By themselves, masks are regarded as ineffectual, but when someone wears a mask and full costume and dances with the accompaniment of music and singing, the mask becomes a powerful spiritual force. In general, only men wear masks, but in some cultures, such as the Mende of Liberia and Sierra Leone, women also own and perform in masks. As part of a ritual that initiates them into a female society, Mende women wear a black helmet mask that represents a water spirit. Because of the power certain masks possess in performance, some people are not allowed to look at them, even if the masks are used in a ritual performed in a public place.
Among the Senufo of the Côte d'Ivoire, for example, a certain masked dance eases the passage of a dead person's spirit from this life to the afterworld. Women of childbearing age are not allowed to see this dance for fear that it might harm their unborn children; the Senufo also believe that the women's life-giving power might impede the transition of the dead person's spirit. Headdresses are worn on top of the head, sometimes in addition to fiber or cloth that disguises the wearer. Ceremonies involving headdresses have a variety of purposes, from the investment of power in a king to the blessing of land for cultivation. The Bambara people of Mali depend on farming for their livelihood, and they use the Chi Wara headdress in ceremonies to bless the land and celebrate the harvest. The Chi Wara consists of a carved wooden animal form with long antelope horns; this form is attached to a basket that is placed on the top of the head. It represents a mythological creature, half man and half antelope, that taught the Bambara how to till the soil. Dancers in male and female pairs wear the mask in rituals at harvest and planting seasons. Most African religions focus on controlling the elements that produce and sustain life, such as air, water, and soil, as well as supernatural forces. Individuals seek to achieve this control through contact with ancestor or nature spirits. Most African cultures believe that ancestor spirits act as intermediaries between the human community and god, the creator. Art objects, usually wooden or clay figures, may be used to make contact with these spirits and guide their powers. Among the Kota of Gabon, carved wooden guardian figures oversee and protect the remains of dead ancestors and other important individuals whose spirits can intercede between humanity and an all-mighty creator.
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