Toward Confluence of Yoruba and Christian Beliefs in Egúngún (Masquerade) and Father Christmas: A Comparative Symbolic Analysis

Oluwọle Tẹwọgboye Okewande

doi:10.53075/Ijmsirq/453247887467

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Abstract

In Africa and among the Yoruba Christians in particular, the orientation that there are divergences in their religious beliefs sometimes results in religious intolerance culminating in religious conflict. Therefore, this study investigated the beliefs of the Babakérésì (Farther Christmas) and Egúngún (Masquerade). Egúngún, is a religious event whereby, the spirit of the dead and ancestors interact with the living and Father Christmas is an annual Christian Festival. However, Farther Christmas, as a socio-religious event has not been related to any form of Yoruba Egúngún. This gap is filled by this study. This study employs a cultural approach, which implies the social power that encodes culture in a society, using comparative method. Cultural and religious elements of Egúngún- the divinity of the ancestors, are compared with Nicholas and/or Santa Claus and Father Christmas to establish their relationship. It is found that religious elements of Egúngún are related to Father Christmas and Nicholas and/or Santa Claus in symbolisms- the spirits of the dead, ancestors, or saints manifest in humans to bless the children. It is equally found out that, Egúngún, Nicholas and/or Santa Claus and Father Christmas are imitated, especially in voice by the traditional and Christians during Christmas and Egúngún festivals, apart from the fact that both festivals are celebrated annually. This study concludes that there are convergences of beliefs on Father Christmas and Egúngún mediated by the spirit of the dead- ancestor inhibits in human-being. The two religions teach the same values in different modes and, therefore, the worshippers should tolerate one another by peaceful co-existence.

Keywords

Egúngún Father Christmas Christianity Ifá Catholics religion culture

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Tẹwọgboye Okewande, O. (2023). Toward Confluence of Yoruba and Christian Beliefs in Egúngún (Masquerade) and Father Christmas: A Comparative Symbolic Analysis. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies and Innovative Research, 11(3), 1437–1447. https://doi.org/10.53075/Ijmsirq/453247887467

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References

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Adétugbọ, Abiọ dun. (2001). African continuities in the diaspora. Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization: Lagos.
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Clarke, Williams. (1972). Travels & explorations in Yorùbáland (1854 – 1858), Ed Joseph Àtàndá, Ìbàdàn: University Press.
Dáramọlá, Olu. & Jéjé, Adebayọ. (1967). Àwọn àṣà àti òriṣà ilẹ̀ Yorùbá. Ìbàdàn: Oníbọn-òjé Publishers.
Ejizu, Christopher. (2007). African Traditional Religions and the Promotion of Community Living in Africa.
http:/www.afrikaworld.ne/afre/community.htm
Fátókun, Samson. (2005). African Traditional religion and belief system. African culture and civilization. ed. Ademola
Àjàyí. Ìbàdàn: Atlantis Books, pp. 128-44.
Harris, Joseph. (1972). Africans and their history. New York: Penguin Group.
https://www.saintleo.edu/hubfs/Resource%20PDFs%20and%20DOCs/Journals/Winter_2 020_fi nal_issue.pdf
Ìṣọlá, Akinwumi. (2010). Harnessing, Mobilising and Deploying Cultural Heritage for Development. Making culture
memorable. Eds. Olusegun Ọládàpọ & Duro Adélékè Ìbàdàn: Cultural Group Limited. pp. 27-45.
Káyọ̀dé, J. O. (1984). Understanding African traditional religion. Ilé-Ifẹ: University Press.
Kennedy, X. A. & Gioia, Dana. (2007). An introduction to poetry (Twelfth edition), New York: Pearson and Longman Publishers.
Kizhakkeyil Sebastian. (2009). All about Christmas: A historico-Biblical study of the birth of Messiah.
Lagos: Longman Nigeria Limited, pp.1-11.
Lenski, Gerhard. & Lenski, Jean. (1987). Fifth Edition. Human Societies: An Introduction to Macrosociology. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Maciver, R. M. & Page, Charles. (1950). Society: An introductory analysis. India: Trinity Press.
Madubuike, Solomon. (2005). The Role of Language in Socialization and Culture. African culture and civilization, Ed. Ademola Ajayi, Ibadan: Atlantis Books, pp. 325–44.
Mark, Joshua. Mythology. (2018). https://www.ancient.eu/mythology/
McGrady K. P. (2018). Catholic parents: It’s O.K. to let your kids believe in Santa. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/12/18/catholic-parents-its-ok-let-your-kids-believe-santa
Nescimento do Abdias. (1977/8). The function of Art in the Development of Afro-Brazillian Culture: Antecedents. Seminar Series. Ed. Olasope Oyelaran Department of African Languages and Literatures, University of Ifẹ (Now Ọbafẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ University), Ilé-Ifẹ, 1(1): 65-113.
Ọdẹ́gbọlá, Ifalere. (2014). Ìwé mimọ́ Ifá: Ẹ̀sìn àkọ́dá Olódùmarè. Ìbàdàn: Ọdẹ́gbọlá traditional global Services.
Okewande, Oluwọ le. (2020). Ifá Symbolism and the Concept of Reincarnation: A Challenge for the Catholic
Christians. The International Journal of African Catholicism. 10 (1), 71-96. https://www.saintleo.edu/ijac
Olupona Jacob (1999). Major Issues in the study of African Traditional Religion. African Traditional Religion in
Contemporary Society, Ed. Joseph Olupona, USA: Paragon House, pp. 25-33.
Ọlajubu, Oludare. (1972). Àkójọpọ iwì Egúngún. Ibadan: Longman Nigeria Limited.
Robinson, B. A. (2008). Ifá: The Religion of the Yorùbá People. http://www.religioustolerance. org/Ifá.htm
Simpson, George. (1980). Yorùbá religion and medicine in Ibadan. Ìbàdàn: University Press.
Sullivan, S. (2018). St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus. In Catholic Digest faith + life.http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/advent/st-nicholas-father-christmas-and-santa-claus/

References

Adéoyè, C. L. (1985). Ìgbàgbọ́ àti ẹ̀sìn Yorùbá. Ìbàdàn: Evans Brothers (Nigeria Publishers) Ltd.

Adétugbọ, Abiọ dun. (2001). African continuities in the diaspora. Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization: Lagos.

Aquilina, Mario. (2017). Is Belief in Reincarnation Becoming Popular Again?.. https;//www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=198

Bascom, Williams. (1970). Sixteen cowries: Yorùbá divination from Africa to the new world. Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press.

Clarke, Williams. (1972). Travels & explorations in Yorùbáland (1854 – 1858), Ed Joseph Àtàndá, Ìbàdàn: University Press.

Dáramọlá, Olu. & Jéjé, Adebayọ. (1967). Àwọn àṣà àti òriṣà ilẹ̀ Yorùbá. Ìbàdàn: Oníbọn-òjé Publishers.

Ejizu, Christopher. (2007). African Traditional Religions and the Promotion of Community Living in Africa.

http:/www.afrikaworld.ne/afre/community.htm

Fátókun, Samson. (2005). African Traditional religion and belief system. African culture and civilization. ed. Ademola

Àjàyí. Ìbàdàn: Atlantis Books, pp. 128-44.

Harris, Joseph. (1972). Africans and their history. New York: Penguin Group.

https://www.saintleo.edu/hubfs/Resource%20PDFs%20and%20DOCs/Journals/Winter_2 020_fi nal_issue.pdf

Ìṣọlá, Akinwumi. (2010). Harnessing, Mobilising and Deploying Cultural Heritage for Development. Making culture

memorable. Eds. Olusegun Ọládàpọ & Duro Adélékè Ìbàdàn: Cultural Group Limited. pp. 27-45.

Káyọ̀dé, J. O. (1984). Understanding African traditional religion. Ilé-Ifẹ: University Press.

Kennedy, X. A. & Gioia, Dana. (2007). An introduction to poetry (Twelfth edition), New York: Pearson and Longman Publishers.

Kizhakkeyil Sebastian. (2009). All about Christmas: A historico-Biblical study of the birth of Messiah.

Lagos: Longman Nigeria Limited, pp.1-11.

Lenski, Gerhard. & Lenski, Jean. (1987). Fifth Edition. Human Societies: An Introduction to Macrosociology. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Maciver, R. M. & Page, Charles. (1950). Society: An introductory analysis. India: Trinity Press.

Madubuike, Solomon. (2005). The Role of Language in Socialization and Culture. African culture and civilization, Ed. Ademola Ajayi, Ibadan: Atlantis Books, pp. 325–44.

Mark, Joshua. Mythology. (2018). https://www.ancient.eu/mythology/

McGrady K. P. (2018). Catholic parents: It’s O.K. to let your kids believe in Santa. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/12/18/catholic-parents-its-ok-let-your-kids-believe-santa

Nescimento do Abdias. (1977/8). The function of Art in the Development of Afro-Brazillian Culture: Antecedents. Seminar Series. Ed. Olasope Oyelaran Department of African Languages and Literatures, University of Ifẹ (Now Ọbafẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ University), Ilé-Ifẹ, 1(1): 65-113.

Ọdẹ́gbọlá, Ifalere. (2014). Ìwé mimọ́ Ifá: Ẹ̀sìn àkọ́dá Olódùmarè. Ìbàdàn: Ọdẹ́gbọlá traditional global Services.

Okewande, Oluwọ le. (2020). Ifá Symbolism and the Concept of Reincarnation: A Challenge for the Catholic

Christians. The International Journal of African Catholicism. 10 (1), 71-96. https://www.saintleo.edu/ijac

Olupona Jacob (1999). Major Issues in the study of African Traditional Religion. African Traditional Religion in

Contemporary Society, Ed. Joseph Olupona, USA: Paragon House, pp. 25-33.

Ọlajubu, Oludare. (1972). Àkójọpọ iwì Egúngún. Ibadan: Longman Nigeria Limited.

Robinson, B. A. (2008). Ifá: The Religion of the Yorùbá People. http://www.religioustolerance. org/Ifá.htm

Simpson, George. (1980). Yorùbá religion and medicine in Ibadan. Ìbàdàn: University Press.

Sullivan, S. (2018). St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus. In Catholic Digest faith + life.http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/advent/st-nicholas-father-christmas-and-santa-claus/

Toward Confluence of Yoruba and Christian Beliefs in Egúngún (Masquerade) and Father Christmas: A Comparative Symbolic Analysis

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