Waja

Gender Issues in Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ̀ Ritual Masks, Songs and Dance: Their
Implications for Social Harmony and Family Stability

By

ỌLÁLẸ́YÉ Samuel Káyọ̀dé, PhD,
Department of Religious Studies,
University of Ìbàdàn̩, Ìbàdàn̩, Ọ̀yọ́ State, Nigeria
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 08036777305
and

“yelàdé “lúfikáyọ̀Kúnlé PhD,
Chapel of the Resurrection,

University of Ìbàdàn, Ìbàdàn, Ọ̀yọ́ State, Nigeria
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +2348057078889

&bstract
Gender relation and Peace building in Africa begin from individual
homes, communities and religious cults. Cults exist throughout the
world and there is nowhere the feminine tentacles do not reach in any
of these cults especially in Yorùbá society where various cults such as
Égúngún, Orò, Ọ̀ pá and Gè̀lè̀dẹ̀ are in operation. Gè̀lè̀dẹ̀, which is the
focus of this paper, is a public display by colourful masks of the Yorùbá
society that combines ritual dance and art to educate, correct social
behaviours, inspire worship, celebrate the power and spiritual
capacity of ancestral mothers (àwọn ìyá wa) and deities of the
community by imploring them to use their extraordinary powers for
the happiness of the society. It is an appeal to forces in the world
through the aesthetic power of masks, costumes, music and dance with
a view to shaping the society for the benefit of all since Gè̀lè̀dẹ̀ festival
promotes social harmony. It involves men, women, old as well as the
young. However, the number of female involved is larger than that of
the male members. Yet, the kind of love, respect and harmony that exist
among male and female members of the cult is unparalleled. One may
then ask, despite the fact that African continent is predominantly
patriarchal, how has the cult been able to ensure gender harmony?
Can this be emulated by every family in African society that could
propel peace building? This is what this paper tried to achieve. Twenty