At Old Calabar, traders had slowly started transitioning completely into the lucrative palm oil trade. [48] Jeffreys theory is unpopular with a large majority of the Efik. 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. Historians and archaeologists have worked to piece together the human story from prehistory up to today. The Ekpe was vested with the powers of policing and bringing justice to the Efik kingdom. [47] At the time of their exit from Creek town, the reigning monarch of Creek town was their half brother Oku Atai Atai Ema Atai. [65] Cannons were shot at the town and every house was levelled to the ground. While some explorers describe the Efik as travellers who past through the Ibibio country, others assert that the Efik are of Ibibio stock. That is why Sisiku Ojong Orock after consultation with the other Ekpe members and Sisiku Mfonten Mbu decided to acquire his own Nkanda Lodge in April 2003. [49] Several events at Creek town later led to a wave of migration from Creek town to Duke town. The Efik language also borrows words from other ethnic groups such as Balondo, Oron, Efut, Okoyong, Efiat and Ekoi (Qua). Oge ruru ka laja nyefee lasha r ya ma gaa rwa r e nyere ya ebe z. In the culture we have discussed, the term dalilu refers to: an individual's personal power, knowledge, or ability, inborn but enhanced and developed through training and experience. The symbols are arranged in a grid, giving the cloths an orderly, symmetrical quality that is often reinforced by repeated patterns. 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. It was found in operation among a tribe down the coast towards Camaroons, but was improved and extended in its new field of operations.[60]. Among these cuisines include Ekpang nkukwo, Edikang Ikong, Afia efere, Anyan Ekpang, Afang soup and several others. The origins of these symbols date way before colonization, but, from my understanding, the use of these symbols died out as the influence of Ekpe secret society lessened. Formerly the society earned a bad reputation due to what the British viewed as the barbarous customs that were intermingled with its rites. African literature has been disregarded as serious literature in the past because: Original African systems of recording information in symbols include the ______ script, of the Ekpe society of the Ejagham of Cameroon and Nigeria. Papers documenting the research materials and scholarly work of Dr. Ivor L. Miller in cultural studies of the African Diaspora. 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. 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. This is evident in a testimony by Isaac Parker, a ship-keeper who lived at Duke town in 1765 for 5 months. 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. The design is left to the discretion of the Ezillo creators, who are not Ekpe members and do not know the meanings of nsibidi. [32] At night when everyone had gone to sleep, the men from Uruan rose up and began to slaughter their hosts. The Efik acted as the middlemen between the European vessels and the inland slave traders. Members of the Ekpe society are said to act as messengers of the Prior to Akak, the theory were proposed at the Hart's enquiry by Chief Offiong Abasi Ntiero Effiwatt and Etubom Ededem Ekpenyong Oku.[25][26]. Large amounts of pepper was also uncommon in Efik cuisines. According to him . Right now, Ekpe . The earliest documented letter to an English captain from a chief of Old Calabar was written in 1770. Ndibo Yevengo- Abakua & Ekpe events; Cuba-Calabar Radio . [51] Due to the custom of killing twins, Edem Efiom is said to have aided Okoho Efiom in sneaking out of Creek town to Nsutana. The society is still active at the beginning of the 21st century, now playing more of a ceremonial role. [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. According to Simmons, "Most Informants maintain that the first people to Inhabit Creek Town were Efut fishermen from the southern Cameroons. It became a truly multi-group society, finding its' way to almost all groups in the region and gaining dominance in . Have you ever thought about starting a secret society? The Efik speak the Efik language which is a member of the Benue -Congo subfamily of the Niger - Congo language group. LEFT Ezillo man drawing a grid pattern to be filled with nsibidi designs, Ezillo, southeastern Nigeria. 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. [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". Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. [74][75] [47] On the founding of Obutong, Colonial anthropologist M.D.W. [49] Prior to the arrival of the Efiom Ekpo group, oral tradition has it that when some Efik migrated to Creek town from Ndodoghi, The Enwang did not join them but migrated to the present site of Duke town. Why do you think it is important for us to understand our past? La communaut cubaine Abakudescendante des communauts fik Ekp et Ejagham gb du Sud Est du Nigria et du Sud Ouest du Camerouna t fonde la Havane dans les annes 1830 par des leaders capturs des villages de Cross River. Cameroon-Nigeria Relations, 1884-1961: A Study in Political, Economic and Social Interactions Between Two Nigerian Neighbouring States. They migrated from Bateka and settled in their current location in flight. The process of creating this richly symbolic cloth is laborious. cherryblossom wrote on watzinaname's profile. Omissions? Ekpe members request nsibidi designs of personal or communal significance. Abaku is an Afro-Cuban men's initiatory fraternity, or secret society, which originated from the Ekpe society in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. [40] 16, 2014 3 likes 6,498 views Download Now Download to read offline Education Spiritual Technology A short description of the ancient Ekpe Masquerade and its cultural and spiritual significance, in the life of the people of the Cross River basin. Write the meaning in the blank. The island is believed to be named after a fisherman from Mbiabo known as Ene Ankot. Objects and images in the exhibition courtesy of Dr. Eli Bentor. These artists sew the white cloths with raffia thread so that parts of the ukara (in a pattern of nsibidi symbols) will not be exposed during the dyeing process. Free masons were originally an ancient Egyptian fraternity of builders, with Imhotep, as their founder and chief sculptor. 4. National Museum of African American History and Culture. [40] The outcome of the fall of the tree led to several deaths in their clan. The papers include photographs, audio and video recordings, publications, correspondence and printed material primarily relating to Miller's study of the linguistic, musical and ritual influence of West African kp society (predominantly in Nigeria and Cameroon) on . 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. An entire topic will be dedicated to discussing the Ekpe society and its legacy in the near future. According to E.U. [33] When the husband of the Uruan woman learnt of the issue, he wanted to fight the Efik. They are well respected agents of wealth distribution in the community.. The ekpo masquerade, occurring to the south and east of Benin, is performed by the warrior age group in ceremonies to purify the village ritually and to maintain health. Each ukara is highly individualized and clearly produced to be worn by a specific Ekpe member or to mark a specific Ekpe lodge. Another account from the Qua claimed that Ekpe (Mgbe) migrated from Cameroon. A delegation of kp 'leopard' society initiates, as well as family members, traveled from Mamfe, Manyu Division of southwest Cameroon, to Yaound, the Cameroon capital to honor and reclaim the body of their leader and father, who had recently transited to the ancestors. [32] Another theory states that there was a disagreement between an Efik woman known as Abasi and an Uruan woman. LEFT Ekpe cage during Ikot Ekpe ritual in 2009. Their king on the eastern Calabar coast was known as Ating Anua Efiom. [16] Baikie said Ibibio are traced to the Igbo. Sisiku Ojong-Orock was born on Saturday October 2nd, 1948 in Ogomoko Village,Eyumojock Sub-Division, Manyu Division in the Republic of Cameroon, West Africa. Body art plays a major role in Ibibio art. In this light, the Cameroon National Council of Traditional Rulers would be a welcomed . [26] Essien points out that Atakpor Uruan Inyang is one of the Efik deities and asserts that among the Uruan exists the saying "Ke Ndem Efik Iboku, Atakpor ke Ekuk", which can be interpreted to mean "Where there is the Efik deity, there is also Atakpor Uruan to share with it. You been do very proper for we, and now we want to keep proper mouth. The Ekpe is a secret society that lives mostly in Nigeria and whose members are typically law enforcers and politicians. AHR ~ 125 They give me thesum of $1,200,000 and many thing. Enyi laja na lasha b nyeere ha aka idi nsogbu nd baara ha. Social importance is attached to the highest ranks of Ekpe-men, called the Amama. Aye provides the following names among these priest-kings including Ema Atai Iboku, Ekpe Atai Iboku, Ukpong Atai Iboku. Ekpe Society Emblem, Ejaham, Cameroon Dog Fetish, Vili, Congo Mlbuya (sickness) mask, Pende, Zaire Nimba Mask, Baga, Guinea Picasso Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907 Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907 (detail) Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907 (detail) Bust of a Woman, 1931 Tte de taureau (Bull's Head), 1942 La chvre (The goat) 1950 Other references Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Festival organised by Global Music Exchange (ht. [38] It is believed that it was at Ndodoghi that many of the Abayen clan had died from crocodile attacks. Original African systems of recording information in symbols include the Nsibidi script, of the Ekpe society of the Ejagham of Cameroon and Nigeria. [69] On the appending of the Ekpe institution to its list of secret societies, the Ekpe society was reformed and adapted to suit the needs of the Efik people. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Efik traders could speak, write and read the English language. That it was through the Qua [an Ejagham or Ekoi stock], that the secret of Ekpe cult diffused to Calabar. A list of some of Africa's most prominent cults and secret societies of all time. What role does religion play in society today? The Ekpe society is the most renowned traditional institution in Efik history. According to Historians, this technique of indigo-dyeing was developed in the Dogon kingdom in Mali (West Africa) dating back to the 11th century. Covering, concealing, and protecting their bodies, it functions as a physical metaphor for the ideological secrecy that the Ekpe society carefully constructs and guards. The most popular migration account within the Nigerian space asserts that the Efik people lived at Ibom in the present-day Arochukwu and migrated from Ibom to Uruan. Talbot asserts that a great cotton tree had fallen down on many of the Abayen and in their pride of numbers, they believed they could hold the cotton tree. . Google Scholar Aye, E. A. Nigeria and Cameroon (Lebialem and Manyu), Ekpe Society Resolutions from meeting held on September 16th 2011 in DC, Auto-Biography of Sisiku Emmanuel Ojong-Orock, Leader of Cameroonian Ekpe Lodge in Metropolitan DC. The destruction of Obutong occurred in 1854. A fraternal society that emerged in the western culture between the 16th and 7th century. [26] At Uruan, they were ruled by a number of priest-kings Ndidem. I am manyang Mathilda Nkwo of Akiriba village , upperbanyang and I am and still is oneof the oldest living practing manyangero in Manyu. The Ekpe Masquerade Jun. [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. The Ekale and their famous shaking shoulders performing at the "Under the Volcano Festival", Limbe Cameroon. [32] The men were wet and complained of hunger and fatigue. There are two distinct but related societies. Proponents of this theory range from missionaries, explorers, colonial anthropologists and later historians. [67] As of 1877, Alexander Ross reported that thirteen towns in the Cameroon region speak Efik and had an aggregate population of about 22,000. [47] Antia Ekot Otong is regarded as one of the descendants of the patriarch Otong Ama Ide. Oral tradition has it that the Efik arrived Uruan in four groups i.e. Welcome, Love, Peace and Unity in Nsibidi. by Web Services Editor. 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. [69] The society is divided into five main grades such as Nkanda, Oku akama, Nyamkpe, Okpoho and Ebonko. Today, it is no longer the same Ekpe society of decades ago. . English language is spoken in the South-Western part of Cameroon. The cloth is then dipped in indigo dye and hung to dry. [67] Communities within the Calabar metropolis such as Efut, Kiong and Qua also speak and understand the Efik language. This is: After his "second birth", Waiyaki is brought to a sacred grove where: After the episode in the sacred grove, Waiyaki disappears from his home to: The two daughters of Joshua, Nyambura and Muthoni, have both been forbidden by their father to: Waiyaki tries to heal the conflict between the two ridges by: Waiyaki fails to achieve his goals because: The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level C, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith. Among these secret societies were Ekpe, Obon and Nsibidi. She said as a member of the Ekpe Society of the Efiks, she participates in the Ekpe activities. Ukara are made exclusively for members of the Ekpe society, an interethnic men's association found throughout southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The dress is often worn with ornaments such as necklaces and earrings made of coral beads. After the tapping process, the wine is left to ferment for five hours. 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. Several accounts have been narrated on the migration of the Efik before their arrival at Old Calabar. Copyright Dr. Ivor L. Miller. "Egbo" redirects here. society to its Caribbean incarnation, which has deeply influenced Cuba's creative energy and popular consciousness.
