Final answer:
The egwugwu in 'Things Fall Apart' are nine masked dancers who represent ancestral spirits. They play a leadership role, serving as judges in the Igbo community's judicial system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The egwugwu are a significant aspect of Igbo culture and play a crucial role in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart. In the novel, there are nine egwugwu, each representing a different village in the clan. These dancers don traditional masks that are believed to house ancestral spirits, and they serve as respected judges in the community, presiding over conflict resolutions and making decisions that affect the entire clan. The egwugwu process is deeply rooted in spiritual beliefs and the Igbo justice system, reflecting the tribe's social and religious structure. Their appearance is one of the most powerful displays of traditional Igbo life, and their anonymity gives them the authority to act without personal bias, embodying the spirits of the ancestors. In Things Fall Apart, the function of the egwugwu highlights the complexity of Igbo social order just before the arrival of European colonizers and their subsequent Fall Apart of traditional structures.