All you should know and the Origins of “Ojuju Calabar”
The saying or myth “Ojuju Calabar” finds its roots in the venerable tradition of Ekpo secret society of the Ibibio, Efik and Annang people of Cross River/Akwa Ibom.
Within Ekpo society which is solely a male society, members don masks deliberately crafted to evoke fear and reverence.
These masks, characterised by their unsettling visages, served as potent symbols within the community, and in this context used sometimes to discipline children and occasionally admonishing women.
The narrative surrounding “Ojuju Calabar” emerged from a misinterpretation of Ekpo’s cultural significance by outsiders.
Rather than recognizing the masks as tools of cultural expression and discipline, they were misconstrued as malevolent entities, giving rise to the myth of Ojuju Calabar as a scary force.
Photo: M’Keown, Robert L., “Twenty-Five Years in Qua Iboe: The Story of a Missionary Effort in Nigeria”, 1912, fig. 65.
Cc: Mayowa Blades
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