PANGOLIN ORACLES 99 The Ekpeye in Nigeria, a subgroup of the Igbo, consider the pangolin to be “the blacksmith of the animal world.” Certain Igbo groups hold dance festivals during which a procession of masked fi gures goes to the earth shrine. In 1960, John Picton observed the annual Ekpeye egbukere festival, lasting several days at the beginning of the sowing and planting season. This festival celebrates the general revival and renewal of forces, and it involves a procession of masked fi gures of different types. In addition to helmet masks with human faces, there are also elongated, horizontal crest masks made of light pieces of wood, which can be from 1.5 to 2 meters in length. Among these are three-dimensional representations of a pangolin composed of a base carved from a single piece of wood, stained a dark color, that is completely covered with “scales” cut from bamboo (fi g. 22). The scales are skillfully overlapped so as to hide the iron nails that hold them in place. Picton notes, “Everyone begins to imitate the actions of the smith” when the pangolin mask appears (Picton 1988: 48–50). The role of the pangolin as a symbol of smithing can be compared to mentions of it as a kind of culture bringer in the fi eld of architecture, particularly in connection with roof construction as practiced by the Lega and Bembe
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