be dedicated to discussing the Ekpe society and its legacy in the near future. The Ekpe Masquerade - SlideShare In the culture we have discussed, the term fadenya refers to: the relationship between father and child, and half siblings - requiring self-assertion, independence, innovation, and competition. Ikpa Ene was a virgin island on the banks of the Cross river. The Efik language was also spoken in several communities in Western Cameroon. Posted on March 01, 2015 The history of the Efik is one of the most documented in subsaharan Africa. PDF Traditional Societies and Pre-colonial Security System: Interrogating [33] Abasi's husband insisted that the problem should be resolved by the chiefs. With the inception of the transatlantic slave trade, a number of foreign clothes were introduced into Efik society. At its peak, it permeated the social, economic and political life of the Efiks but lately its dominance has been eroded as urbanization and modern political administration expanded. The first letter of the word is correctly written as "" and denotes plurality. This is: After his "second birth", Waiyaki is brought to a sacred grove where: After the episode in the sacred grove, Waiyaki disappears from his home to: The two daughters of Joshua, Nyambura and Muthoni, have both been forbidden by their father to: Waiyaki tries to heal the conflict between the two ridges by: Waiyaki fails to achieve his goals because: The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level C, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith. The year 1841 marked the official signing of papers by Efik kings to stop the exportation of slaves from Old Calabar. through the Illuminati Iwas able to become rich, and have many industry on myown and become famous and popular in my country , todayme and my family is living happily and I am the mosthappiest man here is the opportunity for you to join theIlluminati and become rich and famous in life and be likeother people and you life we be change totally.If you areinterested in joining the great brotherhood Illuminati.thencontact him +2348106618681 or for more information +1(705)8062021 email:illuminatibrotherpowerful@gmail.com or you need my assistance email:danjerry04@gmail.com Shame to the Manyu people and great men o Manyu, that you as enlightened as I know will willfully distort a tradition that back dates as long as 400 to 800hundred. Membership in the Ekpe (Egbo), or Leopard, society, for example, available to wealthy men who can meet the expense involved, confers high social status and political authority; these men participate in ceremonies concerned with ancestral spirits and are believed to protect the community through magic and religious ritual. [39] At Ndodoghi, the Efik priest-king Ema Atai Ema Atai died and was succeeded by his son Eyo Ema Atai Ema Atai Iboku. Another theory narrated by Chief Efiom Obo Effanga of Obutong asserts that Antia Ekot Otong founded Obutong. [74][75] the Ekpe society. Origin and Early History of The Ibibio People of Nigeria Oral tradition has it that the Efik arrived Uruan in four groups i.e. For the first time in history, Ekpe had a presentation at the highest institution of cultural anthropology in the world, the Smithsonian Museum. It was technically part of Nigeria, according to history, which was the reason we had the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). JavaScript is disabled. Omissions? There are several theories regarding the origin of the Efik people. It became a truly multi-group society, finding its' way to almost all groups in the region and gaining dominance in . [47], By the seventeenth century, more Efik settlements had been founded. Several periods have been estimated by foreign scholars and indigenous historians. [15] This theory appears to be isolated as other Ibibio writers do not narrate that such terms were used by the Ibibio. There is not even one single manyangero mentioned on all the write up on any of the ekpe/mgbe stories. [41] Latham hypothesizes that the Efik may have arrived before the middle of the seventeenth century. In the culture we have discussed, the term nyama refers to: the power which exists in all things, which can be controlled only by special persons. Unblock notifications in browser settings. Simple theme. Only males can join, boys being initiated about the age of puberty. [34], On leaving the Uruan country, the Efik migrated to Ikpa Ene which is nicknamed Akani Obio Efik(English: Old Efik island). Enyi laja na lasha b nyeere ha aka idi nsogbu nd baara ha. Meat and fish are the major sources of protein in Efik cuisines. It is not just because of its spiritual or cultic functions but for the fact that the institution was a pre-colonial police judiciary system (Bassey, 1998). One theory states that the Efik and Uruan had separate religious customs and the Efik refused to worship the Uruan deity Atakpor Uruan Inyang. Copyright Dr. Ivor L. Miller. The papers include photographs, audio and video recordings, publications, correspondence and printed material primarily relating to Miller's study of the linguistic, musical and ritual influence of West African kp society (predominantly in Nigeria and Cameroon) on . The term igo has also been used for the organization's members. [37] The items believed to have been taken include Ikpaya (woven raffia robe), Akata (throne) and Ayang (Broom). [32] At night when everyone had gone to sleep, the men from Uruan rose up and began to slaughter their hosts. Originally, the Efik obtained slaves by going to war with other communities or creating confusion in other communities. The Efik (Calabar) caste structure of Ekpe . [45] internal dissensions and population expansion led to the movement of several families from Creek Town to Obutong, Atakpa, Nsidung and Ekoretonko. Photo by Eli Bentor. Members of the Ekpe society are said to act as messengers of the These drums are a regional phenomenon; they are not identified with any particular ethnic community, nor with any specific cultural group or initiation club. Okoho Efiom bore the twins at Nsutana and raised them up for years. It is uncertain the specific year that the Efik arrived Creek Town. Ekpe masquerade [1], Its members are only men and are played on special occasion. In Amos Tutuola's The Palm-Wine Drinkard, the narrator leaves his home and begins his adventure in the bush when: In the excerpt that we read from The Palm-Wine Drinkard, the narrator and his wife encounter: In the Song of Lawino, by Okot p'Bitek, a woman speaks to: Lawino's husband's new wife is called _______________________(Either of two possible answers) in the text. These secret societies were used to uphold the legal decisions of the Council of Elders or of the community as a whole, they also ensured conformity in certain rituals and in social behaviour and undertook certain public works for the community (n.d.). ,sister Watz. It was found in operation among a tribe down the coast towards Camaroons, but was improved and extended in its new field of operations.[60]. In its vastness, the Ekpe is a well structured society with semi-caste characteristics, in that, there are categories and titles which one may qualify to be initiated into, while others are strictly reserved for persons of certain status and backgrounds. On behalf of Ekpe-USA Leadership, I hereby remind every member of Ngbe who has taken the aoth that our fathers and great grand fathers took to uphold those sacred traditions and beliefs, to immediately start preparations to do what they must do to send our brother to join our ancestors. It is a male-only society, and members are bound by secrecy. Nigeria and Cameroon (Lebialem and Manyu), Ekpe Society Resolutions from meeting held on September 16th 2011 in DC, Auto-Biography of Sisiku Emmanuel Ojong-Orock, Leader of Cameroonian Ekpe Lodge in Metropolitan DC. Eli Bentor, Professor of Art History at Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, speaks about the history of ukara cloth and moderates a discussi. [69] On the appending of the Ekpe institution to its list of secret societies, the Ekpe society was reformed and adapted to suit the needs of the Efik people. Aye dates the arrival of the Efik in Creek Town to the fourteenth century. What's significant about the black fraternities and sororities in America is that they also trace part of their lineage to the Ekpe society of southeastern Nigeria. These lettere were heeded to and in April 1846, the first missionaries arrived Old Calabar. [32] Aye argues that the Efik could not have taken the royal emblem of the Uruan people as they would have already had their own royal emblem. [54] The name "Agbisherea" (also known as Egbosherry) appended in the names of the two kings listed by Barbot, was the name of the country, on the coast of which they traded from. [19], The Ibibio origin of the Efik is one of the most popular among scholars. I hope some Man-of-War come sometime with proper captain all same you look out and help we keep word when French Man-of-War come. Write the meaning in the blank. Plenty sugar cane live here and if some man must come for teach book proper, and make all men saby God like white man, and then we go on for same fashion. He views the Cuban initiation system known as Abaku, which was based on kp society, as a collective way for African descendants to maintain their historical memory. Here are 8 prominent cults and secret societies in Africa. [52] The breach of agreement to halt such practices was punished by blowing Ekpe on Obutong and forbidding funeral rites of the chief until the murderers were brought to justice. [9] The Efik have also been referred to as "Calabar people" in historical literature. Nsbd: An Indigenous Language of Communication in the Cross River What is a Free Agent "A free agent is one who isn't privileged with even one pure Leopard spiritline from the survivors of the Great Attempt. After the decline of the slave trade, the Efik transitioned into the business of exporting palm oil from the Cross river. The society is now seen as a fraternity along the masonic lines which tries to represent the interest of Efiks. [11] The bulk of the Enwang and Usukakpa are located in the present-day Akwa Ibom state. It is also found among a number of other ethnic groups, including the Bahumono of the Cross River State, the Ibibio, the Uruan and the Oron of Akwa Ibom State, Arochukwu and some other parts of Abia State, as well as in the diaspora, such as in Cuba and Brazil. Essentially the leopard is a sign of royalty all over Central West Africa and the Calabar zone, and it's a symbol of their political autonomy. The kp ("leopard") society represents an ancient African institution that provided the supreme functions of governance in the communal societies of the forest regions of the Cross-River basin and the hilly terrain to the east, in what is called today southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. Group members would disguise themselves as leopards, wearing leopard skins, carrying claw-like weapons, and attacking their prey. ukara: Ritual Cloth of the Ekpe Society features the ukara cloth, a composite signifier of authority, prestige, sacrality, difference, and social mobility in the Ekpe secret society in the Cross river basin encompassing southeastern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon. [22] This is further proven by Talbot who proves that other ethnicities appended the name "Eburutu" or "Oburutu" to their ethnic names. Residents in Ekpe villages often go to the group to help them seek justice when theyve been wronged. The tentative program is as follows: January 27th and 28th, 2012. In the culture we have discussed, the term badenya refers to: the relationship between the mother and child, and full siblings - implying closeness, trust, cooperation, unselfishness, and acceptance of rules. Letters were also sent by King Eyo Honesty II to introduce missionaries and technocrats into the country with emphasis on the latter. As the slave trade was declining due to the strong global campaign against it, the effects on slave trading ports along the African coast was greatly experienced. Jeffreys also stated, "There is reason to believe that a considerable portion of a small Ibibio clan called Ebrutu or Eburutu was the earliest stock of the Efik; for, when the missionaries settled in 1846 at Old Calabar amongst these people for the first time, it was found that they called themselves not Efik but Ebrutu or Ebrutu Efik. The Ekpe society may be regarded as one of the most important institutions among the Efik people. Here's a look inside. The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, in the southern part of Cross River State. [40] Over the years, the Victorian dress has been modified and given what is regarded as a dignified African look.