Nigerian Eggunggun Dancer

EGGUNGUN - ORIGINS OF ANCESTOR VENERATION

In Yoruba land or modern day Nigeria, ancestor veneration is an important part of spiritual life. The Ancestral Spirits of the Yoruba are much more than just dead relatives, they play an active role in the daily life of the living. They are sought out for protection and guidance, and are believed to possess the ability to punish those who have forgotten their familial ties. While there are numerous ways the ancestors communicate with the living, one of the most unique is their manifestation on earth in the form of masked spirits known as Eggunggun.

To better understand the importance of ancestors to the Yoruba peoples, it is helpful to examine their concepts of the Birth and Death cycles. For the Yoruba, each person comes to this life from the world of the unborn (much like the Jewish concept of the Guff, or Well of Souls). Each soul will leave the earth plane and make their way to the world of the ancestors. When a child comes into this world, he or she is said to carry with them aspects of a former ancestor who is reborn in the child. This is not to say they are the ancestor reincarnate, but that there are certain features of their personality, parts of their physical make-up, and elements of inborn knowledge that come from a previous relative. When the time comes to leave this earth, it is not the end of their existence.

What happens to one's soul in the Yoruba concept is based on the individual's actions here on earth. For those who have led a good life, there is the chance to be remembered by the living. To be remembered is to be kept alive; to remain close to the earth plane, which is the realm of the living, the unborn and the ancestors.

The Eggunggun dancers are a personification of the dead on earth. There is such a strong need for contact with deceased friends, relatives and other important Ancestral Spirits that large festivals are held each year for them. This long standing Yoruban tradition was brought to Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean through slavery. It existed for some time in its traditional form and to some extent can still be seen today in very rural areas of Cuba. However, the effects of colonialism were far reaching in slave populations. European, Catholic and Native Indian influences permeated the practice of ancestor veneration and new procedures were developed to address the people's strong need for contact with Ancestral Spirits.

ESPIRITISMO - MEDIUMSHIP IN LATIN AMERICA

Trying to understand how Spiritualism became widespread in the Caribbean and Latin America is a long history lesson. Spiritualism began in the United States in the 1840's and became wildly popular by the early 1900's. During this period, several books on mediumship and spiritual practices became available in the Caribbean and Latin America - those by French author Allen Kardec being the most popular. Native American and African peoples had a long standing reliance on ancestral veneration and trance possession, therefore Spiritualism was easy to absorb into their belief systems.

Regardless of sharing many fundamental concepts, Spiritualism in the Caribbean has taken different roads of expression based on its contact with other religious systems. In urban areas, for example, Spiritualists were highly literate and more apt to indulge the concepts of foreign authors. In the rural areas, however, illiteracy was widespread and practitioners held a diverse array of beliefs and practices.

In Cuba, for instance, two fundamental variants of espiritism exist:

• La Mesa Blanca Spiritualism - This form of practice is highly colonialized - meaning the European influence is quite evident. Catholicism, Native and African meld together into a syncretic belief system. This variant is designated by the use of La Mesa Blanca or "White Table"
• Eggungun Spiritualism - This form of Spiritism has strong Kongo-Bantu roots. Elements from Lucumi / Regla de Ocha are evident. This type of practice is seen in rural areas and in the urban province of Santiago. This variant is designated by the use of chants and dancing (performed by the mediums) in a line or chain to the beat of songs, hymns and invocations that ultimately lead to a state of trance or possession by the Spirit. Drummers (playing on boxes not drums) are often seen at these ceremonies.

La Mesa Blanca Spiritualism is the type of Espiritismo that made its way to US. The old line Eggungun form of service has not made much headway on the mainland.

ESPIRITISMO BASICS

Spiritualism is a religion that promotes the truth - the true objective of life through recognized experiences. Even more, it reveals what we are, from where we have come, to where we shall go and the cause of our pains and sufferings.

It's basic teachings include:

• God is the supreme intelligence and primary cause of all things. God is eternal, immutable, unique, omnipotent, supremely just and good.
• The Universe is a creation of God. It encompasses all beings, whether they be rational or irrational, animate or inanimate, material or immaterial.
• Beyond the physical world, which is the habitation of incarnate Spirits (Mankind), there exists the spiritual world which is the habitation of discarnate Spirits.
• Spirits are the intelligent Beings of creation. They constitute the World of the Spirits, which preexists and survives everything.
• All Spirits are created simple and ignorant. They gradually evolve intellectually and morally, so passing from an inferior order to more elevated levels, till they finally reach perfection where they will enjoy constant happiness.
• Each human being is the creator of his own fate.
• All men are brothers in spirit and origin, yet they remain in different stages of evolution and knowledge in line with the spiritual age of each and every one of them.
• Promotion of charity, fraternity and solidarity.
• Prayer is an act of adoration towards God. It is contained within Natural Law, being the result of an innate sentiment of Man, just as the idea of the existence of a Creator is also innate in Man.
• Prayer helps Man to become better. Those who pray with fervor and confidence find themselves to be stronger against the temptations of evil, and God sends them Good Spirits to assist them. This is help that is never denied to those who ask with true sincerity.

Many Espiritistas communicate with Spirits within a gathering of friends who come together to share their divine intelligence. In some cultures it is called a séance; in Latino cultures these are called misas. These sessions are spiritually enriching - they create an opportunity to pray to spirits - further elevating their energy while celebrating the contributions they have made to attendees' lives. It is also an opportunity to interface with Spirits directly either through trance possession or channeling.