African masks

African masks are fascinating not only for tourists, but also for Africans themselves. It can be said that masks say a lot about African culture. They are used mainly during important rituals and ceremonies. However, the first African masks appeared already before the Paleolithic era. They represented the souls of animals, ancestors, as well as mythological heroes, and were mainly used to honor dead people in a very symbolic way.

The materials used to make masks are mainly wood, ceramics, textiles, copper and bronze. In addition to the basic materials, animal teeth, hair, bones and horns, as well as feathers, shells and even straw are used to make the various details of the mask, as well as for its finishing touches.

Not every African can create masks. Those involved in making them have a very high position in the village. This is because they are considered a kind of intermediary between the world of the living and the dead. Mask making is an art in itself, which is additionally passed down in the family from generation to generation. In addition, special knowledge and skills are needed.

Masks most often resemble human faces or animal mouths and are highly stylized because African culture carefully separates the outward appearance and its essence. A very common subject of mask making is animals. They represent the souls of the animals made, and the person putting on such a mask becomes that animal himself, taking on all its traits, including prowess, courage, strength, speed, among others. Such a "transformation" also makes it possible to make contact with the animal in question. In the case of donning masks that are dangerous to the inhabitants of predators, they are asked to protect the village from attack by their offspring.

There are also masks where the image of animals that are symbols of virtue is used. The most commonly used for this are the mouths of buffalo, hyena, hawk, crocodile or antelope. The antelope, in particular, is one of the most commonly used motifs for an animal mask. The antelope is a symbol of agriculture, and wearing a mask with its likeness should help ensure better crops. The antelope's horns represent the growth of millet, while its legs represent the roots of plants. The ears represent the songs sung in front of the women during the most difficult period, which is also supposed to help them survive and get better as soon as possible during the harder times.

Masks sometimes use more additional materials which are usually of animal origin, making them look not only more impressive, but also more powerful. Depending on the virtue the mask is meant to represent, different additional materials are used. To better explain what this consists of I will present one example, which is a mask representing power. It is made of antelope horns, crocodile teeth and warthog tusks.

Of course, masks that are meant to represent certain values can just as well be shaped like a human face. Depending on the value, they have certain characteristics. If the mask is supposed to represent calmness and patience then it has closed eyes. If such a mask has a small mouth and eyes it represents humility, a mask with a convex forehead represents wisdom, while a mask with a wide chin signifies strength and power.

Another important theme of African masks is the female face representing the ideal of beauty. Depending on the tribe, masks may additionally have breasts and decorative scars, other almond-shaped eyes, curled eyelashes, a narrow chin and other ornaments. Everything depends on the prevailing beauty attributes of the tribe. What is more interesting - in most cases, wearing masks using the image of women is reserved exclusively for men.

Another type of masks are those representing ancestors. To distinguish them from other masks with a human face they have a slightly different appearance - the shape of a human skull. This type is usually used during various ceremonies, and their purpose is to protect the souls of the dead, as well as to protect the living from ghosts.

Of course, the wearing of masks can also be of a more entertaining nature. In this case, mask-wearing dancers become a mediator between members of the tribe and the spirit of the mask in question. It can be said that they then become a medium, and the state they achieve can easily be compared to a trance. This is accompanied by music, singing and dancing. As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that other events like weddings, initiation rites and funerals also use dancing with masks.

As you can guess, masks are treated differently - it all depends on the views and customs of a particular tribe. Everywhere there is one rule that does not allow anyone to wear a mask. Only a select few from the tribe have this honor. Usually these are experienced elders, chosen ones and dancers.

As already explained African masks are created mainly for what they are worn. Different types are used depending on the situation. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that some of them are also used solely for decorative purposes of the house - the same as in the case of Europeans, for whom masks are only a beautiful decoration. In Africa, masks decorating homes have little representational value, lest they bring misfortune to the family. In addition to aesthetic value, they are without much spiritual value.

African masks should be seen by us not only as an opportunity to decorate the interior, but also as part of ceremonial dress, as an essential part of a spiritual experience. They are used in religious and social events and allow us to control good and evil powers. In addition, masks help combine human and animal traits, and allow humans to unite with their natural environment. The natural bond is of great importance to Africans, so for centuries masks have been used to express this relationship.