Egungun

Egungun is a part of the Yoruba pantheon of divinities. The Yoruba religious system is sometimes referred to as the 'Yoruba Religion' or simply 'Orisa Veneration'. In the tradition of ancestor veneration, Egungun represents the "collective".
==Function==
Ancestors assure a place for the dead among the living. It is their responsibility to compel the living to uphold the ethical standards of past generations. Egungun is celebrated in festivals (Odun Egungun) and family ritual through the masquerade or custom. In family situations a family elder or Alagba presides over ancestral rites and may or may not be initiated into the local Egungun society. But in community settings, Egungun priests and initiates that are trained in ancestral communication, ancestral elevation work and funeral rites are placed in charge of invoking and bringing out the ancestors. Elaborate costumes adorn the Egungun masqueraders (dancers), and through drumming and dance, these dancers become possessed with the spirits of the ancestors. The Egungun then spiritually clean the community and through exaggerated acting/miming demonstrate both ethical and amoral behavior that occurred since their last visit, exposing the strengths and weaknesses of a community with hopes of encouraging behavior more befitting of their descendants. Once this occurs messages, warnings and blessings are doled out to spectators. 
Some important Egungun include the Oloolu, Alapansanpa, both of Ibadan land, Elewe of the Ìgbómìnà Yoruba sub-ethnics, which is common in the towns of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, Ìlá Òràngún, and Arandun.
In Brazil, the main cult to the Egungun is practised in the Island of Itaparica in the State of Bahia but houses in other States exist.
==Bibliography==
* African Arts, XI, 3, 1978, Special number Egungun.
* Lange, Dierk, “Die Egungun bei den Yoruba und in Ugarit (Syrien). Ein Beitrag der Ethnologie zur Altorientalistik“, in: K. Geisenhainer und K. Lange (eds.), Bewegliche Horizonte. Festschrift für Bernhard Streck, Leipzig, Universitätsverlag, 2005, 265-282.
===See also===
*Masquerade ceremony
===Film & Video===
Egungun masquerade competition at the Alaafin palace, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria, video taken Aug 1999 Egungun Energized to Dance
==External links==
*Directions and Importance of Connecting with our Ancestors
*Egungun: The Masked Ancestors of the Yoruba
*Egungun Festival
*Egungun Mysteries Come to America
*Egun/Egungun cult
*http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor/yor07.htm
*Alawoye.com Baba'Awo Ifaloju, showcasing Ifa using web media 2.0 (blogs, podcasting, video & photocasting)
*Iwi Egungun Oludare Olajubu
* West African Orisa Tradition of Nigeria
– Egun/Egungun
=== Portuguese ===
*Alapini Mestre Didi Asipa
*Egungun no Candomblé
* http://www.ejiodi.wetpaint.com
* http://www.fakayodefayemifatunde.wetpaint.com
Category:African traditional religions
Category:Afro-American religion
Category:Yoruba culture
Category:Masquerade ceremonies