Imina na mask

The Sigi festival takes place every 60 years. It starts in Youga Dogorou village and after a few weeks moves to the next village. The last one started in 1967 and ended seven years later. Sigi is a rebirth festival, during which men pass through a gate symbolically marked by long green plant stalks. It is believed that crossing the gate is equivalent to being born again. Each village prepares an imina na mask especially for this festival, which is placed vertically in the main square where dances and processions occur. Imina na in the Dogo-so language means great mask or imina mask, in the Sigi-so language, it is called Awa duno, which translates as great Awa or old Awa. Imina na is a symbolic representation of the snake into which the Dogon ancestors transformed at the end of their human lives. Among the inhabitants of the Bandiagara Escarpment, a legend explaining the appearance of death is popular. According to it, Dyungo Seru, one of their ancestors, transformed into a snake at the end of his human existence. During this metamorphosis, a group of young men in masks entered the village. Without informing of their intention to dance in masks, Dyungo Seru became furious because the young men violated the accepted rules. In anger, he spoke to them in the Dogo-so language to rebuke them. He violated the taboo that forbade those transformed into snakes to speak to humans and was punished by death with this act. After this event, the Dogon created the secret Sigi-so language to communicate safely with their ancestors. They also organised the first Sigi festival to obtain the forgiveness of Dyangou Sarou for the crime committed against him.

Ewa Prądzyńska