Mask of antelope

Following the myth of the origin of masks, the Dogon owe them to lowly creatures called Andumbulu. The first masks used by Andumbulu and stolen by a Dogon woman were made of plant fibres. The men, suspecting that they had great power, took them from the women, but their power and true function were only revealed after the appearance of death among the Dogon. The first to die was Dyungo Seru. It happened during the transformation of the ancestor into a snake. After the event the people realised the negative effects of the nyama life energy released by death. So, they decided to carve a mask that would serve as a support for nyama. In that way, the first imina na mask, made in the shape of a snake reminding of a deceased ancestor, was created and used during the Sigi festival. The ceremony, held every 60 years, commemorates this mythical event of the appearance of death. The first death, which contributed to the creation of the imina na, was followed by others. Each death released the dangerous nyama. Attempts were made to transfer this unbridled life energy to the statues erected on the numerous altars, but as the number of deaths increased, these treatments were no longer sufficient. The men therefore made other masks, of fibre and wood, and organised the Dama funeral ritual, during which nyama of the dead were taken out of the village and sent to the afterlife.Therefore, the Dogon masks are closely associated with rituals concerning death. Circumcised men, members of the secret Awa society, may dance in them. Women, children and inne omo men should avoid them.

Ewa Prądzyńska