The Social Function of Masquerade Performance in Conflict Mediation Among Igbo Communities

Masquerade performance in Igbo communities serves social functions that extend well beyond aesthetic entertainment, operating as a mechanism for conflict mediation, community governance, and the enforcement of social norms through the authority of masked spiritual presence. This study analyses the social function of masquerade performance in conflict mediation across Igbo communities in Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi States, employing a comparative ethnographic design. Primary data are gathered from 60 community informants including masquerade custodians, community leaders, and conflict parties through semi-structured interviews and participant observation at masquerade events. The study documents specific instances where masquerade intervention was invoked in community disputes and analyses the mechanisms through which the performance achieves social compliance and reconciliation. The theoretical framework draws on performance theory, conflict resolution scholarship, and the anthropology of ritual governance. The study examines whether the conflict mediation function of masquerade is declining as formal legal institutions and Christian religious authority expand their presence in Igbo communities, and what implications this has for indigenous governance systems. A comparison across the three South East states examines whether specific masquerade types and their mediation functions are distributed differently across the zone. Recent scholarship has called for recognition of indigenous performance traditions as legitimate governance tools alongside formal legal mechanisms. Findings contribute to the anthropology of conflict, African governance studies, and the cultural heritage literature on performance. Keywords: masquerade, conflict mediation, Igbo communities, performance, indigenous governance