The Odumu festival is a masquerade dance by the Idoma people in Benue State, Nigeria. This festival comes up at any time of the year. There is no taboo associated with this festival except the ones the people normally carryout on the hunting field before the festival.
ODUMU means 'lion'. The Odumu festivities totally centered on an animal superiority and dignity that are quality possess by lion the king of the animals.
Lion is qualitatively ascribed with aggression, physical prowess and with majesty. These mentioned qualities are cherished by the Idoma men.
Hence, Odumu festival is a post-expedition triumph dance organized solely by hunters in their hunting groups to drive home the essence of their supposed warlike nature agility. Interestingly, the hunters do not willfully go out to hunt lions, rather they try to show the joy a lion would show after a successful hunting. They too demonstrate that they feel victorious as the lion would after its hunt.
Odumu festival therefore is a post-expedition triumph dance staged primarily by hunters in their hunting groups to capture the essence of their supposed warlike nature or agility. It is important to note that the hunters do not willfully go out to hunt lions, rather they try to symbolize the joy a lion would demonstrate after a successful hunting expedition since they feel victorious as the lion would after its hunt.
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