Symbols of Possession
A Study of Movement and Regalia in an Anago-Yoruba Ceremony
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11223931 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Margaret Thompson Drewal (The Performance Institute, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1975 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 15-24 |
| Publication date | 1975-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Dance Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0149-7677 • E-ISSN: 1940-509X |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/1477821 |
| OpenAlex | W2328456719 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 17 |
The phenomenon of spirit possession exists throughout Africa and many other parts of the world. Recent studies view possession as a performance, concentrating on the manner in which mediums become possessed and a description of the ensuing action. The following study of the Ondo ceremony of the Anago-Yoruba in Dahomey, while concerned with this, focuses more specifically on the numerous symbolic references to possession within the dramatic framework. Possession cannot be meaningfully discussed solely as a state of dissociation. As a performance it is made up of complex arrangements of symbols—visual, aural, and kinetic. The combination forms the reality of possession as witnessed by the audience. An examination of each element in the ritual complex deepens one's understanding of the others and of the whole. Dance specialists, particularly those analyzing dance cross-culturally, should be sensitive to all contextual elements in order to perceive patterns of thought and philosophical ideas expressed kinetically. This paper considers a number of crucial ritual elements: first, imagery in oral tradition, which reveals the personalities of the gods involved in the ritual; second, shrine architecture and priestly regalia, which symbolizes man's relationship to the divine; and third, the possession dance, which unifies the vast array of references to possession in time and space
Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Ceremony · Linguistics · Movement (music) · Possession (linguistics) · Visual arts · Yoruba · Cultural Identity and Representation · History · Philosophy
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West African Kingdoms in the Nineteenth Century
Black Gods and Kings. Yoruba Art at U.C.L.A
The Feasting of the Gods in Haitian Vodu
Gelede Masquerade
The Sign of the Divine King
Trance and Possession States
Some Aspects of Yoruba Aesthetics1
The Symbolism and Ritual Context of the Yoruba Laba Shango
Black Gods and Kings. Yoruba Art at Ucla
West African Kingdoms in the Nineteenth Century
Spirit Mediumship and Society in Africa
An Outline of the Cosmology and Cult Organization of the Oyo Yoruba
The Sculpture and Myths of Eshu-Elegba, the Yoruba Trickster
The Medicine Dance of the !Kung Bushmen
Kinship and Lineage among the Yoruba
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2021 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |