African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African folklore 488
During festive daytime performances, an Ekpa woman will dance with an elaborately
carved headdress mask that sits on top of her head, fastened with strings, allowing her
face to be seen. The masks may look slightly different from place to place, depending
upon the carver and the stylistic preferences in the region. The main components appear
to be the representation of multiple faces or figures, the use of mirrors, the use of scarves
Ekpa-Nkim masquerade, Efraya village, Etung-Ejagham Ikom, Cross
River State, Nigeria. Photo © Amanda Carlson.
or cloth, and the use of colorful pigments or paints. In a documented case in Cameroon,
the main figure represents a woman with a snake, who is understood in many parts of
Africa and the world as Mami Wata. However, in this case, the figure represents a female
ancestor and the powers associated with her that give Ekpa women their power
(Roschenthaler 1998).
Aside from the masked dances, Ekpa women also perform nighttime displays in which
women sing, dance, and communicate with the spirit realm. Men are forbidden to witness
these events, which may occur on a regular basis or may be called upon because of
special circumstances (such as in the event of a war). On the most serious of occasions,
the women perform completely naked. In this context, the naked female body has a
symbolic power that is associated with female sexuality and reproduction, whose
meanings are deeply rooted in an Ejagham philosophy and worldview.
Among the Bakor-Ejagham, an Ejagham subgroup, based between the towns of Ikom
and Ogoja in Nigeria’s Cross River State, the Ekpa association does not perform a
masked dance. However, the Bakor-Ejagham women do have other masking associations,
such as Agot. These masking associations are social groups that provide women with a
form of entertainment, with camaraderie, and with opportunities for public ritual