Promoting unity in the modern age through social drama: the performance of Umulumgbe Odo masquerade ritual

Abstract

ABSTRACT Umulumgbe is a community in the South Eastern sub-tribe of the Igbo of Nigeria. They are known for their strong belief in the Supreme Being who is known as Chukwu Okike – the Creator and in the ancestors. Although they believe in other smaller gods, their reverence to the ancestors is apparent in the way they perform their Odo masquerade and struggle to sustain it. These ancestors who are known dead relatives in the community visit the living every two years and stay with them for a period of six months in the form of Odo masquerade. Umulumgbe Odo masquerade ritual performance is an art form that reflects the creative and imaginative work of the people of Umulumgbe. The performance provides an avenue for the participants to dramatize how their belief in the afterlife has contributed to their social and psychological wellbeing, especially, during the loss of a loved one. This study also concentrates on how the participants utilize this performance as an opportunity to promote peace, unify the people, and solidify communal bonds. Umulumgbe Odo masquerade performance is a social drama in nature, occupying the space between the real and the imagined, focusing on the continuation of life after physical death in the spiritual world.