Traditional African Masks: spiritual powers and hidden meanings (part 2)

Traditional African Masks: spiritual powers and hidden meanings (part 2)

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• The Truth About Traditional African Masks and Their Use

Watch more on SEVICS | AFRICAN MASK TV.

Beyond the wall: the spiritual side of African masks

In the last video I introduced African masks. I told you a mask can be a learning aid, and I told you the story of the mask I keep in my home. Today we go deeper. We look at who can make a mask, what masks are used for, and how a mask is prepared for spiritual purposes. That process is called deification.

Thank you to everyone who asked for this one. I try to answer every comment. Educating anyone who wants to learn is the best part of this work. Keep the video suggestions coming.

Can anyone make a mask?

If the mask is for decoration, yes. Anyone can make something to hang on a wall.

If the mask is for spiritual purposes, no. You have to be called. You do not choose it. You are led into it. Every spiritual mask is unique, even when two look alike. The spirit tied to each one is different, a bit like people. So the spirit must choose you and commission you for the job.

Some carvers specialise in one type of mask. Others can make several. If you feel drawn to make masks, do some investigation first. Make sure you are on the right path. There are rules, the do’s and don’ts of each mask. There are things you must never do to one. Break them and you may activate a mask by accident, or make one that activates itself and brings you trouble. So if your mask is not for decoration, do not make it unless you totally know what you are doing.

What are masks used for?

Learning. Our people could write. But they also chose to carry stories and symbols in masks. A simple looking mask, like the one I showed you last time, can hold a story narrated over many days or months.

Decoration and entertainment. Some masks only beautify your home. Others are worn by masquerades who dance and make people laugh. Children too young for the proper masquerade groups form their own small clubs and buy such masks. They entertain themselves and others, and sometimes they raise funds for themselves or for community projects.

Spiritual use. Now we come to the serious part. A mask can do several things.

• Connect you to your chi. In Igbo language, the chi is your personal spirit guide. There is a difference between Chukwu, God almighty, and your chi. Many people with names like Chinedu think the name refers to the almighty. Technically it refers to your personality. A mask can represent that personality, and you can make offerings of kola, wine and sometimes animals to it. For many people it is represented by the Ikenga, a carved figure that is the seat of a man’s power and the centre of his being. It concentrates and reinforces his spiritual energy. If you have spirit guides in your own culture, tell me in the comments what they are called.
• Connect you to your ancestors. At cultural events you see different masquerades come out and perform their roles. Some represent particular spirits. Some represent the ancestors. When such a mask is made, the spirit of the ancestors is invoked. Each time the masquerade is worn, the spirit can possess the one who wears it, and he becomes a source of blessing to the land and the people. When a masquerade places a hand on your shoulder and prays, it prays in the capacity of the ancestors it represents.
• Connect you to deities. In Igboland there is no single universal list. We recognise Chukwu and other spirits, each with a role in people’s lives. Go to other communities and you meet deities with other names. A mask can represent any of them. Some deities have specific representations that must always be used. Others you can represent as you feel is right.
• Help you visualise. Our ancestors knew about the law of attraction. Look at an Ikenga and you can tell the kind of man he was. A warrior has a weapon and a fierce look. A man of peace carries no weapon and looks kind and gentle. A man chooses the mask that shows who he wants to be, and he places it in his obi. When he wakes, he looks at it and it inspires him to become that person.
• Act as lucky charms. Some masks attract positive energy and benevolent spirits into your home. Some repel bad energy. Very ugly masks are often placed in homes to drive away bad energy, wizards and the like, when they are activated properly.

Deification: what it means and what to know first

Deification is the process of making a mask a deity, or inviting a deity to possess a mask. Let me be clear. I am not a native doctor. Do not ask me to do this for you. If you cannot do it yourself, you need a proper traditional priest.

Here is what I think you must understand.

First, have a connection already. If you want an activated mask in your obi, your shrine or your altar, there must already be a connection between you and that spirit. No connection, do not bring it in. And you must understand what the spirit comes to do, what it brings to the table and what you must do to keep it working for your good. Spirits are like human beings. When they are happy they are calm. When they are not, they behave differently. You do not want a spirit you do not understand living in your home.

Second, get your instruments. One of them is the mask. Buy one, or make your own if you feel drawn to it.

Third, negotiate before you sacrifice. When your mask is ready and your place of prayer is set, there must be a contract. You negotiate with the spirit, or you send someone you trust who can do it for you. Spirits are not invited for fun. You want something and the spirit is able to give it. You must find the conditions. Some spirits are cool and only expect you to acknowledge them from time to time. Some require sacrifices, maybe once a year, maybe once a month, maybe once in a lifetime. That is for you to negotiate. Then you offer the sacrifices that begin the relationship.

A mask is not the spirit

Hear this carefully. A mask is not the same as the spirit. If you later lose interest and throw the mask away, burn it or give it to a church, the spirit does not leave. It has come to stay.

So when you negotiate, negotiate how to end the relationship. Most spirits require sacrifices equal to what you offered when they came, to usher them out of your life and your family. Everyone in your house, your children, your parents, your siblings, your wife, must know what the spirit needs and how to keep it happy or how to end the relationship. Someday you may not be there, and spirits do not die. They will hold your family to the bargain.

Negotiate also for yourself. Ask that the contract ends when you die, so that the spirit does not go on to trouble the people around you.

I am not saying this to scare anyone. Igbo cosmology is not child’s play. As we say, it is not a dance for children. When the drums begin, you must know who you are on the spiritual plane before you move to the beat. If you make a contract with any spirit, Christian, traditional or any other, keep your part. Many spirits are not forgiving when you do not hold up your end.

My advice

Have masks for decoration. Have masks for visualisation. Have masks for learning. If you must acquire a mask for anything spiritual, know exactly what you are doing. If not, you may be in for trouble.

Do you own a mask? Have you ever tried to activate one? Tell me in the comments.

Not sure what your mask is, or where it comes from? Send photos through Identify a Mask. Start with the first video in this series, The Truth About Traditional African Masks and Their Use, and read How to Decode your Traditional African Mask.