Among the many Dogon masks listed by Marcel Griaule, this type of African Dogon animal mask is associated with the antelope, the walu, an animal linked to the Dogon cosmogony. Rectangular depressions fitted with cavities occupy the entire face, which is also framed by pointed ears. Remains of polychromy adorn the eroded surface. Parallel to Islam, the Dogon religious rites are organized around four main cults: the Lébé, relating to fertility, the Wagem, ancestor worship under the authority of the patriarch, the Binou invoking the world of spirits, and the Awa mask society regarding funerals. The "dama" is a ceremony dedicated to restoring the order of things following bereavement. It was originally to protect themselves from the "nyama" (soul) of the victim that the Dogon carved a mask in the image of an animal. Guarantor of order, the mask of the Walu charges the spectators too close to the dancers. A pantomime then illustrates the legend of the mythical walu. Many villages have this mask with different meanings.
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