SOURCES OF AFRICA THEATRE

SOURCES OF AFRICA THEATER

Most of the information we have of Africa theater comes from anthropologist, socialscientist and theater scholars generally; however, we can classify these sources into the following: Festivals, Masks, Rituals, Legends, Myths and imitation acts. Let us examine each of sources intimately.

 

FESTIVALS

    Festivals are times of celebrations, merrymaking with series of performance including: dance, songs, and drama. They are instituted annually or bi-annually. Some after every two years duration or even some five or seven years  depending on the community involved. It serves as a means of giving honor and thanks to the gods, the deities, the ancestors. In Africa tradition all festivals are mainly Agricultural. The festivals are held to mark the successful end of an agricultural year and to welcome the commencement of another year. They usually provide opportunities to honor the gods, divinity and the ancestors for a successful agricultural year and to pray and hope for another glorious year. In other cases festivals are regarded as birthdays of the divinities or a day to mark the occasion of some event in the mythology.

 

In Africa the agricultural produced celebrated are yams, rich, and fish Festivals.  The day is fixed by the Oracle or the local traditional Priest. Rituals sacrifices are very important features of these festivals because they form the link through which established and maintain cordial and intimate relationship between himself and his object of worship. Apart from agricultural festivals like harvest, planting, hunting and fishing either type include festivals for individual such as birth, initiation marriages and funerals, coronation Accession, historical, and religious festivals. 

 

Festivals in Africa have their religious and social significant. Religiously, festivals afford the Africans the opportunity to honor the deities and divinities. They help portray the Africa beliefs in life after death and the helping role of the ancestors in protection and provision of abundance food, good health and prosperity.  Socially, festivals bring the people as a whole. It brings the various communities together providing occasion for renewal of fellowship between members of the same tribe, clan and family. Also festivals help to foster the sense of identity and solidarity. Above all, festivals serve as a factor for the survival and continuity of a given community.

MASK

Mask is presented literary in all Africa communities. Masks are symbols of identity. Some are worn while others are not. Some are awesome, inspiring and threaten in appearance while others are less intimidating. Apart from providing much entertainment for the public, mask perform some religious needs in addition to the social political needs they are meant to serve. According to Ossie Enekwe (1987):-

 

                                                “A mask has the forces of invocation

                                                Introduces extra-human forces into the

                        

                        human system in which mythical begins to

                                                commune with the living and manifest their

                                                powers. Primarily, mask are believed to be the

                                                Incarnation of the dead ancestors and vehicle for

                                                the manifestation of the spirits of the dead and other

                                                Supernatural forces.”

 

Furthermore, masking as an act also functions as an amalgam of many other act forms like costuming, miming, sculpture, impersonation, poetry, and dialogue. All these are put together in masking and places on the platform of entertainment for the public.

 

Mask have psychological and aesthetic significant to their native communities. It is belief that the mask has some sought of psychological effect on both the wearer and the spectators. The masker helps to enhance spirit-human relationship and communion. By serving as vehicle through which certain attributes or qualities of the deities and supernatural spirits are passed on to the masker.  There is a transformation of the masker which in the words of Ossie Enekwe (1987):-

 

                                                “The masker seems to be trans-magnified

                                                  Into the figure he is representing.”

 

In masking the face is covered around the mask. There is an aural of secrecy and make believe strengthen by ideal of hidden identity. For this reason, societies jealously guard the possibilities of having their mask exposed to the influences because of the attending consequences. Mask also perform social-political functions in some society, they are used to consolidate the powers and the authority of the king. They also serve as a means of identity and embodiment of the regal (king) or the attributes attached to the position of the king.

 

Mask are also used to maintain law and order in the society as we can see among the Igala people of Benue state of Nigeria. Mask are also used to chastise psychological erring members of the community and at other times administer cooperate punishment and order. The Ogboni society used mask caledl ‘Oso’ to ensure social control and discipline among its members. Generally, masking creates distinction between male and female. However, in most societies women are forbidding to wear mask while exceptions are found in some community.

RITUALS

     Rituals are prescribed order of performing religious rites or rituals acts.  The very origin of Africa theater can be traced back to rituals. As the primitive man gradually became aware of the nature around him, he sought ways of controlling divers forces. He sought to control vegetation and adapt himself to the changing seasons. He did not know why the seasons changed, why the moon must rise in the night or why the sun set in the day in an attempt to explain the mysteries man began to attribute them to supernatural powers- the gods. Next man sought to win the favors of these gods by way of worship. He therefore created an intermediary between himself and the gods.  In worshiping these gods man created rituals.

 

As time progresses modes of worship became formalized and ritualized. People began to idolized and later impersonate the gods in their rites of passage. (Stages of development) Stories were told of and about the powers or being. The stories became myths and in attempts to explain the traits of these forces man began to impersonate the mythical characters. Gradually, the religious worship began to lose its ritual value and eventually became secular.

 

Finally, people started to imitate the gods via dramatic impulses. A good example is the worship of the god of OSIRI in Egypt called Abydos passion play. The Revolutionary school of thought says that Africa theater developed comes from rituals and festivals.

LEGENDS

 

Legends are traditional stories or myths popularly regarded as historical. The act of storytelling is traditionally practice in all Africa communities. Usually, the stories center on myths and legends of ancient times. Other themes include annual and human heroes of the past and popular places where the act of storytelling take place are around the fire place, the village square, under-big-trees, and on moon light nights or evenings. In telling story, the storyteller   attempts to perform the story through mime and other dramatic impulses. At other times, the whole act is accompanied with acting, music, and dance. Story telling performs didactic or educational functions they help to teach the history of the past as well as moral lessons.

  IMITATION INSTINCT OF MAN

 The imitation instinct of man is another natural source of theater in Africa. The act of imitation is basic and common to all human beings. It was in attempts to explain these traits of supernatural forces that man began to imitate the mythical characters (gods). The imitation acts were carried out through dramatic gestures and impulses.

 

The act of imitation was also practiced by the early African hunters. At times they make clothes from the skin of the animals and at night put on the skin and mime or imitate the life of the animals in an attempt to hunt them down. Moreover, during hunting festivals such imitation traits are re-enacted. These imitation traits are referred to as sympathetic magic.

 

            From the foregoing, it remains a great fact that Africa theater has it roots from rituals and other festivals in Africa. Every idea we have of the origins of the Africa theater is always traced to the dealings of our ancestors and the desire to control nature and all the things around them most of which explains its origin thereof. Since man wonders how the moon rise and give light in the night or why the sun persist in the day and perform a similar role. To find answers to all these questions he began to worship these unseen beings which he considers as the supernatural forces behind their existence. That led to ritualization and ritualization led to Africa Theater.