Gelede helmet mask

The Gelede cult, practiced mainly by the Yoruba Westerners, it is a cult in honor of living or deceased elderly women. These women possess a power and spiritual strength that can be positive or negative according to the purposes for which they are requested and activated. Those who use this force negatively or Ace are considered witches or Ayeand can cause disease and even infertility, so feared by African women, and infant mortality. On the contrary, those who use their Ace They are considered to be protectors and benefactors of society. These masks actively participate in the cult of Odudua, the ancestor whom he identifies with a goddess.

The masks used in dances are very varied although most have common features such as the head that serves as the base of the mask, with thick cheeks and large glistening eyes. Some of these masks are topped by a character or figure just like the masks eppa or question. The wearer of the mask wears on his ankles during the dance some bells or bells calledIkuwho protect him against the spells of the envious Aye. In the masquerades of Egyptian seciety, the dancers represent celestial creatures called ara orun, able to discover and punish the guilty and to grant fertility to the fields. The dancers wear colorful dresses that mark and identify their personality.