Aesthetics in Eje Festival at Ode Irele

Abstract

Eje is an annual performance that is synonymous with thanksgiving and a form of reception for female members of the society who might be married to have a taste of their paternal homes for five days having being away for close to twelve months in the year. The return affords them the opportunity of eating and relating with their siblings where important issues could be discussed and where necessary, interventions might be made by the extended family. The week-long-activities afford the siblings the opportunity to entertain their female members every other year by presenting their masquerades three times in a day at the arena. The most memorable of the eje festivals is the one tagged: Eje Agbapo or Eje Omo Okun (Agbapo means many which is a reference to the fact that many people are involved while Eje Omo Okun refers to the festival of the descendants of Okunsanbi, the first wife of Oyenusi). Okunsanbi hailed from Ondo and was the daughter of Jomo-Opehuku. She gave birth to Opetusin, Erinjimokun, Agbogun, Akinyomi and Olanusi. Olanusi alone had nine wives and they gave birth to many stalwarts. That explains why almost everybody other family is involved in the festival because they must have married from there or gave their daughters in marriage to them.