Edan staffs are presented to an initiate into the higher ranks of the Ogboni society of Yoruba elders. They are worn suspended by a chain from the neck. The staffs symbolize the union of male and female, a force of primordial unity invoked in times of disharmony among community members. The staffs may be placed on the site to reconcile the parties, adjudicate differences, and atone for the violations of the earth. Field Photo: Photograph: R. F. Thompson, Black Gods and Kings, 1976