Oya gained authority over the Egungun ancestral masquerade through sacrifices prescribed by Ifa divination, becoming the patron and controller who summons ancestral spirits from the realm of the dead.
Egungun and Abiku represent opposite movements between the spirit and living worlds. While Abiku spirits come only to die and return, the Egungun are honored dead who return to bless and guide the living.
The Egungun represent the dead who return to visit the living, while Iku originally claimed them. The Egungun masquerade demonstrates that death's hold is not absolute — the ancestors can cross back to bless their descendants.
Moremi discovered that the terrifying forest raiders were ordinary men in raffia masquerade costumes, not spirits. Her revelation connects to the Egungun tradition, where costumes embody ancestral presence.
The Egungun ancestral masquerade tradition honors Oranmiyan as one of the most significant royal ancestors. His Opa Oranmiyan pillar at Ile-Ife serves as a focal point where the founding prince's spirit is venerated during ancestral ceremonies.
In Yoruba belief, the ancestors honored through Egungun influence the Ori (personal destiny) of their living descendants. Proper veneration of the Egungun aligns a devotee's Ori with ancestral blessings.
Sango-Koso's transformation from mortal king to divine orisha made him the most prominent example of human deification in Yoruba tradition. The Egungun ancestral masquerade tradition acknowledges this passage from human ancestor to cosmic power.
After Shango's departure from the mortal world, he became one of the most powerful ancestors honored through the Egungun tradition. His transformation from king to deified ancestor exemplifies the Egungun cycle.
Yewá tends the physical remains from which the Egungun (ancestral spirits) have departed. She cares for the bodies in the grave while the Egungun return to visit the living through masquerade.
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