The unmasking of the Egwugwu symbolizes the spiritual power and authority of the ancestors in Igbo culture. It shows that the masked figures are not just regular men but are embodiments of ancestral wisdom and justice. By revealing the person behind the mask, it demonstrates that the spiritual realm is present and active in the community's social and legal affairs.
Enoch's unmasking of the egwugwu enrages the clan, and forces them into option.
When Enoch unmasks the egwugwu, he desecrates and kills it. The other egwugwu attempt to hide the face of the egwugwu from the public. For the rest of the week, the wailing of the mother egwugwu is heard throughout the villages, a somber song for her mourned son. Eventually all of the tribes gather. They end up burning down Enoch's compound, and the church where Enoch hides.
The greatest crime would be killing a sacred egwugwu by unmasking it. This is more of a crime than killing even a holy royal python or a fellow clansmember.
The egwugwu are ancestral spirits of the clan. It is not known how many there are specifically. In tribal courts of Umuofia, there are 9 egwugwu, one representing each village. A notable egwugwu is the Mother of Spirits, who makes an appearance after one of her sons is killed. Another is Ajofia, the leading egwugwu of Umuofia.
One of the egwugwu was unmasked, killing the egwugwu.
The chief egwugwu is called Evil Forest.
Enoch, a Christian convert, unmasks an egwugwu, killing it.
Okonkwo did play the role of an egwugwu in the egwugwu court.
"Egwugwu" is used in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe to represent the gods.
The egwugwu gather for several reasons:FestivalsCourtFuneralsRevenging the death of one of their own.
Each egwugwu represents a village of the clan. There are nine villages in the clan.
Egwugwu were present in many ceremonies in the Igbo culture. They were present at funerals of honoured men, to pay homage to dead warriors. There was also an egwugwu court, where they would preside over cases among mortals.