THE SYMBOLISM OF ANIMALS

"A SECRET SOCIETY OF ELEPHANTS"

The elephant mask is worn by the Kuosi society, a secret society whose members are all men. The members gain entrance by paying a fee to the chief who owns the society. Members of the elephant society act as agents under the chief's control and as formal emissaries.

The mask consist of, a hood with floppy disc attached to each side that represent the elephant's ears, and back and front panels representing the elephant's trunk. The face of the mask, the eye holes, mouth, and nose convey a human element. The mask is decorated with glass beads sewn in a triangular pattern representing the leopard's spots ( the elephant and leopard motifs are exclusively symbols of royalty).


"DANCED IN PAIRS"

This headdress represents the mythic "farming beast", Chi Wara, who gave the Bamana people agriculture and epitomizes the qualities of the ideal farmer. The headdress are danced by two champion farmers during communal farming activities. The dance is done to evoke the spirit of Chi Wara who is said to have left the earth when the people became lazy. The Chi Wara headdresses are danced in pairs, a male and a female headdress, to signify the union between male and female principles that infuse agricultural work with energy and power that increases the likelihood of a good harvest during the dry season. The dancing of the Chi Wara is also used to teach the skills needed for successful farming in order to insure the survival of the Bamana people.

The upper portion of the male Chi Wara ( on the left) represents the head, neck and witheis of a roan antelope. The zig zag pattern of the neck is a representation of the zig zag pattern of the sun between the two solstices. The lower portion is representative of the aardvark whose habit of burrowing in the earth symbolizes the male sex, the horns the growth of millet and the penis, the rooting the grain. The female Chi Wara, the oryx antelope, with the baby on her back is symbolic of the earth and the baby is symbolic of humans, showing the dependence of humans on what the earth provides. "In its entirety, the object brings together those elements necessary for the cultivation of millet: the sun and a solid rooting of the plant in the earth. Although water does not appear here, it is represented by the fiber costume worn with the headdress."(Vogel, p.22)



"A SPIRIT'S BLESSING"




Among the Nunuma people mask carved from wood represent protective spirits that take the form of animals. The Hawk mask is representative of one of those spirits. The mask is danced to gain the protection of the spirit for the clan, family, or community. The spirit provides for the fertility, health, and prosperity of its owners and continuity of life. This mask is danced by men and performs at boys initiation ceremonies, the funerals of elders and market day dances.

Although the typical Hawk mask is carved with a curved hawk beak, this one has an animal snout. The geometric patterns on the wings of the Hawk are signs and symbols that tell a story or represents a proverb. The zig zag lines on the face of the Hawk signify the "path of ancestors", a moral path that is very difficult, but one every Nunuma must follow to succeed in life.

Introduction| Portraits of African Women| Representations of Royalty| Bibliography| Map of Africa