Eyo, central to the Eyo Festival, is a deity represented by masqueraders in elaborate costumes. These masqueraders, believed to be intermediaries between the living and the dead, honor Orunmila, the god of wisdom, and Sango, the god of thunder. Eyo masqueraders form guilds and are overseen by the Eyo society and Eyo palace, which organize the festival’s colorful parades, featuring unique staffs, costumes, crowns, and drumming.