Women in Ritual: Gelede
Gẹlẹdẹ masquerades are spectacles performed by the Yoruba people in Nigeria and Benin that celebrate the mystical power of women. With gẹ, meaning “to soothe, to placate, to pet or coddle,” ẹlẹ meaning a woman’s private parts, and dẹ meaning “to soften with care or gentleness,” Gẹlẹdẹ refers to the concept of honoring women and their innate powers so that the entire community may reap the benefits of their life-giving forces. There are many different variations of the Gẹlẹdẹ spectacle, which varies from region to region, but this concept remains consistent throughout all of them. It is an incredible artistic manifestation of the power of women which is evident in the concepts, costumes and masks, and location of the spectacle. (3)
