Ce terme tire son origine du monde yoruba. Il est également présent chez les Fons sous le vocable de kuvitɔ, et ayɔnu kuvitɔ en milieu Gun. Que ce soit en yoruba ou en Fɔ̀ngbè, l’egungun fait allusion à un revenant, c’est-à-dire une personne qui, en dépit d’être mort, est capable de revenir chez les vivant-e-s. Il s’agit d’une institution instaurée à l’origine par les Yorubas pour commémorer un défunt qui leur était important. Les egungun sont représentés par des masques, mais les pratiques culturelles relatives à ces croyances sont très diverses, et chaque société a ses propres normes et interdits.
D’après Rachida Ayara-de Souza, « les Egun assurent trois fonctions principales dans la communauté des vivants :
Une fonction thérapeutique pour soigner un malade dont la souffrance est causée par la colère ou l’errance de l’ancêtre. » (Ayari-de Souza 2020, 156).
This term originates from the world of the Yoruba, and also exists among the Fons as kuvitɔ, or ayɔnu kuvitɔ in the Gun milieu. In both Yoruba or Fɔ̀ngbè, egungun refers to a revenant, a person who, despite having died, is capable of returning among the living. This belief constitutes an institution established by Yoruba culture to commemorate a deceased person who was dear to their community. Egungun are represented by masks, though the cultural practices related to them are highly diverse, and each society has its own norms and prohibitions.
According to Rachida Ayara-de Souza, “the Egun perform three main functions in the community of living beings:
1. A function of communication and transmission of empirical information between ancestors and their blood descendants, through a socialised and ritualised dialogue between the living and the dead.
2. A function of assisting family carers to overcome disputes and conflicts.
3. A therapeutic function to treat a patient whose suffering is caused by the ancestor’s anger or wandering.” (Ayari-de Souza 2020, 156)
Ayari-de Souza, Rachida. Ouidah. La mémoire silencieuse. Éditions Dagan, Cotonou, 2020.
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