Igbo Maiden-Spirit Maskers. Nigeria. (Photo: artSTOR)
The Igbo Maiden-Spirit Maskers are the second part of the okoroshi masquerade. Dark masks that feature distorted, asymmetrical features come with an entourage of male followers bringing about war and conquest. The six weeks of okoroshi masking blesses the ripening yam crop and prepare the community for the ritual presentation.
The embodiment of the Igbo Maiden-Spirit implies the power over the community and dancer. The masquerade prepares the community for the ritual presentation. The only person who understands how the masquerader feels upon being embodied is the masquerader him/herself. The mask and spirit portrayed are very powerful upon embodiment. The involuntary control of oneself is associated with the embodiment of spirits, and explains the uncharacteristic masquerade’s actions[1].
[1] Simon Ottenberg, "Illusion, Communication, and Psychology in West African Masquerades," Ethos, 10, no. 2 (1982): 156, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3696962?seq=8&Search=yes&searchText=African&searchText=Masquerades&list=hide&searchUri=/action/doBasicSearch?Query=African+Masquerades&gw=jtx&acc=on&prq=African+Arts&Search=Search&hp=25&wc=on&prevSearch=&item=2&ttl=717&returnArticleService=showFullText&resultsServiceName=null (accessed November 28, 2011).