ខ្មែរ
English
“If yo momma aint happy, nobody happy.” This slang saying used in current pop culture also applies to the inner workings of the Gelede masquerade. The Gelede masquerade is a festival acknowledging the power of women and the balance needed to achieve a well-knit, content community. Gelede placates the female night people for the well being of the community.
Apparently there are two origins of how the Gelede masquerade originally started. The first being a myth, Yemoja was known as a significant mother in Yoruba culture who was having trouble giving birth. Since children are the most significant part of being a woman in Yoruba culture, Yemoja decided to seek advice from an Ifa Oracle. An Ifa oracle is defined as someone you can go to for wisdom. The Ifa oracle told Yemoja to dance with wooden images on her head to be able to bear children. She did what she had been told, and soon enough she had two children. Her two children were named, Efe and Gelede. Efe and Gelede got married and much like their mother were having trouble with being able to have children. They followed the previous advice their mother was given and danced with wooden images on their heads and they too; both Gelede and Efe’s wife became fertile. The story, whether true or not, helps connect the reason behind the masquerade and the attire.
The Gelede is not a secretive masquerade performance. The entire masquerade is a performance; a performance displaying the truth of the reality of the tribe; a performance showing respect to mothers; a performance pleasing women for the happiness of the people. The performance has purpose. The masquerade has an emphasis on the women because of their power of human life. They are known to hold the secrets to life itself. If the women aren’t happy, the tribe isn’t happy. Laurel Aquilar stated the “Gelede pacifies these ‘powerful mothers’ through song, humour and dance.” The masquerade is very visually delightful with the array of colours and songs, that from an outsider’s point of view the songs would seem illegible, but with a spirit and soul that is rich and varied.
“Songs in Gelede are sung promoting fertility-‘The barren shall dip their hands in camwood oil’, social harmony-‘All of you, listen to me. Support our society so it will be good’, and honour to mothers and motherhood, ‘”My Mother” of mothers, the entire community is in your hands’, The Great Mother Headdress pays homage to the deity IlaNya, the ancestress and mother of all, painted white which ‘signifies the sacred’” said Aquilar.
The songs sung by the men for the women are known to be a dialect between the dangerous and beautiful ‘powerful mothers’, and speaking truth. There isn’t so much a good and bad, but more beautiful and dangerous as stated. Women are not seen as powerless in Yoruba culture. The women are seen as holding a great knowledge and significance. One needs to treat women with respect so one doesn’t end up on their “bad” side. The Gelede performance reenacts their respect to women in the community.
