Masked Dance 4
To the Bwaba people of Boni village, mask dancing plays a central role in their traditional culture, combining the creation myths of the clans with the cycle of life amongst the villages. They believe that the animal and bush spirits portrayed by the masks enter the masks and become the means by which the prayers of the people are transmitted to the heavens. The masks are used during dances such as this one, to communicate with the ancestors and the gods.
The dance was not something that was put on for us tourists; the trip was timed to coincide with the dances that happen at this time of year to celebrate the end of the harvest.
The people of Burkina Faso are 25% Muslims, 10 are Christians, and 100% are animists who follow traditional beliefs, based mainly on ancestor and spirit worship. The Bwaba seek the help of powerful spirits who live in the wilderness around their village, and create masks to control these forces and help ward off the powers of destruction.
The animal masks follow a general stylistic pattern. They have large round protruding eyes, surrounded by concentric circles, and a short triangular shaped snout. Decorative geometric patterns cover the whole surface.
Accompanied by drummers beating the special rhythm of each mask and greeted by the audience with songs, each dancer gives a solo performance, while the rest look on. The music is monotonous but hypnotic and the dancers appear to fall into a trance, losing control of their movements and having to be restrained by others to stop them hurting themselves.
Tall plank masks such as this one, called Nwantantay, represent flying spirits from the bush. These spirits have no natural shape and hence are portrayed in abstract geometric form. The spirits embodied in the masks bless the families that own the mask and dance it in public. The patterns on the mask have meanings known only to initiates: the large Xs refer to the scarification marks on the foreheads of initiated men; the checkerboard pattern represents the separation between good and evil, wise from stupid, male from female; the large white crescent on top of the plank denotes the "moon of the masks" that shines during the seasons when the masks perform. The zigzag lines refer to the often-difficult path of their ancestors.
Masked Dance 4
To the Bwaba people of Boni village, mask dancing plays a central role in their traditional culture, combining the creation myths of the clans with the cycle of life amongst the villages. They believe that the animal and bush spirits portrayed by the masks enter the masks and become the means by which the prayers of the people are transmitted to the heavens. The masks are used during dances such as this one, to communicate with the ancestors and the gods.
The dance was not something that was put on for us tourists; the trip was timed to coincide with the dances that happen at this time of year to celebrate the end of the harvest.
The people of Burkina Faso are 25% Muslims, 10 are Christians, and 100% are animists who follow traditional beliefs, based mainly on ancestor and spirit worship. The Bwaba seek the help of powerful spirits who live in the wilderness around their village, and create masks to control these forces and help ward off the powers of destruction.
The animal masks follow a general stylistic pattern. They have large round protruding eyes, surrounded by concentric circles, and a short triangular shaped snout. Decorative geometric patterns cover the whole surface.
Accompanied by drummers beating the special rhythm of each mask and greeted by the audience with songs, each dancer gives a solo performance, while the rest look on. The music is monotonous but hypnotic and the dancers appear to fall into a trance, losing control of their movements and having to be restrained by others to stop them hurting themselves.
Tall plank masks such as this one, called Nwantantay, represent flying spirits from the bush. These spirits have no natural shape and hence are portrayed in abstract geometric form. The spirits embodied in the masks bless the families that own the mask and dance it in public. The patterns on the mask have meanings known only to initiates: the large Xs refer to the scarification marks on the foreheads of initiated men; the checkerboard pattern represents the separation between good and evil, wise from stupid, male from female; the large white crescent on top of the plank denotes the "moon of the masks" that shines during the seasons when the masks perform. The zigzag lines refer to the often-difficult path of their ancestors.