EGÚNGÚN ẸLẸ́GBA AND THEIR PERCEIVED EXCESSES
A video is making the round on internet where some egúngúns are shown trapping some young boys to a corner and beating the hell out of them. Many of such videos exist and this is the reason for this write-up. There is a need to put things in proper perspective and the need for cautionary measure.
kinggram.org make bold to say it is totally rubbish, bastardization of culture, total disrespect for human rights and culture assassination. Government should track down these evil men hiding under the cloak of egúngún to perpetrate evil and bring them to book accordingly.
However, because of how muddled up and disoriented the society is, there is a need to state some facts from antecedents on the incident. First, this egúngún was probably sponsored by thugs to unleash vendetta on some rival group of boys. It is not a strange occurrence because these vendetta propelled incidents have happened across Yorùbá land in the past to the extent police had to wade in.
Secondly, this is not how egúngún suppose fight in traditional “cane battle.” To put this in proper perspective, cane battle is actually a form of competition among specific group of people, usually young boys that believe they are mature enough to engage in such competition. It is a form of rite of passage into adulthood wish test their ability to bear pain. Those who want/choose to fight in the cane battle usually wait after egúngún show has come to an end and the battle begin with a particular egúngún declaring the floor open for such.
Nowadays that things have been muddled up, government should wade in and prohibit this dastardly act. Let only those who want to ja’rẹ́ meet somewhere and like open field and battle themselves. Mayegun does not support any religious or cultural practice that does not support human wellbeing, we do not support bullying and destruction of lives and properties.
Dancing masquerade, singing masquerade, praise-poet masquerade, trick performing masquerade and other peace loving colorful masquerades are enough to promote our culture to the world.
