Ayankola Ayanwuyi

Egungun is Not Masquerade

We are in Egungun Festival season. Many are fond of saying Egúngún means masquerade. It doesn't. Egúngún is Egúngún. It is a concept too layered to be confined to a single English word.

The word Egúngún comes from the root word 'gún' — which means to balance, to fit, to be accurate, to straighten. So Egúngún, at its most basic linguistic level, is that which straightens, that which balances, that which fits things back into their proper order.

Egúngún season is a time when we are filled with the presence of our ancestors. A season of remembrance for those who have gone ahead of us. It is a reaffirmation that in the Yorùbá worldview, the dead never leave the living. They remain part of our community.

Egúngún naturally pulls crowd more than any other festival across Yorùbáland. It tells you one thing among the Yoruba —The return of the dead is the desire of the living.

Egúngún is a force of balance. It connects our past, present, and future. Egúngún is full of memory, continuity, and communal message for our collective responsibility. Through Egúngún, the Yorùbá system recognises and honours those who came before us, those who are here now, and those yet to be born.

This is why Egúngún remains central to the wellbeing of our land and to our communal harmony. When Egúngún parades a town in its cloth, it is a symbolic and spiritual act of cleansing, carrying away evil and misfortune. It also reaffirms the moral order of the community.

Yes, some Egúngún perform for entertainment. But no Egúngún is without spiritual connotation. Igba aṣọ ní ń bẹ lára Egúngún.

Egúngún Festival is the season when the dead bless the living. Our ancestors return to protect, to guide, and to remind us that a people who forget their dead also forget themselves.

Now tell me, how do you want to confine all of this into the word 'masquerade'?

—Àyánkọ́lá Àyánwuyì
Ilé Onísẹmọ-Onílù,
Òkè-Ìṣoko, Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́.
June 28, 2026.

5 days ago | [YT] | 14

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

Last Saturday, culture advocates, historians and lovers of Yoruba history gathered at the private viewing of The Throne of Alaafin Oyo.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 6

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

The Throne of Alaafin Oyo premiered in Lagos yesterday at the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History. It was a beautiful moment to see people gathered to learn about the most storied throne of Oranmiyan, which belongs to the Yoruba people.

We had Princess Folasade Adeyemi, the first daughter of the late Alaafin Adeyemi III, who also represented the Oba Adeyemi royal dynasty. Olori Olamiji Pearse from Oyotunji, the Yoruba kingdom in South Carolina, USA, was also present with the Crown Prince, Omololu. Prince Adebimpe Ladigbolu represented the Ladigbolu royal family, and Prince Adebayo Onisile represented one of the royal families from the old Oyo Empire.

As Prof Akin Alao proposed, the Yoruba need to build a rally point to define what exactly Yoruba culture is in Africa and how we want to protect it. I seconded him, saying it is time for the Yoruba to hold another Alabaja Conference to declare a unified Yoruba identity, with practical steps to protect our interests in Africa.

Ibadan is next to watch The Throne of Alaafin Oyo on Thursday, April 16 at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. If you have ever wanted to understand what it means to have a Yoruba identity, this is the room to be in.

— Ayankola Ayanwuyi

2 months ago | [YT] | 13

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

The Throne of Alaafin Oyo by Ayankola Ayanwuyi was premiered in Lagos today.

2 months ago | [YT] | 7

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

The Throne of Alaafin Oyo documentary film premieres in Lagos — Nigeria Current News

nigeriancurrent.com/2026/04/08/the-throne-of-alaaf…

2 months ago | [YT] | 7

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

The Throne of Alaafin Oyo is an historical documentary, produced by Ayankola Ayanwuyi, that examines one of the most consequential royal transitions in the contemporary Yoruba history. Join us for the Lagos screening session on April 11 at J. Randle Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

2 months ago | [YT] | 15

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

Here is the poster for my new documentary — The Throne of Alaafin Oyo

The Throne of Alaafin Oyo is a journey into the institution of the Alaafin and the traditions of Oyo kingship. The film documents the historic transition from Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III to Oba Abimbola Owoade I, to share rituals, ancestry, and cultural authority that continue to define the throne of Oyo.

#alaafin #oyo #yoruba

3 months ago | [YT] | 35

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

Esu is a principle of sacrifice, accountability and balance. Esu is all you need to be a Yoruba.

4 months ago | [YT] | 20

Ayankola Ayanwuyi

Yoruba Indigenous Calendar

The Chinese are currently celebrating Chinese New Year, which in 2026 began in mid-February. It marks the Year of the Horse on their lunar calendar. This period is observed nationwide in China, with public holidays (of about seven days) and near-total shutdowns across many sectors during the Spring Festival.

The new year officially began on February 17 but many businesses were already closing for days now. Some would use about 15 days for the holiday. They have managed to sync their civilisation, time, culture, economy, and identity.

The Yoruba need to get here, too — soon. A time when we collectively recognise and celebrate our own New Year, from our Indigenous calendar which usually starts early June. We have to stop living perpetually by borrowed clocks.

And beyond the celebration, we must also embrace the message of Ifa revealed for each year as a moral, spiritual, and philosophical guide for our collective journey. It is important for our survival. For example, this year Odu Ifa is Oturupon Meji (also Ologbon Meji).

We do not have any future outside our cultural identity. Any progress detached from our cosmology, values, and ancestral knowledge is imitation. Following our calendar is how we realign with ourselves and chart a future that is truly ours.

— Ayankola Ayanwuyi

4 months ago | [YT] | 17