There is a special drum among the yoruba called gbedu, consecrated for the king to be used during festivals. One day, a stranger was interested in this drum that he invented his own drum like gbedu. Then, he left the town not to return again. Meanwhile, the children who used to follow him all around while drumming emulated him and continued the tradition. They also make something nearly similar to the man's drum. The women, called "iya Agba (great mothers)" Euphemistically among the yoruba became fond of these children playing around with their drums.
One day, as the children were playing, a rich man was displeased and commanded all their play things be seized. The great mothers got angry and punished him. Amidst his trouble, the oracle told him to seek forgiveness from the mothers and he did. they instructed him to return all he seized from the children and since that time the great mothers hijacked the tradition, and the Gelede festival evolved. The piece indicate the gelede mask.
