Pair of Oro Society Staffs

Date

ca. 1850

Creator

Edan staffs such as this one were presented to initiates of a secret society within Yoruba culture. This staff most likely belonged to a member of the Oro Society, a cult made up of prominent male members of the Ogboni such as kings, wealthy individuals, and popular social figures. The Oro cult performed political, judiciary, and religious functions, although its exact role is somewhat shrouded in secrecy. This staff was used at initiations and funerals, and might have been placed in the ground outside the homes of people who had been judged, alerting them to their upcoming punishment. Some have argued that the staff depicts two equal members of the Ogboni cult. The chain represents the oath that binds them together, and the piercing foot represents the point of connection with earth, which cannot be betrayed as, according to an Ogboni maxim, "He who betrays the earth will go with the earth."