Embodied Morality: Ekpri Àkàtà Masquerade of Efik Society, Nigeria

Abstract

October 21 2021 Embodied Morality: Ekpri Àkàtà Masquerade of Efik Society, Nigeria Onyile Bassey Onyile Onyile Bassey Onyile Onyile Bassey Onyile is a retired professor of History of Art, Theory, & Criticism and Design Art at Georgia Southern University. He was raised in Calabar, Nigeria. He specializes in the arts of Africa, particularly the tradition arts of the Lower Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria. His research interests include performance and masquerades, and ancestral figures. Recent publications include “Okpo Ekak: Paradox of Passion and Individuality among the Efik” (African Arts 49 [3]: 48–61) and “Nobody Can Harm You, Nobody Can Charm You: Efik Nnabo Society Masquerades of Calabar, Nigeria” (African Arts 49 [1] 70–77. oonyile@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Onyile Bassey Onyile Onyile Bassey Onyile is a retired professor of History of Art, Theory, & Criticism and Design Art at Georgia Southern University. He was raised in Calabar, Nigeria. He specializes in the arts of Africa, particularly the tradition arts of the Lower Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria. His research interests include performance and masquerades, and ancestral figures. Recent publications include “Okpo Ekak: Paradox of Passion and Individuality among the Efik” (African Arts 49 [3]: 48–61) and “Nobody Can Harm You, Nobody Can Charm You: Efik Nnabo Society Masquerades of Calabar, Nigeria” (African Arts 49 [1] 70–77. oonyile@gmail.com Online Issn: 1937-2108 Print Issn: 0001-9933 © 2021 by the Regents of the University of California2021Regents of the University of California African Arts (2021) 54 (4): 64–77. https://doi.org/10.1162/afar_a_00613 Cite Icon Cite Permissions Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Search Site Citation Onyile Bassey Onyile; Embodied Morality: Ekpri Àkàtà Masquerade of Efik Society, Nigeria. African Arts 2021; 54 (4): 64–77. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/afar_a_00613 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll JournalsAfrican Arts Search Advanced Search all photos by the author except where otherwise noted Efik traditions are closely attached to deep cultural norms that play an important role in solving social problems, creating strategies for improvement, and shaping community visions based on past wisdom. This accumulated knowledge addresses behavioral issues in Efik society which some view as corrosive; specifically, through the Ekpri Àkàtà masquerade, also known as ekpo okoneyo, or “ghost of the night,” hereafter Àkàtà. It is an all-male, nocturnal, secret society among the Efiks and people of neighboring towns in the Lower Cross River Basin (among the Oron and Ibibio people), Cameroon, and Equitorial Guinea. Àkàtà's roles in Efik society are woven into its moral fabric; its members are regarded as spirits, ubiquitous and magical, thus knowing every thought, scandal, and scrap of gossip in... © 2021 by the Regents of the University of California2021Regents of the University of California You do not currently have access to this content.