Embodied Authority: Masking Traditions, Social Control and Conflict Management in Yorubaland, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines masking traditions across Yorubaland as indigenous institutions that enforce social control, manage conflicts and encourage cohesion with a view to sustaining peace. Drawing on insights from cultural anthropology and sociological theories, this study analyses how masquerade practices operate as systems of authority that mediate interactions between the spiritual and human realms. It further highlights both the symbolic and functional dimensions of masking traditions. Using a critical literature/documentary synthesis approach, data were drawn from 47 peer-reviewed and archival sources on African and Yoruba masking, selected via systematic search of Scopus, JSTOR and AJOL, 1950-2025, representing multiple Yoruba subgroups. This study argues that masquerades embody a form of ritualized authority rooted in ancestral legitimacy. As representations of ancestral forces, masked figures command respect and obedience, enabling them to address issues of discipline and conflict within the community. Through performances, ritual sanctions, and symbolic displays of power, they help maintain moral order and collective security while discouraging anti-social behaviour. The paper demonstrates that masking traditions contribute to peacebuilding by offering culturally sanctioned frameworks for mediation and reconciliation. The invocation of ancestral authority in dispute resolution enhances legitimacy and promotes communal acceptance of outcomes. Furthermore, the study acknowledges the gender dynamics of these practices, noting the bias against women and their supportive contributions to sustaining the traditions. The paper concludes that masking traditions remain significant as indigenous systems of governance that complement formal institutions, emphasizing their importance in social control, conflict management, and sustainable peace in both Yoruba and other African societies.