The Efik people occupy the basins of the Lower Cross River, down to southwestern Cameroon including Bakassi, the Calabar River and down to its streams - the Kwa River, Akpayafe (Akpa Ikang) and the Eniong Creek. It is also found among a number of other ethnic groups, including the Bahumono of the Cross River State, the Ibibio, the Uruan and the Oron of Akwa Ibom State, Arochukwu and some other parts of Abia State, as well as in the diaspora, such as in Cuba and Brazil. Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. The ekpe society has spawned a large number of Nsbd . The version of Sunjata we have read is not the only version because: No version was ever written down by a skilled jeli, since Mande traditional society considers any story written down to be "dead". On behalf of Ekpe-USA Leadership, I hereby remind every member of Ngbe who has taken the aoth that our fathers and great grand fathers took to uphold those sacred traditions and beliefs, to immediately start preparations to do what they must do to send our brother to join our ancestors. They believed feasting on a human strengthened their bonds. It is also used by the Igbo and Efik. Ekpe is a mysterious spirit who is supposed to live in the jungle and to preside at the ceremonies of the society. The Efik Language and Its Future. When the threads are cut, the nsibidi designs stand out, white against a deep blue background. [42] K.K. Names such as Okon became Hogan, Orok became Duke, Akabom became Cobham, Ene became Henry, Asibong became Archibong. One of Thompson's pupils, Ivor Miller, has now produced a noteworthy study, concentrating specifically on one particular secret society, Ekpe, of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon; its transfiguration on Cuban soil into the Abakua society; and the ensuing effect of Abakua in shaping all aspects of the . At its peak, it permeated the social, economic and political life of the Efiks but lately its dominance has been eroded as urbanization and modern political administration expanded. [45] Eyo Ema's people occupied Otung in the south of Creek Town, Adim Atai and Ukpong Atai occupied the east and Efiom Ekpo's family occupied the Adakuko in the west. The year 1841 marked the official signing of papers by Efik kings to stop the exportation of slaves from Old Calabar. Ivor Miller: The voice of the leopard is the main symbol of the Ekpe society of the Cross River region ofNigeria and Cameroon, which was re-created in colonial Cuba as the Abaku society. Free masons were originally an ancient Egyptian fraternity of builders, with Imhotep, as their founder and chief sculptor. Among the Southern Igbo, the Ekpe society, introduced from the Cross River area, uses contrasting masks to represent the maiden spirit and the elephant spirit, the latter representing ugliness and aggression and the former representing beauty and peacefulness. Finding links between Africa and the Americas Ikpa Ene was a virgin island on the banks of the Cross river. Hall Fund. The Ekpe Society is a religious and cultural institution among the Efik people, it can also be found among the Annang and the Ibibios. Sisiku Ojong-Orock was born on Saturday October 2nd, 1948 in Ogomoko Village,Eyumojock Sub-Division, Manyu Division in the Republic of Cameroon, West Africa. [11] The last three clans had greatly dwindled in number and many of their members are believed to have been miscegenated into other Efik clans. of Old Calabar by the Ekpe secret society, which was controlled by the towns merchant houses. Black Spirituality / Religion - General Discussion, http://odinanilawsofnature.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/finding-god-in-nature/, http://tourismafricana.com/origin-history-ekpe-soceity.html. Oroko people - Wikipedia The Ekpe Masquerade Jun. The Efik language also borrows words from other ethnic groups such as Balondo, Oron, Efut, Okoyong, Efiat and Ekoi (Qua). Define monsoon, Sanskrit, raja, caste system, caste, Hinduism, reincarnation, karma, dharma, yoga, Buddhism, ascetic, nirvana. As Sidney Kasfir has pointed to (in reference to the Ekpe society in southeastern Nigeria and adjoining Cameroon), material, performative, and ritual structures in masking are not fused together but can be used to different ends and can travel different paths ( Kasfir 2019: 15). The area from which the Sunjata Epic comes was historically: the geographical location of the great medieval African kingdoms - Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. PDF Hood MuseuM of Art, dArtMoutH College This theory asserts that the Efik migrated from Palestine or somewhere close to Palestine. [72] [72] Iwewe is also regarded as a sacrificial meal often prepared for the Efik deities. Social importance is attached to the highest ranks of Ekpe-men, called the Amama. [9][38] The Adiabo group is believed to have left to their present location after the Mbiabo exodus. 2017). One of such accounts was given at a court case by Prince Bassey Duke in 1917 where he stated, "The Efiks were originally Ibo descendants. [37] When many of the Efik had left for Ndodoghi, a series of unfortunate events occurred. [70] Several meals were composed of yam such as Usu abia, Iwk abia, Afia abia, sb abia, Edifrai abia and fp abia. Letters were also sent by King Eyo Honesty II to introduce missionaries and technocrats into the country with emphasis on the latter. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. of Bamum, of Cameroon in his kingly attire seated on the throne with his chiefs flanked round him (Plate 2). [12], The Efik were noted for their involvement in the slave trade were they acted as slave traders and middlemen between the inland slave traders and the Europeans. LEFT Ezillo man drawing a grid pattern to be filled with nsibidi designs, Ezillo, southeastern Nigeria. Hugh, Goldie. Within Nigeria, the Efik can be found in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom state. The Efik in Nigeria have Nkanda as the basic Ekpe whereas, in Cameroon we have Ekpe as the starting point in Ekpe. Internal details about the membership and brotherhood demands of this ancient group is supposedly a top secret known only to the members. Each ukara is highly individualized and clearly produced to be worn by a specific Ekpe member or to mark a specific Ekpe lodge. Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the initiation society called kp, or "leopard," which was the highest indigenous authority. . And there are definitely more than 10 Ekpe members still around today. The Ekpe society most likely originated among the Efik people of southern Nigeria and from there spread across other tribes and language groups in Southern Nigeria. Posted on March 01, 2015 The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. The persistence oftheAbakua society contradicts the official construction ofa Cuban national identity. through the Illuminati Iwas able to become rich, and have many industry on myown and become famous and popular in my country , todayme and my family is living happily and I am the mosthappiest man here is the opportunity for you to join theIlluminati and become rich and famous in life and be likeother people and you life we be change totally.If you areinterested in joining the great brotherhood Illuminati.thencontact him +2348106618681 or for more information +1(705)8062021 email:illuminatibrotherpowerful@gmail.com or you need my assistance email:danjerry04@gmail.com Shame to the Manyu people and great men o Manyu, that you as enlightened as I know will willfully distort a tradition that back dates as long as 400 to 800hundred. Although Behrendt and Graham reveal that Calabar had been a major trading port since the first half of the seventeenth century, Efik historians such as Aye assert that the Efik had been trading with the Europeans since the last quarter of the 15th century. While their political authority is largely diminished today, Ekpe membership is still prestigious and the society continues to be a unifying force among the Ejagham, Igbo, Efik, Ibibio, and other cultural groups in the Cross River region. I hope Queen Victoria and young prince will live long time and we get good friend. In a Somali tale, the main character, Eghal Shillet, is: a braggart and coward who finds every possible excuse to avoid going into battle. PDF Symbolic values of clothing and textiles art in traditional and The Ekpe society is the most renowned traditional institution in Efik history. "[18] References to the Igbo origin of the Efik were also made at the Hart's enquiry into the Obongship dispute where Etubom Efiom Obo Effanga asserted that the term "Iboku" meant quarrelsome Igbos. English language is spoken in the South-Western part of Cameroon. One of the most important castes in this society is the jeli caste. NSUWorks - Nova Southeastern University Institutional Repository In its vastness, the Ekpe is a well structured society with semi-caste characteristics, in that, there are categories and titles which one may qualify to be initiated into, while others are strictly reserved for persons of certain status and backgrounds. At Creek town, the Efik ruler was Efiom Ekpo Efiom Ekpo who had a number of children including Nsa Efiom, Edem Efiom, Okoho Efiom and Odo Efiom. Sample Translation: The Sacred Language of the Abaku - JSTOR http://Ekpesociety.blogspot.com; www.ekpe.org; http://Ekpesocietyusa.blogspot.com; http://ndiboyevengo.blogspot.com, Ekpe Society 1st Conclave from Sept 16 to 17 2009, Ekpe DC Sessekou relaxing during the conclave, Ekpe Society members with Justice Hilman Egbe at a MECA DC meeting, Ekpe Chief Maurice Enoh's funeral in Dallas on January 27th and 28th 2012, Maurice Enoh: The 1st Manyu Ekpe USA Sessekou to die in USA, Maurice Enoh returning from his crowning ceremony as Ekpe Chief in Kepelle Village, Ekpe-USA received at the Smithsonian Museum. [58] Antera Duke also known as Ntiero Edem Efiom was an Efik trader whose diary reveals several daily activities in Old Calabar between 1785 and 1788. [32] Oku adds that the Uruan were adverse to the Efik custom of burying strangers with their dead and did not share in the practice carried out by the Efik. An entire topic will be dedicated to discussing the Ekpe society and its legacy in the near future. Ikpaya is now worn by an Obong-elect during the traditional coronation ceremony. PDF The decline of Ekpe masquerade amongst the Efik speakers The Efik language was also spoken in several communities in Western Cameroon. In the Song of Ocol, Lawino's husband gives his side, arguing that: Ocol throws Lawino out of his house because: Ocol says that "__________________________ are chains around the neck, chains of slavery". Tanzania and the Art of Africa | JTArtRave In addition to ritual propitiation of forest spirits to ensure the well-being of the community, this graded secret male society made and enforced laws by fines, capital punishment, or boycotts; judged cases; maintained internal peace; and served as the executive. Membership in the Ekpe (Egbo), or Leopard, society, for example, available to wealthy men who can meet the expense involved, confers high social status and political authority; these men participate in ceremonies concerned with ancestral spirits and are believed to protect the community through magic and religious ritual. One-word searches work best.Use AND to require multiple terms: LEFT Small ukara with minute patterned design and Omu Aro symbol. Alcoholic content may be increased via adding the red bark of Edat (Sacoglottis gabonensis) to the wine. Ukara cloth, an indigo stitched and dyed cloth is significant to the people of Igbo land. Although used exclusively by members of Ekpe, ukara is produced by a sub-group in a village of the Ezillo community in present-day Ebonyi State in the Igbo area in southeastern Nigeria. [67] As of 1877, Alexander Ross reported that thirteen towns in the Cameroon region speak Efik and had an aggregate population of about 22,000. Nigeria and Cameroon (Lebialem and Manyu), Ekpe Society Resolutions from meeting held on September 16th 2011 in DC, Auto-Biography of Sisiku Emmanuel Ojong-Orock, Leader of Cameroonian Ekpe Lodge in Metropolitan DC. [37] A captured invader confessed that they were set to retrieve royal emblems which they believed the Efik had taken with them when they left Uruan. I am a young researcher who have a great love for forest conservation, community . Several accounts have been given on the migration from Creek town to Obutong. There are several theories regarding the origin of the Efik people. [32] The Efik having pity on these men gave them food and showed them hospitality. The Neegee or Crocodile Society is considered evil by the Poro and Sande groups. A fraternal society that emerged in the western culture between the 16th and 7th century. [49] Several events at Creek town later led to a wave of migration from Creek town to Duke town. The Ekpe was vested with the powers of policing and bringing justice to the Efik kingdom. The images, ideology, and secrecy associated with kp have been studied for more than one hundred years, and yet crucial features of the history of kp and its transformation have been neglected. [32] Another theory states that there was a disagreement between an Efik woman known as Abasi and an Uruan woman. "[35] Simmons assertion which was made in his 1958 dissertation is similarly reiterated at the Hart's enquiry in 1964 by chiefs such as Chief Efiom Obo Effanga of Obutong. The earliest list of Efik traders is provided in Jean Barbot's manuscript which was later printed in 1732. At its peak, it permeated the social, economic and political life of the Efiks but lately its dominance has been eroded as urbanization and modern political administration expanded. AHR ~ 125 Essentially the leopard is a sign of royalty all over Central West Africa and the Calabar zone, and it's a symbol of their political autonomy. I'm still struggling to understand her choice. This village was originally named Ta Set Maat. The dress is often worn with ornaments such as necklaces and earrings made of coral beads. These lettere were heeded to and in April 1846, the first missionaries arrived Old Calabar. Hope all is well. Eye of the Needle - Ken Follett 2015-07-07 The worldwide phenomenon from the bestselling author of The Pillars of the Earth, World ukara: Ritual Cloth of the Ekpe Society features the ukara cloth, a composite signifier of authority, prestige, sacrality, difference, and social mobility in the Ekpe secret society in the Cross river basin encompassing southeastern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon. society to its Caribbean incarnation, which has deeply influenced Cuba's creative energy and popular consciousness. The group is a mutual aid society known for elaborate street dances and very high. Also i want bomb and shell. Today, it is no longer the same Ekpe society of decades ago. ugly and deformed, but predicted to be the mother of a great king. Body art plays a major role in Ibibio art. Another theory narrated by Chief Efiom Obo Effanga of Obutong asserts that Antia Ekot Otong founded Obutong. quickly adapted to fulfil other economic and civil functions. Welcome, Love, Peace and Unity in Nsibidi. Ekpe could take life and could give it; it could condemn a whole town to a heavy fine and was promptly paid; it could punish offenders and could forgive; even kings and Obongs could never escape Ekpe laws and edicts.[69]. Among these missionaries were Rev. Osirica brotherhood is the root of all the mason societies, dating back around 2300 B.C. [14], The name "Efik" translates to "Oppressors" and is derived from the Efik-Ibibio verb root "Fik" (English: Oppress). [67] Communities within the Calabar metropolis such as Efut, Kiong and Qua also speak and understand the Efik language. These are: the oral historians, kings' advisors, poets, and musicians whose power is the ability to manipulate words. [34], On leaving the Uruan country, the Efik migrated to Ikpa Ene which is nicknamed Akani Obio Efik(English: Old Efik island). Flashlight on drama & film : a drama for situation analysis guide a warrior-hunter who, despite having been a cripple, becomes the founder of an empire.