Edjo n'ame rhe (Spirits come from water)

--Urhobo proverb

Festivals for water spirits occur regularly throughout Urhoboland. The powerful, often dangerous forces of the waters normally reside in the "deep waters," far from Urhobo communities, but on special occasions they are invited into town to be honored with masked performances. These events are not staged primarily for the pleasure of the audience; rather, they are created for the enjoyment of the spirits themselves. Water spirit dancers wear masks and costumes that imitate the styles of the spirits.

The most widespread water spirit, Ohworhu, is said to have originated in the waters to the south, among the villages of the Ijo. The commonly told story involves a man who travels to the fishing grounds south of the Urhobo and stays there for many years. His wife resists the pressure from family members to give him up for dead; when he does ultimately return, he announces that he has "met" Ohworhu and has brought back its art, music and dance for all to enjoy. The festival, while performed by men, is held in honor of the faithful women in the town.

On festival days, villages stage elaborate performances for Ohworhu that feature both wooden masks and complex structures made of raffia and split bamboo, the largest of which is a eravwe gangan, or the "Big Animal," 20 feet long and manipulated by three dancers. At the end, the fabricated structures are taken back to the river, disassembled and returned to the "deep waters."