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Yoruba Shango Egungun Costume
Nigeria
#A-38
Egungun societies include fantastic, elaborate costumes to be seen in the day (like this example) and night Egunguns danced in the dark, regarded with fear and not to be looked at. This type of Egungun represents whole families of ancestor spirits and is made of many types of colorful and valuable cloth.
When performed, the Egungun spins and turns, making the long flaps fly very theatrically. There are secret medicine pouches attached to some of the interior flaps, only seen briefly when the Egungun is in motion. This is a very important facet of animist religion in Africa: the concept of deep secrets only hinted at and only accessible to initiates of the secret wisdom.
height - 5' 8" (on stand)
When performed, the Egungun spins and turns, making the long flaps fly very theatrically. There are secret medicine pouches attached to some of the interior flaps, only seen briefly when the Egungun is in motion. This is a very important facet of animist religion in Africa: the concept of deep secrets only hinted at and only accessible to initiates of the secret wisdom.
height - 5' 8" (on stand)
