Egungun
The Yoruba masquerade of the ancestors, in which a figure in layered cloth is received as a returning forebear.
Also: egúngún, egun, ancestral masquerade
Egúngún is the Yoruba name for ancestors, and for the masked figures that bring them back to the community in an annual festival and at funerals. The performer is hidden under layers of cloth, often bright strips and sacred items, and by custom is treated as an ancestor, not as a person in costume. The masquerade blesses, warns and judges, and onlookers keep a distance. The cult is overseen by initiated men, and uninitiated people, especially women, are not shown what is beneath the cloth. Egungun traditions are found in Oyo, in Benin and in Brazil, notably on the island of Itaparica in Bahia. Visitors are asked not to photograph without permission, and not to touch.