"[35] Simmons assertion which was made in his 1958 dissertation is similarly reiterated at the Hart's enquiry in 1964 by chiefs such as Chief Efiom Obo Effanga of Obutong. There are several theories regarding the origin of the Efik people. The images, ideology, and secrecy associated with kp have been studied for more than one hundred years, and yet crucial features of the history of kp and its transformation have been neglected. The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, in the southern part of Cross River State. Members of the Ekpe society are said to act as messengers of the ancestors ( ikan ). To cast light on African perspectives, and on the point of view of enslaved men and women, this group of top Africanist scholars has examined both conventional historical sources (e.g., European. Only males can join, boys being initiated about the age of puberty. Nsibidi is a body of ideographic, abstract, and gestural signs deployed by the Ekpe society as a form of coded communication. jamba juice turmeric smoothie recipe; sainsbury's locksbottom parking charges; ekpe society cameroon; June 11, 2022; small mortuary obituaries mobile, alabama . LEFT Ezillo man drawing a grid pattern to be filled with nsibidi designs, Ezillo, southeastern Nigeria. Among these cuisines include Ekpang nkukwo, Edikang Ikong, Afia efere, Anyan Ekpang, Afang soup and several others. The Neegee or Crocodile Society is considered evil by the Poro and Sande groups. Due to the peregrinations of Efik traders across the lower Cross River region, The Efik language was regarded as the language of commerce in the Cross river region. These are: the oral historians, kings' advisors, poets, and musicians whose power is the ability to manipulate words. Some of the musical instruments that are important in the culture we have discussed are: the bala (balaphon), a kind of xylophone, and the kora, a gourd harp. Adire Adire means 'tie and dye' in Yoruba. Ekpe masquerade mimic the form of a lion or leopard moves. They believed feasting on a human strengthened their bonds. Their king on the eastern Calabar coast was known as Ating Anua Efiom. [32] The men were wet and complained of hunger and fatigue. The indigenous drums of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon are distinctive for their "wedge and ring" method of tightening the skin. [49] Several events at Creek town later led to a wave of migration from Creek town to Duke town. Another theory which is narrated by Forde and Jones states that the name "Efik" translates to "Tyrants" or "He who oppresses" and was the name of which the Efik called themselves after they had settled at Creek town.[12]. Aye, Originally Ekpe Fraternity was for religious purposes, but as the Calabar community became complicated owing to the new wealth which the early trade with Europeans brought it was. Origin Nsibidi symbols which are indigenous to Igbo, Ibibio, Efik, Annang and Ekoi/Ejagham members of the Ekpe society. [26][28] This theory was narrated at the Hart's enquiry by Etubom Ededem Ekpenyong Oku but has been criticised by Uruan writers such as Dominic Essien. . Names such as Okon became Hogan, Orok became Duke, Akabom became Cobham, Ene became Henry, Asibong became Archibong. Papers documenting the research materials and scholarly work of Dr. Ivor L. Miller in cultural studies of the African Diaspora. Barbot documents that between 1698 and 1699, payments for provisions were made at Calabar to the following chiefs; Duke Aphrom, King Robin, Mettinon, King Ebrero, King John, King Oyo, William King Agbisherea, Robin King Agbisherea, and Old King Robin. Each ukara is highly individualized and clearly produced to be worn by a specific Ekpe member or to mark a specific Ekpe lodge. Aye dates the arrival of the Efik in Creek Town to the fourteenth century. [10] The original seven clans are scattered between Cross River state and Akwa Ibom state and consist of Iboku (Duke town, Henshaw town, Creek town and Cobham town), Obutong, Adiabo, Mbiabo (Mbiabo Edere, Mbiabo Ikot Offiong, Mbiabo Ikoneto), Enwang, Usukakpa and Abayen. Due to the role they played during the era of the triangular trade, their prominence in literature and art, there has been a lot of academic scholarship on the people. Originally, items such as onions (Oyim mbakara) was rare in Efik meals. Cameroon with the Ekpe cult. They give me thesum of $1,200,000 and many thing. [67] Communities within the Calabar metropolis such as Efut, Kiong and Qua also speak and understand the Efik language. cherryblossom wrote on WARRIOR's profile. The persistence oftheAbakua society contradicts the official construction ofa Cuban national identity. [76], Prior to the introduction of European-styled clothing, the Efik wore loin clothes made of Raffia (Efik: Ndam). [53] Some of the kings have been identified in the past by Etubom Ukorebi Ukorebi Asuquo in Aye's Efik people. The three most popular theories include an Igbo origin, Ibibio origin and Palestinian origin. [15] This theory appears to be isolated as other Ibibio writers do not narrate that such terms were used by the Ibibio. Prior to 1905, Old Calabar was a term used to describe the Efik settlements of Duke Town, Creek Town, Old town, Cobham town, Henshaw town, Adiabo and Mbiabo (consisting of Mbiabo edere, Mbiabo Ikot Offiong and Mbiabo Ikoneto). In The River Between, Waiyaki's father, Chege, is: The new, white man's religion is represented by the: Early in the story, Waiyaki undergoes his "second birth". by Web Services Editor. Known generally as Ekpe, Egbo, Ngbe, or Ugbe among the multi-lingual groups in the region, these closed groups all used the leopard as a symbol of masculine prowess in war and political authority in their various communities. In Amos Tutuola's The Palm-Wine Drinkard, the narrator leaves his home and begins his adventure in the bush when: In the excerpt that we read from The Palm-Wine Drinkard, the narrator and his wife encounter: In the Song of Lawino, by Okot p'Bitek, a woman speaks to: Lawino's husband's new wife is called _______________________(Either of two possible answers) in the text. Google Scholar Aye, E. A. [40] [6] The most popular historical accounts of Efik migration attest a movement from Ibom in Arochukwu to Uruan and from Uruan to numerous settlements along the lower Cross river. The term igo has also been used for the organization's members. The Efik speak the Efik language which is a member of the Benue -Congo subfamily of the Niger - Congo language group. The Efik Language and Its Future. The version of Sunjata we have read is not the only version because: No version was ever written down by a skilled jeli, since Mande traditional society considers any story written down to be "dead". After the tapping process, the wine is left to ferment for five hours. A fraternal society that emerged in the western culture between the 16th and 7th century. According to Asuquo, Asibong Eso of Obutong was Old King Robin; Ekpenyong Efa of Adiabo was King John; Ani Eniang Nkot of Mbiabo Ikoneto was Robin King Agbisherea; Oku Ukpong Eton Ani of Mbiabo Ikot Offiong was William King Agbisherea; while Ukorebi Neneng Esien Ndem Ndem of Obomitiat Ikoneto was King Ebrero[55]. The island is believed to be named after a fisherman from Mbiabo known as Ene Ankot. To be a member, one must be a part of Yoruba nobility. Social importance is attached to the highest ranks of Ekpe-men, called the Amama. Over the years, the Victorian dress has been modified and given what is regarded as a dignified African look. Ed Keazor Follow Barrister-at-Law Advertisement Advertisement Recommended Probably about 8000 BC one group reached Nigeria by an overland route and settled at Ibom (Arochuku) there they erected the famous shrine now known as the Long Juju of Arochuku. The year 1841 marked the official signing of papers by Efik kings to stop the exportation of slaves from Old Calabar. This is evident in a testimony by Isaac Parker, a ship-keeper who lived at Duke town in 1765 for 5 months. Omissions? Define monsoon, Sanskrit, raja, caste system, caste, Hinduism, reincarnation, karma, dharma, yoga, Buddhism, ascetic, nirvana. Today, it is no longer the same Ekpe society of decades ago. Photo by Eli Bentor. What I want for dollar side is a fine coat and sword all same I tell you and the rest in copper rods. One theory propounded by Okon and Nkpanam Ekereke asserts that the term "Efuk" was a word of defiance and an expression used by the Ibibio man when in a fit of rage. During weddings, the bride wears at least two different nyny. In the culture we have discussed, the term jamu refers to: each person's family name, which connects the person to a famous character in the story of Sunjata. The tentative program is as follows: January 27th and 28th, 2012. Her behavior at the board meeting was obsequious\mathit{obsequious}obsequious; for example, she actually offered to wash the company president's car! On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The earliest documented letter to an English captain from a chief of Old Calabar was written in 1770. With the inception of the transatlantic slave trade, a number of foreign clothes were introduced into Efik society. Working with both kp and Abaku leaders, he has documented the foundation of the society in 19th . At its peak, it permeated the social, economic and political life of the Efiks but lately its dominance has been eroded as urbanization and modern political administration expanded. When the threads are cut, the nsibidi designs stand out, white against a deep blue background. "Egbo" redirects here. The Ekpe is a secret society that lives mostly in Nigeria and whose members are typically law enforcers and politicians. My party of 4 spent $400 at Space 220 in Disney World. These Ngolo created the Ekpe society and invented the Nsibidi writing system in Usakadet (Isangele). [6][7], The name Efik first appears in historical literature in the nineteenth century. Ukara cloth also consecrates the interior of Ekpe lodges, where larger versions of the cloth hang as backdrops. The cloth is made of plain cotton but transformed into a ritual object when nsibidi symbols are inscribed onto it through indigo dyeing. [16] Baikie said Ibibio are traced to the Igbo. Due to the Obutong massacre of 1765 and several other incidents, the Ekpe society of Old Calabar was transformed into the Abaku cult in Cuba, the Bonk cult in Bioko and the Abakuya dance in mainland Equatorial Guinea. This exhibition examines the ukara cloth of the Ekpe secret society, a multi-ethnic all-male association in southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon, exploring both the longstanding cultural practice the cloth represents and the artistic process involved in its creation. The society is not a 'secret society or a cult,'3 what is secret is the representations of its emblem in material symbol - the ekpe stone and the nsibidi (sign language). [32] The Efik having pity on these men gave them food and showed them hospitality. Prior to the introduction of industrialised cubic-shaped seasonings such as maggi and know, Crayfish was used to make meals more spicy. Explain. [37] When the Efik realised what was going on, they rose to their feet and fought back. It became a truly multi-group society, finding its' way to almost all groups in the region and gaining dominance in . Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. [1] Ekpe members always wear masks when performing their police duties, and although individuals may nonetheless be recognized, fear of retribution from the ikan stops people from accusing those members who may overstep their limits. . After World War II, a movement called the _____ Movement was founded by such writers as Leopold Sedar Senghor and Leon Damas, to support using Western literary forms, while writing in African languages. After the Efik had settled at Ikpa Ene, a party of men from Uruan arrived at Ikpa Ene. In his well researched thesis titled "Ekpe Imperium in South Eastern Nigeria", Anwana (2002) identified a plenitude of evidences to validate the Ejagham/Ekoi origins of the Ekpe society. James Beale Horton made a similar assertion in 1868 where he asserted that all the communities of the Niger-delta are traced to the Igbo. Collection of Eli Bentor. Several theories have been propounded on the origin of the word. [78] Raffia palm clothing (Efik: f Ndam) could also be exported from other communities especially when a community made the best raffia clothing. In the culture we have discussed, the term nyama refers to: the power which exists in all things, which can be controlled only by special persons. It is also used by the Igbo and Efik. Unblock notifications in browser settings. [33] Abasi was angered by the Uruan woman and cursed the Uruan people who started to punish her for her insubordination. English language is spoken in the South-Western part of Cameroon. (Multiple Deaths at Ndodoghi creek, Ema Atai Ema Atai, Priest-king, lost his sight in death). Worn as personal wrappers during initiations and at social events, ukara cloth distinguishes Ekpe members. I'm still struggling to understand her choice. The earliest list of Efik traders is provided in Jean Barbot's manuscript which was later printed in 1732. Written March 01, 2015 by Web Services Editor, Guarini School of Graduate & Advanced Studies, Copyright 2023 Trustees of Dartmouth College. (b) Analyze Cause and Effect: What events prevent their success? Efik names were often anglicised to gain the trust of European traders. Cameroon-Nigeria Relations, 1884-1961: A Study in Political, Economic and Social Interactions Between Two Nigerian Neighbouring States. According to Simmons, "Most Informants maintain that the first people to Inhabit Creek Town were Efut fishermen from the southern Cameroons. Aye and Eyo Okon Akak. These they handcuffed, brought down to the canoes, and so proceeded up the river, till they got to the amount of 45, with whom they returned to New town, where sending to the captains of the shipping, they divided them among the ships.[56]. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. They came from Mbiak Creek in Ibibio country. Original African systems of recording information in symbols include the Nsibidi script, of the Ekpe society of the Ejagham of Cameroon and Nigeria. [8] The bulk of the Efik can be found in Calabar. Due to the volume of cultural exchange, many other ethnic groups have often been regarded as being one with the Efik such as Kiong and Efut. [51] The Enwang people who were fishing at Duke town saw the twins approaching and fled in terror saying "Mbiomo oduk ine"(English: A curse has befalling our fishing sites). [61] One of such letters written by King Eyamba V and the chiefs of Old Calabar states: Now we settle treaty for not sell slave, I must tell you something, I want your Queen to do for we. [54] The name "Agbisherea" (also known as Egbosherry) appended in the names of the two kings listed by Barbot, was the name of the country, on the coast of which they traded from. It is not just because of its spiritual or cultic functions but for the fact that the institution was a pre-colonial police judiciary system (Bassey, 1998). [9][38] The Adiabo group is believed to have left to their present location after the Mbiabo exodus. LEFT Mgballa Ekpe lodge with Ekpe members, Arochukwu, southeastern Nigeria. The Ekpe society had become, by the time Antera Duke began his diary in 1785, the Efik's primary socio-political institution. ugly and deformed, but predicted to be the mother of a great king. [64] They insisted that Obutong be completely destroyed. "[20] Festival organised by Global Music Exchange (ht. The Efik (Calabar) caste structure of Ekpe . For the surname, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Art and Life in Africa: Eket Information" University of Iowa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ekpe&oldid=1101939539, This page was last edited on 2 August 2022, at 15:27. Cow meat was also consumed but the Efik native cow was rarely eaten or milked by the Efik. Membership in the Ekpe (Egbo), or Leopard, society, for example, available to wealthy men who can meet the expense involved, confers high social status and political authority; these men participate in ceremonies concerned with ancestral spirits and are believed to protect the community through magic and religious ritual. This exhibition, on view from April 18 to August 2, was organized by the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, and generously supported by the William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. The Leopard Society was allegedly a cannibalistic society in the early-to-mid 2oth century in Sierra Leone, Libera and Cte dIvoire. Efik populations are found in the following regions: Secret societies aided in the maintaining of law and order at Old Calabar. Group members would disguise themselves as leopards, wearing leopard skins, carrying claw-like weapons, and attacking their prey. In modern-day Efik society, nyny is worn on various occasions such as weddings and traditional events. [33][34] Abasi is said to have borrowed an axe from an Uruan woman and had broken the axe. [66] ekpe society cameroon. Sunjata's sister, Kolonkan, angers her younger brother Manding Bori when she: uses her powers to take the internal organs from animals he and his brothers killed, without cutting the animals open. Photo by Jordan Fenton. [71] Meals such as Iwewe were fed to children and old people with no teeth or fragile teeth. During the colonial era, The Efik language was the only language taught in schools in many parts of the present-day Cross River and Akwa Ibom state. Hope all is well. [36] According to Aye, "Ikpa Ene could not carry the bulk of Iboku population, Ndodoghi had to accommodate what spilt over, and the two settlements, still under one rule, were separated by the left branch of the river which became their "inland sea". Meat and fish are the major sources of protein in Efik cuisines. kp philosophy is grounded in "Cross River region concepts of community that include the living, the ancestors, and the land itself" [ Ekpe being] "a school for esoteric teachings [ revealing] ideal stages in a person's life [ in their growth to] maturity within their communities [ framing terrestrial experience within the context of the Historians recognize the advent and rapid rise of Ekpe as a direct result of a need for a new and effective mechanism of sociopolitical control in the complex economic environment created by the Atlantic slave trade. Due to the number of unfortunate incidents at Ikpa Ene and Ndodoghi, the Efik sought to leave these islands. http://Ekpesociety.blogspot.com; www.ekpe.org; http://Ekpesocietyusa.blogspot.com; http://ndiboyevengo.blogspot.com, Ekpe Society 1st Conclave from Sept 16 to 17 2009, Ekpe DC Sessekou relaxing during the conclave, Ekpe Society members with Justice Hilman Egbe at a MECA DC meeting, Ekpe Chief Maurice Enoh's funeral in Dallas on January 27th and 28th 2012, Maurice Enoh: The 1st Manyu Ekpe USA Sessekou to die in USA, Maurice Enoh returning from his crowning ceremony as Ekpe Chief in Kepelle Village, Ekpe-USA received at the Smithsonian Museum. We thank you too much for what thing you come do for keep thing right. The Ekpe Society. No disrespect allowed. Speaking at the ceremony, the head of Ekpe of Afap village, Seseku Daniel Laluh said with Prof Ayuk's commitment in the village, the Ekpe society thought it necessary to confer him the Seseku. It is a male-only society, and members are bound by secrecy. At Creek town, the Efik ruler was Efiom Ekpo Efiom Ekpo who had a number of children including Nsa Efiom, Edem Efiom, Okoho Efiom and Odo Efiom. Proponents of this theory range from missionaries, explorers, colonial anthropologists and later historians. JavaScript is disabled. According to Parker, When there, Dick Ebro' asking him to go to war with him, he complied, and accordingly having sitted out and armed the canoes, they went up the river, lying under the bushes in the day when they came near a village; and at night flying up to the village, and taking hold of every one they could see. [41] Latham hypothesizes that the Efik may have arrived before the middle of the seventeenth century. [32] Oku adds that the Uruan were adverse to the Efik custom of burying strangers with their dead and did not share in the practice carried out by the Efik. Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the . [52] A number of people were hanged, shot and buried with the late chief according to the custom. These missionaries together with King Eyo Honesty II brought several changes to Old Calabar society. identity. Ema Atai Ema Atai, Edidem, Biop sai." Ekpe translates to Leopard in the Efik language and is believed to be a spirit that resides in the forest. [52] The breach of agreement to halt such practices was punished by blowing Ekpe on Obutong and forbidding funeral rites of the chief until the murderers were brought to justice. There is not even one single manyangero mentioned on all the write up on any of the ekpe/mgbe stories. two young foreign men to whom she gives the power to defeat her. Now we can't sell slaves again we must have too much man for country; and want something for make work and trade, and if we could get seed for cotton and coffee we could make trade. The group believes that when they eat human flesh, they gain the ability to transform into a crocodile. The cult members are usually violent and self-destructive to the point of committing suicide. [33] Abasi's husband insisted that the problem should be resolved by the chiefs. He views the Cuban initiation system known as Abaku, which was based on kp society, as a collective way for African descendants to maintain their historical memory. ukara: Ritual Cloth of the Ekpe Society features the ukara cloth, a composite signifier of authority, prestige, sacrality, difference, and social mobility in the Ekpe secret society in the Cross river basin encompassing southeastern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon. What is a Free Agent "A free agent is one who isn't privileged with even one pure Leopard spiritline from the survivors of the Great Attempt. [11] The bulk of the Enwang and Usukakpa are located in the present-day Akwa Ibom state. Wake Keeping, Viewing and service in Dallas, Texas. They use a variety of masks to execute social control. [69] The Ekpe spirit cannot be seen by the uninitiated and is represented by Idem Iquo, a masquerade dressed in Esk, a multicoloured costume decorated with other traditional accoutrements. [52] On the death of Chief Willy Tom Robins, a number of rituals were performed. The society is somewhat akin to a free mason group and does some unofficial law enforcement. an extraordinarily powerful woman, who can change herself into a buffalo, the proud oldest daughter of a king, who insists on being respected, enraged by her brother's refusal to give her the inheritance she feels she is owed, guilt-ridden for having killed many of her brother's people, and for having pushed her youngest sister too hard and too The dress is often worn with ornaments such as necklaces and earrings made of coral beads. "[29] Essien's criticism is supported by the fact that in some Efik trado-religious songs, Atakpor Uruan is greatly extolled. [12], The Efik were noted for their involvement in the slave trade were they acted as slave traders and middlemen between the inland slave traders and the Europeans. She or he is a random of nature, a result of mixed up and confused spiritual genetics. At least in the past, very large sums were paid to attain these upper levels. [58] Antera Duke also known as Ntiero Edem Efiom was an Efik trader whose diary reveals several daily activities in Old Calabar between 1785 and 1788.
Weathered Oak Stain On Knotty Alder,
Ruth Benjamin Paris Cause Of Death,
Ragamuffin Kittens For Sale,
Tim Foster Cmu,
Articles E