Oloja Masquerade performance of Igala as theatre of transition

Abstract

The people's Cosmology is sine qua non to their overall lives and endeavours. In other words, the people's world view is the conglomeration or synthesis of their spiritual and secular lives. Every ethnic group has its guiding principles, aspirations, ethos and philosophy.This paper is focused on establishing the efficacy of the people's cosmology through the instrumentality of Oloja Masquerade Performance. The Igala believe in two worlds, the world of the living and the world of the dead. These worlds are
complementary. In this vein, the world of the spirits is said to take precedence over the world of the living as it is believed that the world of the spirits guides, guards and conducts the affairs of men in the mortal world. Oloja masquerade performance comes in as the last segment of the rite of passage of a deceased male. In order that the deceased should rest finally with his ancestors the masquerade has to re-enact the life style of the deceased while on earth, and at the end of such re-enactment, the deceased's house, his farming implements and his staff of office are symbolically destroyed as it is believed that a new home has been built for the deceased by his ancestors. This last process of transition of the
deceased is the Oloja ritual performance.