[41] Latham hypothesizes that the Efik may have arrived before the middle of the seventeenth century. This created a need for Ekpe DC to have a full Ayamba Nkanda (Nkanda Chief). The cloth is then dipped in indigo dye and hung to dry. LEFT Omabe Eze sewing an ukara, Ezillo, southeastern Nigeria. The Ekpe Society. They are well respected agents of wealth distribution in the community. [1] Ekpe members always wear masks when performing their police duties, and although individuals may nonetheless be recognized, fear of retribution from the ikan stops people from accusing those members who may overstep their limits. Ukara cloth also consecrates the interior of Ekpe lodges, where larger versions of the cloth hang as backdrops. [66] [67] Communities within the Calabar metropolis such as Efut, Kiong and Qua also speak and understand the Efik language. [51] The Enwang people moved to the present site of Henshaw town.[51]. Originally, items such as onions (Oyim mbakara) was rare in Efik meals. [23][24], The Oriental original is most popular among indigenous Efik historians such as E.U. What's significant about the black fraternities and sororities in America is that they also trace part of their lineage to the Ekpe society of southeastern Nigeria. Some meals have been mentioned often in the 19th century historical literature of Old Calabar. The presentation, by Ekpe members from Cameroon, Nigeria and Cuba was arranged by Chief Dr. Ivor Miller and coordinated by Sessekous Ojong-Orock, Joseph Mbu and Mbe Tazi. It was worth every penny and made me feel like a kid again. "[29] Essien's criticism is supported by the fact that in some Efik trado-religious songs, Atakpor Uruan is greatly extolled. [49] The Enwang are believed to have ruled Atakpa for a number of years. I am a young researcher who have a great love for forest conservation, community . [33] Abasi was angered by the Uruan woman and cursed the Uruan people who started to punish her for her insubordination. [61] One of such letters written by King Eyamba V and the chiefs of Old Calabar states: Now we settle treaty for not sell slave, I must tell you something, I want your Queen to do for we. [38] It is believed that it was at Ndodoghi that many of the Abayen clan had died from crocodile attacks. Aye, Originally Ekpe Fraternity was for religious purposes, but as the Calabar community became complicated owing to the new wealth which the early trade with Europeans brought it was. Several accounts have been narrated on the migration of the Efik before their arrival at Old Calabar. And there are definitely more than 10 Ekpe members still around today. With the inception of the transatlantic slave trade, a number of foreign clothes were introduced into Efik society. (1985). Hugh, Goldie. Hope all is well. . [36] There are said to be at least three mass migration from Ndodoghi. The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. They believed feasting on a human strengthened their bonds. Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations "Hakuna Matata" (No More Worries) - Integrating Indigenous Systems of Conflict Resolution into the Formal System of Government Administration in Cameroon: Case Study of the Ekpe Society of Manyu Division Stephen O. Agbor, Nova Southeastern University Follow Date of Award 2017 But most importantly, it should be mentioned that if its members did not support the ostensible reality of ekpe, as a thing to be feared and appeased, then the History The Ekoi people, while all speaking the same language, have not tended to live in complete unison. During his research, Miller has identified many cultural links between Africa and the Americas, particularly between Cuba, Nigeria and Cameroon, which share a common heritage. James Beale Horton made a similar assertion in 1868 where he asserted that all the communities of the Niger-delta are traced to the Igbo. 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. One theory states that the Efik and Uruan had separate religious customs and the Efik refused to worship the Uruan deity Atakpor Uruan Inyang. [74][75] The Internet has shone light on manysecret societies, rendering them not so secret. The Ekpe Society or Mgbe society as it is also fondly called is very reputable and covers a wider range of ethnic groups such as: the Efut; the Efik; the Qua-Ejegham, and the Okonko ( the Igbo-speaking areas). Explain. Powered by, Ukara cloth detail, Etara community, Cross River State, Nigeria, Cross River Cultural Heritage: reports from home and from the African Diaspora, Introduction: Spirit Dancers, Water Deities & Mystics in the Cross River Basin and in Cuba, Upcoming film project: Seven year kp ritual cycle, Ntufam Bob Oku literature, music and drawings, Calabar Mgb International Journal / Revista Internacional, Calabar-Cuba Radio with Ene Ita and Ivor Miller, Manyu kp Funeral Rites in Yaounde, 2019, Ivor Miller research archive at Amherst College, Manyu kp procession in Yaound, March 29, 2019, Poster for funeral of Seseku Stephen Tataw (1948-2019), Tortoise shell instrument is played in the funerary procession, kp mask purifies the hearse before the procession begins, Funerary shrine representing the sacred forest of kp, kp members surround the shrine for the final rites. [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. La communaut cubaine Abakudescendante des communauts fik Ekp et Ejagham gb du Sud Est du Nigria et du Sud Ouest du Camerouna t fonde la Havane dans les annes 1830 par des leaders capturs des villages de Cross River. [6][7], The name Efik first appears in historical literature in the nineteenth century. The article was a not-so-deep exploration of indigenous African writing systems and languages. Upon leaving the Cameroon territory, the Ibibio arrived at their present location following two major directions. The Ekpe society is the most renowned traditional institution in Efik history. 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. Ekpe society was the first tribe to come up with this design and archaeologists have found traces of this fabric even in southwestern Cameroon. Within Nigeria, the Efik can be found in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom state. Objects and images in the exhibition courtesy of Dr. Eli Bentor. Welcome to brotherhood Illuminati where you can becomerich famous and popular and your life story we be changetotally my name is Dan Jerry I am here to share mytestimony on how I join the great brotherhood Illuminatiand my life story was change immediately . It described the religion, social, economic and political structures of the society as progressive and dynamic. According to Asuquo, Asibong Eso of Obutong was Old King Robin; Ekpenyong Efa of Adiabo was King John; Ani Eniang Nkot of Mbiabo Ikoneto was Robin King Agbisherea; Oku Ukpong Eton Ani of Mbiabo Ikot Offiong was William King Agbisherea; while Ukorebi Neneng Esien Ndem Ndem of Obomitiat Ikoneto was King Ebrero[55]. This material is believed to have been imported by the Portuguese (Oboriki). Ekpe Efik was used as a government instrument in Bakassi in exercising authority for more than 200 years ago [4]. But, Ekpe in the course of the colonial period underwent a wide range of fundamental changes in their structure, roles, status . The indigenous drums of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon are distinctive for their "wedge and ring" method of tightening the skin. When you see Ibibio do not give him fire(to warm himself), when he is dry he will kill you, Multiple Deaths at Ndodoghi creek, Ema Atai Ema Atai, Priest-king, lost his sight in death, Joshua Project Efik of Nigeria Ethnic People Profile, Souvenir Programme of the Coronation Service of His Royal Highness Edidem Boco Ene Mkpang Cobham V, Obong of Calabar and Paramount Ruler of the Efiks, Abridgement of the minutes of the evidence, "Souvenir programme of the Coronation of Edidem Boco Ene Mkpang Cobham V", "Cross river as a model for the evolution of Benue-Congo nominal class/concord systems", https://web.archive.org/web/20151222092842/http://sunnewsonline.com/new/pa-effiong-ukpong-aye-1918-2012/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Efik_people&oldid=1131332439, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters, Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 17:46. Ed Keazor Follow Barrister-at-Law Advertisement Advertisement Recommended According to Simmons, "Most Informants maintain that the first people to Inhabit Creek Town were Efut fishermen from the southern Cameroons. Ekpe cult, the leopard cult, and a male masquerade cult of the Efik, in cross river state of Nigeria, followed by Doomsday cult (prediction of total destruction of planet earth), then the. 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. This is UKARA cloth used by the Ekpe society in a handful of places in Nigeria, Cameroon The symbols are nisbidi You even scanned the raffia marks left from resist dyeing I hope you won't sue the owners in future! [15] Ekereke and Ekereke further assert that the word was later changed to "Efik". In modern-day Efik society, nyny is worn on various occasions such as weddings and traditional events. The society combines a kind of freemasonry with political and law enforcing aims. [52] These atrocities angered the missionaries and European captains alike. Due to the role they played during the era of the triangular trade, their prominence in literature and art, there has been a lot of academic scholarship on the people. Only males can join, boys being initiated about the age of puberty. Here's a look inside. The term "Calabar people" was particularly popular prior to the nineteenth century and was synonymous to the Efik.[6]. They give me thesum of $1,200,000 and many thing. Prior to Akak, the theory were proposed at the Hart's enquiry by Chief Offiong Abasi Ntiero Effiwatt and Etubom Ededem Ekpenyong Oku.[25][26]. [77] Women wore a number of brass rings on their legs and arms. Black Spirituality / Religion - General Discussion, http://odinanilawsofnature.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/finding-god-in-nature/, http://tourismafricana.com/origin-history-ekpe-soceity.html. Due to the Obutong massacre of 1765 and several other incidents, the Ekpe society of Old Calabar was transformed into the Abaku cult in Cuba, the Bonk cult in Bioko and the Abakuya dance in mainland Equatorial Guinea. Aye and Eyo Okon Akak. The missionaries who arrived in 1846 contributed to the changes in women's attire in Efik society. Cameroon with the Ekpe cult. authority as head of the Ekpe (Egbo), or Leopard, society. 16, 2014 3 likes 6,498 views Download Now Download to read offline Education Spiritual Technology A short description of the ancient Ekpe Masquerade and its cultural and spiritual significance, in the life of the people of the Cross River basin. [32] Another theory states that there was a disagreement between an Efik woman known as Abasi and an Uruan woman. According to E.U. Each grade has a chieftain or an Obong. We thank you too much for what thing you come do for keep thing right. Photo by Jordan Fenton. [27] A number of reasons have been given on why the Efik left Uruan. [52] The Captains wrote the acting consul who was stationed at Fernando Po. Names such as Okon became Hogan, Orok became Duke, Akabom became Cobham, Ene became Henry, Asibong became Archibong. Worn as personal wrappers during initiations and at social events, ukara cloth distinguishes Ekpe members. Bell of King Eyo Honesty II at Creek Town, Ekeng ita (also known as James Henshaw), Obong of Henshaw Town (c.a 1875). Individual symbols may also have multiple meanings, rendering context important and interpretation inevitable in the "reading" of the body of represented signs. After the tapping process, the wine is left to ferment for five hours. [19], The Ibibio origin of the Efik is one of the most popular among scholars. The group believes that when they eat human flesh, they gain the ability to transform into a crocodile. The group is gaining grounds as it seems to incessantly predict the total destruction of the planet earth. Over the years, the Victorian dress has been modified and given what is regarded as a dignified African look. [19] Oku attests that it was the attack on the Efik that made them decide to leave Ikpa Ene as they realised they were still too close to their enemies. The Osirica is a black Egyptian masonic order that existed in ancient Egypt. 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. [47] Antia Ekot Otong is regarded as one of the descendants of the patriarch Otong Ama Ide. These they handcuffed, brought down to the canoes, and so proceeded up the river, till they got to the amount of 45, with whom they returned to New town, where sending to the captains of the shipping, they divided them among the ships.[56]. Papers documenting the research materials and scholarly work of Dr. Ivor L. Miller in cultural studies of the African Diaspora. Historians recognize the advent and rapid rise of Ekpe as a direct result of a need for a new and effective mechanism of sociopolitical control in the complex economic environment created by the Atlantic slave trade. Iwewe is a type of boiled yam mashed with a small amount of palm oil and stirred with a spoon. Known generally as Ekpe, Egbo, Ngbe, or Ugbe among the multi-lingual groups in the region, these closed groups all used the leopard as a symbol of masculine prowess in war and political authority in their various communities. [33][34] Abasi is said to have borrowed an axe from an Uruan woman and had broken the axe. When the threads are cut, the nsibidi designs stand out, white against a deep blue background. The Amama often appropriate hundreds of acres of palm trees for their own use and, with the profits they earn, ensure that their sons achieve comparable rank, which has the effect of limiting access to economic gain for other members of the community. [5] The Efik refer to themselves as Efik Eburutu, Ifa Ibom, Eburutu and Iboku. Enyi laja na lasha b nyeere ha aka idi nsogbu nd baara ha. The persistence oftheAbakua society contradicts the official construction ofa Cuban national identity. Ekpe is a mysterious spirit who is supposed to live in the jungle and to preside at the ceremonies of the society. Dropping by to say, "Hi!" kp lodges ruled local communities while also managing regional and long-distance trade. According to him . Photo by Eli Bentor. Prior to the inception of the transatlantic slave trade, the Efik had experienced a series of migration before their arrival along the coasts of Old Calabar. Miller's current book, Voice of the Leopard (UP of Mississippi, 2008), documents the little known history of the Cuban Abaku, a mutual-aid institution derived from the Ekpe (leopard) society of the Cross River region of Nigeria and Cameroon. Some of the musical instruments that are important in the culture we have discussed are: the bala (balaphon), a kind of xylophone, and the kora, a gourd harp. [15] This theory appears to be isolated as other Ibibio writers do not narrate that such terms were used by the Ibibio. "Egbo" redirects here. Aye dates the arrival of the Efik in Creek Town to the fourteenth century. The group has managed to stay mostly hidden for over more than 100 years. The tentative program is as follows: January 27th and 28th, 2012. The Efik people are well known for a diverse number of cuisines. There are two distinct but related societies. The Leopard Society was allegedly a cannibalistic society in the early-to-mid 2oth century in Sierra Leone, Libera and Cte dIvoire. At least in the past, very large sums were paid to attain these upper levels. The cloth is made of plain cotton but transformed into a ritual object when nsibidi symbols are inscribed onto it through indigo dyeing. The ekpe society has spawned a large number of Nsbd . Ekpe Efik was used as a government instrument in Bakassi in exercising authority for more than 200 years ago (E.O.Efiong-Fuller, 1996). Corrections? [62][63] The first missionaries arrived in 1846. [65] Although the missionaries and rulers of Creek town and Duke town protested, their protests fell on deaf ears. 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. The designs are part of a dynamic language known as nsibidi, which uses image and gestural performance to communicate knowledge guarded by society members. Today, it is no longer the same Ekpe society of decades ago. Aye provides the following names among these priest-kings including Ema Atai Iboku, Ekpe Atai Iboku, Ukpong Atai Iboku. English language is spoken in the South-Western part of Cameroon. 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. Efik populations are found in the following regions: Secret societies aided in the maintaining of law and order at Old Calabar. Formerly the society earned a bad reputation due to what the British viewed as the barbarous customs that were intermingled with its rites. During weddings, the bride wears at least two different nyny. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. My party of 4 spent $400 at Space 220 in Disney World. The ekpo masquerade, occurring to the south and east of Benin, is performed by the warrior age group in ceremonies to purify the village ritually and to maintain health. cherryblossom wrote on WARRIOR's profile. . "[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. Write the meaning in the blank. Have you ever thought about starting a secret society? The Ekpe society is estimated by most foreign scholars to have been introduced into Old Calabar in the 18th century. 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. The Ekpe Society is a religious and cultural institution among the Efik people, it can also be found among the Annang and the Ibibios. Members of the Ekpe society are said to act as messengers of the AHR ~ 125 Determine the meaning of the italicized word in each sentence by examining the context. One of the most important castes in this society is the jeli caste. 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. Among these secret societies were Ekpe, Obon and Nsibidi.

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