IGBO CULTURE AND SOCIETY: Mmanwu Festival in Abbi in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State
A mask is a disguise that conceals the wearer’s personal identity. The identity of the individual who performs the masquerade is concealed and completely suppressed as a secret. What comes to recognition is simply the presentation of the new personality, which is thought to have undergone a drastic transformation in the direction of the form or shape of the marked object. According to field observations, the masquerade can take on the form of a stubborn beast like mgbedike or agaba idu, a charming and exquisite dancer like ulaga, or a youthful athlete like akatakpa.
Manwu (masquerades) are the spirits of their ancestors, who were committed to Mother Earth after death and reborn through small ant holes. The value of manwu to traditional Abbi society is so high that it is regarded as an essential component of their existence.
In support of the aforementioned assertion, a large number of respondents concurred that manwu was the cornerstone of sociopolitical transformation and authority in the community before the invasion and appropriation of their traditional values by European culture. Manwu had unimaginable power and could command individuals to follow social standards and morals before this. It functioned as the village task force, enforcing compliance with community tasks and enforcing penalties for noncompliance.
History will never forget Omada Idenyi Ugwoke, who disobeyed the masquerade’s rules and eventually went insane, dying seven days later. The celebration has encountered numerous obstacles as a result of religious dogmatism, urbanisation, Christianity, and change. The majority of people in the research region now consider the manwu festival to be a fetish that should be abandoned, therefore they pay little to no attention to its promotion. People don’t take part in its preservation since they don’t value its principles.
This has resulted in the dissolution of their society because, previously, the masquerade sat on the throne of judgement on behalf of the society as an arbiter of allegations or disputes.
Masquerade serves numerous functions in the Igbo nation. This magnificent type of village recreational entertainment, which can sometimes border on a terroristic act, is critical to tourism development. The emergence of a masquerade everywhere attracts crowds and spectators. Even while the display appears rough and rowdy, it delivers delightful entertainment.
When the exhibition takes place in an arena, there are no admission prices, but spectators are asked to pay something to the masquerade of their own free will when the performance comes close to them personally. The masking pattern of the apparent masquerade might be aesthetically pleasing as a creative display of plastic art.
The dramatic activity of the masked masquerade as they seek to express their character motif in pantomime is likewise an example of an artistic performance (Onyeneke, 1997). Beyond the village’s open-air entertainment show, the masquerade institution serves purposes that are firmly ingrained in Igbo culture. It encourages social control in the community in a variety of ways.
With its strong appeal to children and young people, as well as the effect it creates on people from an early age, masquerade serves the primary purpose of introducing people to society’s dominant values and belief system from infancy. As a tangible symbol of the community, the masked player is hired as village police to enforce concrete decisions and community-made rules. Rules designed to positively promote the community can be directly given over to the village masquerade to supervise and collect fines from defaulters, as well as to ensure the community’s overall security.
Written by Jideofo Okibe,(Obinwannem News correspondent Enugwu State)
Date: April 19, 2024
Ubochi Nkwo Ikuku
Published by Ngozi Odoh (Obinwannem Nsukka Office Secretary)
