African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African Americans 481
horns, or teeth that are symbolically associated with ancestral or nature spirits that are
believed to reside in the forest, or in rivers or lakes. Alternately, other masked figures
may carry objects that are chosen for their symbolic power relating to one’s elevated
status in life such as a sword, staff of office, or flywhisk (all objects that are associated
with leadership). The masked figure ngady mwaash, produced by the Kuba of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, displays high status by carrying a flywhisk and
wearing a decorated vest and several elaborately embroidered textiles (see illustration). In
addition, ngady mwaash displays a beaded triangular hat on top of the head that is only
worn by Kuba female diviners. This further illuminates the status and authority of the
masked figure, as a female diviner derives her source of clairvoyant and healing power
directly from powerful nature spirits called ngesh.
The forms and styles of masked figures describe in visual terms the supernatural
worlds they intend to evoke. They run the stylistic gamut from those that represent
idealized physical beauty and moral authority to characters that represent grotesque,
disfiguring disease, deformity, decay, and even death (Cole 1985). In many African
cultures, there is thought to be a direct link between an individual’s outward physical
beauty and his or her inner moral and spiritual purity. Masquerade figures depicting good
character and moral fortitude usually display the marks of social status, wealth,
achievement, and good health. Conversely, figures that represent human degradation or
disease are dark and often grotesque in appearance and suggest malevolent forces at work
to serve as a warning against antisocial or immoral behavior.
An elder instructing a novice in the
painting of the initiation mask
Kamakengu, Northern Kete initiation
camp, 1981. Photo © David
A.Binkley.