The Gẹlẹdẹ spectacle of the Yoruba is a public display by colorful masks which combines art and ritual dance to amuse, educate and inspire worship. Gelede celebrates “Mothers” (awon iya wa), a group that includes female ancestors and deities as well as the elderly women of the community, and the power and spiritual capacity these women have in society. Focusing not only on fertility and motherhood but also on correct social behavior within the Yoruba society. Gelede in the context of Yoruba belief The Gelede social agenda rests on the Yoruba maxim Eso l'aye (The world is fragile). In other words, life is delicate and should be lived with caution and with an emphasis on diplomacy, consideration, respect and harmony. The origins of Gelede There are two main schools of thought about the origins of Gelede, the historical and the mythological. The historical origins are linked to three possible places, Old Oyo, Ketu, and Ilobi. Ketu, one of the oldest and most elaborate of the Gelede performances has an origin story of a king dying and his two twin sons both vying for the throne. One brother, after learning that he wasn't going to get the throne came up with a plan to kill his twin. When the brother caught wind of the plan he came up with a counter plan that involved creating a mask and a makeshift person as a deception. The mythological origins are directly connected to Iya Nla, or the Great Mother, and her connection to motherhood and twins. Most Yoruba myths of origin can be found in the divination narratives known as Odu Ifa. There are approximately 256 Odu Ifa, each of which contains a number of poems called ese Ifa. A typical ese Ifa is a narrative about a person or animal with a problem and the steps to resolve that problem. An ese Ifa explains the origins of Gelede as beginning with Yemoja, "The Mother of all the orisa and all living things." Yemoja could not have children and consulted an Ifa oracle, who advised her to offer sacrifices and to dance with wooden images on her head and metal anklets on her feet. After performing this ritual, she became pregnant. Her first child was a boy, nicknamed "Efe" (the humorist); the Efe mask emphasizes song and jests because of the personality of its namesake. Yemoja's second child was a girl, nicknamed "Gelede"