Masking and oral tradition in the re-enactment of village-based hierarchy among the acephalous Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3919523 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J Kelechi Ugwuanyi (0000-0001-8652-059X, University of Nigeria), Chidi Ugwu (0000-0002-6540-7763, University of Nigeria, corresponding author), Malachy Ike Okwueze (0000-0001-9104-8242, University of Nigeria), Malachy Okwueze (University of Nigeria) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 746-764 |
| Publication date | 2020-10-19 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | World Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00438243.2021.1938197 |
| OpenAlex | W3167953487 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 22 |
Despite the generally acephalous landscape of the Igbo society of southeastern Nigeria, forms of hierarchy are noticeable, with certain criteria traditionally established to rank some villages higher than or ‘senior’ to others. This paper drew from ethnographic research in two Igbo towns to explore ways in which masks and oral tradition were deployed to advance the ranked orders of lineages and villages. Contemplating this scenario in such a place like the Igbo society well known for its acephalous landscape is the broader perspective the paper raised. In the village groups studied, oral tradition and ranking of masked performances were seen to co-extend from existing lineage- and village-based hierarchies. Masking and oral tradition were major tools that ritualized and ratified the prevailing hierarchies, endowing them with supernatural legitimacy, in order to ensure their sustenance. The benefits accruing to the advantaged lineages and villages would tend to motivate a tendency to sustain the established structures
Aesthetics · Art · Clan · Ethnography · Ethnology · Geography · Hierarchy · Igbo · Legitimacy · Linguistics · Literature · Masking (illustration · Oral literature · Oral tradition · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Sociology · Sustenance · Visual arts · Anthropology · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · History · Law · Philosophy · South Asian Studies and Conflicts
Law and authority in a Nigerian tribe
Political Organization in Nigeria since the Late Stone Age
The Intestines of the State
Among the Ibos of Nigeria
Voice of the Leopard
What's in a mask
Ideological Support for the Indian Caste System
The "Native" as Ethnographer
Continuity and Change in Traditional Nigerian Theater Among the Igbo in the Era of Colonial Politics
Masquerades of Modernity
Warrior Masking, Youth Culture, and Gender Roles
Masked Rituals of Afikpo
Five Nigerian Artists
Ancestors and Commemoration in Igbo Odo Masquerades
Some Northern Ibo Masquerades
A Comparison of Some Masks from North America, Africa, and Melanesia
Framing Local Attitudes to a Modern Health Intervention in the Neoliberal Order - Culturalism and Malaria Control in Southeastern Nigeria
The bull-roarer among the Ibo
Christianity and Masquerade Practices Among the Youth in Nsukka, Nigeria
| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |