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30-423: Arondizuogu is believed to have been founded in the mid-18th century through the forceful occupation and open massacre of the people of Umualaoma by Mazi Izuogu Mgbokpo and his brothers. Izuogu Mgbokpo, a slave merchant from Arochukwu , and who came to Awka in search of slaves, was harbored by a friend from Umualaoma. Izuogu Mgbokpo had three children and three brothers. The children were Uche, Awa and Amazu, while

60-653: A "double cross" representing the hands of god. As ancient of a tradition that masquerading is, it can still be seen today in nearly every culture. Hiding one's identity behind a mask has transcended time. Today, Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico . It's a celebration of remembrance of the living's departed loved ones. It's celebrated with close family, involving the decorating of their tombs with photos, flowers, and offerings such as food, liquor, and cigars. People dress with make-up, costumes, and animal masks used to symbolize

90-1056: A land of mainly immigrants. Places of interest in Arondizuogu include Mazi Mbonu Ojike Cottage (village home of Nigeria's late "Boycott King"); Uno Ogologo (a safe house built in 1887 for hiding children during the slave trade era); the Stone Palace (a storehouse erected by late Chief Green Mbadiwe, West Africa's first millionaire, for his father, Umualaoma Nkwo Ochie); Mbadiwe Odum; Ngeze stream; Ogbuti Ezumezu (visitor's chamber of Ikeji musician Pericoma Okoye ); LN Motel Plaza, Home Diamond Hotel; National High School, Arondizuogu (pioneer model school built by Mazi Nwosu Elele Igwiloh and commissioned in 1951); Iheme Memorial Secondary School (a second model school commissioned in 1951); Palace of The People (country home of Nigerian politician K. O. Mbadiwe , commissioned by Nigeria's prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in 1965); Upiti rice fields; Obi Omenuko, homestead of Igwegbe Odum ; and Ngene Okwe,

120-660: A masquerade ceremony commemorating the importance of women. To the Yoruba, Gélédé is meant to honor their ancestors, earthly spirits, and their earth goddess. In Slavic cultures, Svyatki was celebrated. An old pagan holiday with christian roots where masks were used to hide the wearers' identity. Svyatki is also a holiday intended to worship a sun deity and the Virgin Mary . It was typical for participants of this holiday to "Christmas dress." Christmas dressing involved cross-dressing, turning clothes inside out, or dressing as

150-583: A monster or animal. The participant would soil their clothes with dirt, paint, or blood, as a representation of the evil of the world. The masks and costumes served as a symbology of sinning or sinners. They would then be baptized , cleaning themselves in reservoirs would symbolically wash away their portrayed characters sins. These cultures use masks to further connect themselves with the traditions of their ancestors and serve symbolically in many aspects of their religions. Masks used in masquerade ceremonies vary from culture, ceremony, and point in history. Some of

180-620: A natural spring. Ndi Izuogu live in many local government areas in Imo State. Although they have almost the same dialect as the group of Igbos in Anambra State , apart from Ndi Uche (descendants of Izuogu's first son) they still retain a slightly different dialect. Arondizuogu, which is made up of 20 villages, is the only community that inhabits three Local Government Areas apart, from Mbaise . The local governments they inhabit include Okigwe , Ideato North , and Onuimo . Arondizuogu

210-409: A special significance and represents one of the several dimensions of Ikeji – a festival renowned for sumptuous feasting, fascinating masquerades, pulsating rhythms, and colourful performances. Traditional musical instruments used to accompany the masquerades are ekwe (wooden slit drum) of various sizes, ogene (metal gong), bells, maracas and oja (wooden flutes). The flutist is a very important element in

240-484: A warrior, he expanded Arondizuogu's boundaries. He later changed his name to Okoro Idozuka, an Aro equivalent of his former name. He was a wealthy and ruthless slave trader but was also a great leader. Nwankwo Okoro was the first son of Okoro Idozuka, who at the age of 21 joined his father in the slave trade. When the British came, they made him a warrant chief . To this day, Arondizuogu is the biggest former Aro colony and

270-399: Is a group of sprawling communities with the largest area being Umualaoma town (formerly Isiokpu). Instituted in 1948, ‘Arondizuogu Day’ is an annual end-of-year convention of people of Arondizuogu descent at home and abroad. It is a day set aside to celebrate achievements, review challenges, and generally foster patriotism in the community. For the culture–loving people of Arondizuogu, the day

300-517: Is a unique annual homecoming that they celebrate with much aplomb comparable only to their popular Ikeji Festival, which is touted to be “the greatest carnival of masks and masquerades in Africa”. The Ikeji cultural festival of Arondizuogu is a popular festival that brings the Igbo-speaking community around the world together. Its origin dates back to over five centuries and it is acclaimed as

330-435: Is expected to leisurely walk to the ram amid heavy attempts with juju from other people to knock him down, maim him, or kill him. Only the brave can participate, while the not-so-brave will either abstain from or remain with the crowd as spectators. Only the brave can stand forward from the crowd, one after another, and approach the tree to untie the ram. However, each contender will be attacked by forces to stop him from reaching

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360-426: Is marked with colourful displays of different masquerades , such as Ogionu, Mgbadike, Nwaaburuja, and Ozoebune, prestigiously parading across the market square to the public's admiration. The essence of the festival, which ranks among the best surviving traditional ceremonies of the Arondizuogu people, is to celebrate the harvest of the first yams. It serves to unify and foster ties among Aro people who are spread across

390-645: Is used to commemorate the person in Arondizuogu and neighbouring towns with the strongest juju or voodoo power— Pericoma Okoye won several of these contests. The Arondizuogu Patriotic Union (APU) is the umbrella organisation of all Arondizuogu communities in Nigeria and the Diaspora. Established in 1932 in Aba , APU was one of the earliest and most enduring organs of community development set up by an Igbo clan in colonial Nigeria. The young men of Arondizuogu who laid

420-433: Is very vital, for he communicates things hidden from the ordinary eyes to the masquerades, combined with soulful melodies, steps, and gestures, blending esoteric messages into the intoxicating rhythm of the drums to the admiration of the crowd. On the last day of the festival, a ram is usually tied to a pole at a popular market square with a single thread. Somebody with the strongest protection from any juju of whatever type

450-536: The Aro Confederacy . He was a slave trader and commander who fought his most famous battle on Ikpa Ora. Chief Izuogu and his ally, Chief Iheme , were the founders of the kingdom of Arondizuogu , of which Chief Izuogu is believed to be the first king. It is said he founded the town by war and settled in a place very close to Ikpa Ora. He remains a hero to the Aro people . This biographical article related to

480-555: The Code Noir . The Code Noir in French colonies forbid all non-Catholic religions and required free and enslaved people to convert to Catholicism. As an act of resistance and to outsmart their enslavers, Africans syncretized their masking culture with European parading traditions. Multiple cultures and religions throughout history have used masks as an important staple of their ceremonies or rites. The Dogon believe their masks are

510-633: The Dogon religion , the traditional beliefs of the Dogon people of Mali , there are several mask dances, including the Sigi festival. The Sigi entered the Guinness Book of Records as the "Longest religious ceremony". Among other examples are West African and African diaspora masquerades such as Egungun masquerades , Eyo masquerades , Northern Edo masquerades , the Omabe festival of Nsukka ,

540-1097: The Akatakpa festival of Obollo-Afor, Caribbean Carnival (which is called "Mas"), Jonkonnu , and Mardi Gras Indians . There has been evidence of masks linked to rituals since the Neolithic era. Some of the earliest masks are from the Southern Levantine dated to the mid-ninth and eighth millennia BC. These masks were located amongst various artifacts linked to ancient ceremonies. Items found include modeled skulls, gypsum , beads of wood, textiles, flint, basketry, bone, anthropomorphic , and zoomorphic figurines. Figurines also included miniature stone masks that represent what masks, made of organic materials, possibly resembled. Most masks from that era were made of less durable materials like wood, fibers, textiles, and feathers. Because of this, they were lost to time. Masks made of longer lasting material are rare leaving mostly these miscellaneous articles. Archaeologists concur with

570-511: The Nigerian military is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Masquerade ceremony A masquerade ceremony (or masked rite , festival , procession or dance ) is a cultural or religious event involving the wearing of masks . The practice has been seen throughout history from the prehistoric era to present day. They have a variety of themes. Their meanings can range from anything including life, death, and fertility. In

600-458: The biggest pan-Igbo cultural community festival with a strong heritage and international recognition. It is witnessed by thousands of people every year. It is arguably the biggest cultural festival in Igboland . In contemporary times, each year has witnessed an increase in grandeur, display, dance, sophistication, and all-inclusive participation of all Arondizuogu people and friends. The festival

630-510: The brothers were Imoko, Njoku and Akame. Iheme was his chief servant and came from Isi-Akpu Nise, in Awka . Izuogu captured more slaves, whom he sold to European slave merchants. Arondizuogu people refer to themselves as "Izuogu na Iheme". Arondizuogu itself signifies "Aro of the people of Izuogu," in Igbo. Some of the people he enslaved kept his name even after they were freed from captivity. Most of

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660-565: The connection from this world and the celestial. They believe the masks, through dance, link them to the divine. In their religion, living beings such as trees, plants, and creatures are occupied by spirits. These spirits are held in high regard and the Dogon offer blood sacrifices to prevent reprisal when these materials are used to make masks. The Dogon have over 70 masks representing animals and mythical beings. The Yoruba are another African group from southwestern Nigeria. They celebrate Gélédé ,

690-451: The entire Igbo-speaking states and part of Cross River State . It appeals to the entire Igbo-speaking peoples, both at home and abroad. Ikeji is a four-day festival of propitiation, thanksgiving, and feasting held annually in March or April. Reckoned with the Igbo calendar, these four days correspond to one Igbo week of four market days (Eke, Oye/Orie, Afo, and Nkwo). Each of these days has

720-400: The festival. He deftly communicates with the masquerades – weaving soulful melodies and blending esoteric messages into the intoxicating rhythm of the drums. Another interesting aspect of Ikeji is the raconteur known as ima mbem – an imaginative tale delivered with a musical cadence that only the initiated can sometimes understand or comprehend. The importance of the flutist during Ikeji festival

750-473: The foundation for APU left their homes for the first time in the 1920s and early 1930s to seek a better life in the emerging urban centres of colonial Nigeria. They found themselves in social, economic, and political environments different from the life they knew at home. In order to combat intimidation and alienation, they held on to a deep love for the community in which they grew up. They assembled at Aba on October 8, 1932, to aggregate ideas on how best to convey

780-421: The modern development with which they were surrounded in the city (such as wide roads, schools, hospitals, post offices, potable water, electricity, courtrooms, etc.) to their village community. 5°53′28.62″N 7°9′47.28″E  /  5.8912833°N 7.1631333°E  / 5.8912833; 7.1631333 Izuogu Mgbokpo Chief Izuogu Mgbokpo of Amankwu, Arochukwu was an 18th-century warrior in

810-623: The oldest masks found in the Neolithic period are much older than the invention of writing . Pictographs traced to be older than twenty-five thousand years old show humans wearing masks of animals but, like many other masks from this era, these masks were believed to be made of bio-gradable material and unable to stand the test of time. Masks for current ceremonies include those of the Dogon Tribe. The Dogon Masks are made of wood. They depict antelopes, hunters, ostrich, hornbills, and some carry

840-431: The ram. If overwhelmed, he will beat a retreat back to his starting point. Eventually, the bravest among the masquerades participating in the competition for that year's festival, after overcoming all odds, will reach the ram, untie it and take it to the thunderous applause of the spectators. This would be followed by visits to his house by fellow kinsmen with food and wine to elevate the status of his village. Each year, this

870-563: The use of masks in religious ceremonies but because of their rarity, they are unable to study masks further to uphold their preservation. Archaeologists have also recovered cave marking depictions that show cranes with human legs but other birds anatomically correct. Experts have linked these depictions to prehistoric masked ceremonies. During the era of enslavement in the Americas , free and enslaved Black people fused African religions with carnivals to continue practicing their culture under

900-401: The wars over Arondizuogo were brought to an end by the patriarch of the host community, Ezerioha Udensi of Obiokwara, Obinihu, Umualaoma (i.e. Isuokpu). He organised the peaceful allocation or donation of lands to Arondizuogu, after concluding that the Arondizuogu people could no longer return to Aro Chukwu. In the 19th century, Mazi Okoli Idozuka migrated from Isi-Akpu Nise to Arondizuogu. As

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