Mask of walu antelope

According to the Dogon cosmogonic myth, the walu antelope was born during the sacrifice of Nommo, the mythical ancestor of humanity. Amma, the creator of the universe, made the walu antelope the guardian of the road leading to the Sun. The antelope was supposed to protect this road from the pale fox Yurugu, who was constantly searching for his twin sister (in one version of the myth, Yurugu's twin was transformed into the Sun). Unable to reach the Sun, the fox decided to take revenge on the antelope. He dug holes in the ground and lurked on walu. The animal, defending its access to the sun, ran from east to west and fell into one of the holes seriously injuring its hind limb. An ancestor of Dyungo Seru tried to heal the wound, unfortunately without success. The wounded antelope, limping, went to the Blacksmith to seek help from him. Before he could do anything, however, the exhausted antelope died at his side. After her death, the antelope's partner reached Smith, taking her offspring with him. This ensured the continuity of the species.The walu antelope mask dance during the Dama funeral festival recalls these mythical events. The dancer supports himself with a long stick held in his hand. From time to time he approaches other masks and makes movements imitating the infliction of furious blows with his horns. The walu antelope tries to chase away the pale fox with this gesture. Finally, the dancer, limping, walks to the main village square. There he fights again with the invisible enemy for a short while and then falls to the ground. The dancer, wearing a medicine man's mask representing the healer Dyungo Seru, approaches the antelope to heal it, but the animal gets up and leaves the square, limping painfully.

Ewa Prądzyńska