The Oral Heritage of Gelede

　　The Gelede is performed by the Yoruba-nago community as well as by part of the Fon and Mahi communities. For more than a century, these rites and dances have taken place every year after the harvests, at important events and at times of drought or epidemics. The performance, which is characterized by the use of carved masks, is sung in the Yoruba language, retracing the history and myths of the Yoruba-nago people.

　　There is a very great deal of preparatory craftwork involved, especially carving masks and making costumes. The community is organized into groups of men and women led by a male and a female head - it is the only masked society governed by women. The ceremonies take place at night in a public square and the dancers prepare in a nearby house. The singers are the first to appear, accompanied by the drummer, and then the dancers, accompanied by an orchestra. The performance employs irony and mockery, particularly in the use of satirical masks, to denounce certain types of behavior. The origin of the gelede is said to be in the mythical passage from a matriarchal to a patriarchal society. It is said to appease the anger of the mothers and to honor Iya Nla, the primordial mother, as well as the spirits of the ancestors. Figures of animals are often used, such as the serpent, a symbol of power, or the bird, the messenger of the "mothers."