Mossi
Encyclopedia
The Mossi are a people in central Burkina Faso
, living mostly in the villages of the Volta River
Basin. The Mossi are the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, constituting more than 40% of the population, or about 6.2 million people. The other 60% of Burkina Faso's population is composed of more than 60 ethnic groups, mainly the Gurunsi
, Senufo
, Lobi
, Bobo
, and Fulani
. The Mossi speak the Mòoré language.
, Côte d'Ivoire
, Ghana
, Mali
, and Togo
. In 1996, the estimated population of Burkina Faso was 10,623,323. Five to six million are probably Mossi; another 1.2 million Mossi live in Côte d'Ivoire.
hunter. Yennenga
was a warrior princess, daughter of a Mamprusi king in upper east Ghana
. While exploring her kingdom on horseback, she lost her way and was rescued by Rialé, a solitary Mandé hunter. They got married and gave birth to the first authentic Mossi, Ouedraogo, who is recognised as the father of Mossi people. The Mossi also are also directly descended from the Mamprusi people and similarly live in Upper East Ghana with a capital of Bawku/Nalerigu.
. The expansion of the Mossi empire was stopped in the 19th century with the initiation of intensive colonisation by the French. Before then, the Mossi people held a belief that "when the first white face appeared in the land the nation would die."
was devastating for most African people, as it resulted in imposed frontiers that affected the interrelationships between tribes, leading to political and social unrest throughout Africa when it ceased; the Mossi are no exception. This domination affected Mossi society and weakened the power of the Mossi emperor
, the Mogho Naaba. Despite colonization, the Mogho Naaba was still given some authority over the Mossi during the French colonial period. He is still consulted today for crucial decisions, especially those affecting the destiny of society. Two great events have affected the status of the Mogho Naaba during colonization: firstly, during the initial phase of European invasion, he retired to the Dagomba kingdom with which the Mossi have always kept brotherly relations. Finally in 1896, the Mogho accepted the French protectorate
. Though it has not been generally recognized, the Mossi played a key role in France's military during World War II
. They constituted the greater part of the corps in the military troops of French West Africa, known in French as the Tirailleurs Sénégalais. Despite these historical shocks to Mossi society, they managed to keep their strong identity
and their social structure.
, the historical and present capital of Burkina Faso
. Though the political dynamic of the country has changed, the Mogho Naaba (Emperor) is still recognised by his people and has substantial authority.
Second to the Emperor come the nobles, or Nakomse. The Nakomse are all from the family of the Emperor, whether they be brothers, sisters, cousins, or otherwise. In fact, all dignitaries come from the Emperor's family. The Nakomse are often assigned territories in the kingdom as governorships and rule in the name of the Mogho Naaba. As in the past, the Emperor needs the support of his Nyon-nyonse (or gnon-gnon-sse) subjects to fully exercise his power. The Nyon-nyonse are the peoples who lived in Mossi-controlled regions before the Mossi.
Mossi society is divided vertically into two major segments: the descendants of the horsemen who conquered the peoples on the Mossi plateau are called the Nakomse (“people of power”), and all Mossi chiefs come exclusively from the Nakomse class. These people use figures as political art, to validate their rule over the peoples they conquered. The descendants of the ancient farming peoples who had occupied the land from the beginning of time and who, by right of first occupation were and are the owners of the land are called the Tengabisi (“people of the earth”). These Tengabisi can be further divided into groups of smiths (Saya), groups of traders (Yarse), and most important, groups of farmers (Nyonyose). Generally the smiths and the traders do not use masks, but the Nyonyose, the “ancient ones” are the principal makers and users of masks in Mossi society.
in Mossi society. In everyday life, the family hierarchy is most important, and family is often directly associated with the notion of hierarchy
for the Mossi.
Mogonaba was the name Leo Frobenius was told was the term appropriate for the emperor of MOssi at Wagadugu when he visited the country in 1904-6. His is one of the few disinterested reports as he was an anthropologist and not a missionary, representative of a European company or military. He describes a court much like a European one (one can easily read an anti-aristocratic bias in Frobenius' comparison however) with nobles in intrigues over commerce, power and industry. This report alone caused disbelief in Europe as no European source had ever considered Africans like Europeans. The lack of racism in Frobenius' report and his discovery of a industrious people and a glorious past interested W.E.B. Dubois in Frobenious' other writings on Africa. Rudolf Blind's translation in English of the Voice of Africa by Hutchinson & CO., produced some racist comments he thought necessary to conform with English sensitivities otherwise he believed no Englishman would consider the book realistic.
.
, of the Dagbani group of languages. It is spoken in Ghana
and Burkina. This language is common to a larger group, Gur languages
belonging to the Niger–Congo languages. Within the language exist a few dialects based mainly on region. For example, there is a dialect spoken in Yatenga
(Ouahigouya
), another distinct dialect in the northern region, a third in the southeast in Koupela
, different from a fourth dialect in the same region called Tenkodogo
. Despite these regional differences, all of the dialects are mutually intelligible
.
is also an essential cultural element of the Mossi, who hold collectivism
in high regard. Individualism
does not exist in traditional Mossi culture: one’s actions and behaviors are always taken to be characteristics of one's family. They must always ask an elder in order to do something. As a result, all are expected to act in their family's name; thus, the family is the smallest entity in the Mossi society. Heritage
is patrilineal, passed down from a father to his sons. However, when a man has no sons, women can inherit from their husbands and even from their father.
S.F. Nadel writing in the 1940s and 50s about homosexuality in Sub-Saharan Africa, noted that among the Mossi pages chosen from among the most beautiful boys aged seven to fifteen were dressed and had the other attributes of women in relation to chiefs, for whom sexual intercourse was denied on Fridays. After the boy reaches maturity they were given a wife by the chief. The first child born to such couples belonged to the chief.
derives from the oppression experience from the appearance of the first colonial invaders
. The first threat led the king of the Mossi to travel to the Mamprusi kingdom for help fighting the colonizers. A second threat from the colonizers led the Mogho Naaba to leave his court a second time to find help. However, before he left, the Emperor learned that the threat was false and that his kingdom was safe. In celebration of this event, even today, that event is reenacted every Friday of the week at the Emperor's court.
(Fr.
Salon international de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou), Week of the Culture, and the Atypical Nights of Koudougou (Les Nuits Atypiques de Koudougou). Each Nyon-nyonse family has its own mask, and they are charged with protecting the masks to this day. Masks are very sacred, and are a link to the spirits of ancestors and of nature.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, living mostly in the villages of the Volta River
Volta River
The Volta is a river in western Africa that drains into the Gulf of Guinea. It has three main tributaries—the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta...
Basin. The Mossi are the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, constituting more than 40% of the population, or about 6.2 million people. The other 60% of Burkina Faso's population is composed of more than 60 ethnic groups, mainly the Gurunsi
Gurunsi
The Gurunsi are a set of ethnic groups inhabiting northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso.-Pre-Colonial History and Origins:Oral traditions of the Gurunsi hold that they originated from the western Sudan near Lake Chad. While it is unknown when the migration occurred, it is believed that the...
, Senufo
Senufo
The Senufo are an ethnolinguistic group composed of diverse subgroups of Gur-speaking people living in an area spanning from southern Mali and the extreme western corner of Burkina Faso to Katiola in Côte d'Ivoire. One group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana...
, Lobi
Lobi
The Lobi are an ethnic group that originated in what is today Ghana. Starting around 1770 many of the Lobi migrated into southern Burkina Faso and later into Côte d'Ivoire. Currently the group consists of around 160,000 people...
, Bobo
Bobo people
The Bobo are an ethnic group living in Burkina Faso although the area occupied by the Bobo extends north into Mali. In much of the literature on African art the group that lives in the area of Bobo-Dioulasso is called Bobo-Fing, literally 'black Bobo.' These people call themselves Bobo, and they...
, and Fulani
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
. The Mossi speak the Mòoré language.
Location
The Mossi tribe originated in Burkina Faso, although significant numbers of Mossi live in neighboring countries, including BeninBenin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
. In 1996, the estimated population of Burkina Faso was 10,623,323. Five to six million are probably Mossi; another 1.2 million Mossi live in Côte d'Ivoire.
Legendary origins
According to tradition, the Mossi derive from the marriage of a Mamprusi princess and MandéMandé
Mandé or Manden is a large group of related ethnic groups in West Africa who speak any of the many Mande languages spread throughout the region. Various Mandé groups are found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,...
hunter. Yennenga
Yennenga
Yennenga, also known as Yennenga the Svelte, was a legendary African princess, considered the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso. She was a famous warrior whose son Ouedraogo founded the Mossi Kingdoms.-Biography:...
was a warrior princess, daughter of a Mamprusi king in upper east Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. While exploring her kingdom on horseback, she lost her way and was rescued by Rialé, a solitary Mandé hunter. They got married and gave birth to the first authentic Mossi, Ouedraogo, who is recognised as the father of Mossi people. The Mossi also are also directly descended from the Mamprusi people and similarly live in Upper East Ghana with a capital of Bawku/Nalerigu.
Mossi Empire
As the Mossi people's history has been kept by oral tradition, it is impossible to assign precise dates for the period before colonization. Nevertheless historians assign the beginning of their existence as a state to the 15th century. The Mossi were able to conquer a vast amounts of territory thanks to their mastering of the horse, and created a prosperous empire and kept peace in the region until the beginning of colonialismColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
. The expansion of the Mossi empire was stopped in the 19th century with the initiation of intensive colonisation by the French. Before then, the Mossi people held a belief that "when the first white face appeared in the land the nation would die."
Colonial era
ColonialismColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
was devastating for most African people, as it resulted in imposed frontiers that affected the interrelationships between tribes, leading to political and social unrest throughout Africa when it ceased; the Mossi are no exception. This domination affected Mossi society and weakened the power of the Mossi emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
, the Mogho Naaba. Despite colonization, the Mogho Naaba was still given some authority over the Mossi during the French colonial period. He is still consulted today for crucial decisions, especially those affecting the destiny of society. Two great events have affected the status of the Mogho Naaba during colonization: firstly, during the initial phase of European invasion, he retired to the Dagomba kingdom with which the Mossi have always kept brotherly relations. Finally in 1896, the Mogho accepted the French protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. Though it has not been generally recognized, the Mossi played a key role in France's military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They constituted the greater part of the corps in the military troops of French West Africa, known in French as the Tirailleurs Sénégalais. Despite these historical shocks to Mossi society, they managed to keep their strong identity
Cultural identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics....
and their social structure.
Organization of Mossi society
The Mossi people have organised their society in an original hierarchic process in which family and state are the key elements.The Mogho Naaba and the Nakomse
The highest position in Mossi society is that of the Emperor, who is given executive power. The Emperor's role is to rule the entire population and to protect the kingdom. Today, he lives in OuagadougouOuagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, the historical and present capital of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
. Though the political dynamic of the country has changed, the Mogho Naaba (Emperor) is still recognised by his people and has substantial authority.
Second to the Emperor come the nobles, or Nakomse. The Nakomse are all from the family of the Emperor, whether they be brothers, sisters, cousins, or otherwise. In fact, all dignitaries come from the Emperor's family. The Nakomse are often assigned territories in the kingdom as governorships and rule in the name of the Mogho Naaba. As in the past, the Emperor needs the support of his Nyon-nyonse (or gnon-gnon-sse) subjects to fully exercise his power. The Nyon-nyonse are the peoples who lived in Mossi-controlled regions before the Mossi.
Mossi society is divided vertically into two major segments: the descendants of the horsemen who conquered the peoples on the Mossi plateau are called the Nakomse (“people of power”), and all Mossi chiefs come exclusively from the Nakomse class. These people use figures as political art, to validate their rule over the peoples they conquered. The descendants of the ancient farming peoples who had occupied the land from the beginning of time and who, by right of first occupation were and are the owners of the land are called the Tengabisi (“people of the earth”). These Tengabisi can be further divided into groups of smiths (Saya), groups of traders (Yarse), and most important, groups of farmers (Nyonyose). Generally the smiths and the traders do not use masks, but the Nyonyose, the “ancient ones” are the principal makers and users of masks in Mossi society.
The craftsmen and ordinary citizens
They constitute the larger part of the population and are all subjects of the emperor. These two groups are generally fused but have internal subdivisions, each one having its own ruling family; they perform ceremonies and other important events. Mossi people often identify with groups; hence, at all levels, there is a hierarchyHierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
in Mossi society. In everyday life, the family hierarchy is most important, and family is often directly associated with the notion of hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
for the Mossi.
Mogonaba was the name Leo Frobenius was told was the term appropriate for the emperor of MOssi at Wagadugu when he visited the country in 1904-6. His is one of the few disinterested reports as he was an anthropologist and not a missionary, representative of a European company or military. He describes a court much like a European one (one can easily read an anti-aristocratic bias in Frobenius' comparison however) with nobles in intrigues over commerce, power and industry. This report alone caused disbelief in Europe as no European source had ever considered Africans like Europeans. The lack of racism in Frobenius' report and his discovery of a industrious people and a glorious past interested W.E.B. Dubois in Frobenious' other writings on Africa. Rudolf Blind's translation in English of the Voice of Africa by Hutchinson & CO., produced some racist comments he thought necessary to conform with English sensitivities otherwise he believed no Englishman would consider the book realistic.
Language and cultural values
Group identity and values within the Mossi and contrasted against other ethnic groups are tied first and foremost to languageLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
.
Mossi language
The Mossi speak the More languageMore language
The Mossi language, Mòoré is one of two official regional languages of Burkina Faso, closely related and mutually intelligible with the Dagbani language spoken in northern Ghana...
, of the Dagbani group of languages. It is spoken in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Burkina. This language is common to a larger group, Gur languages
Gur languages
The Gur languages, also known as Central Gur, belong to the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 70 languages belonging to this group. They are spoken in Burkina Faso, southern Mali, northeastern Côte d'Ivoire, northern Ghana, northern Togo, northwestern Benin, and southwestern Niger.Like most...
belonging to the Niger–Congo languages. Within the language exist a few dialects based mainly on region. For example, there is a dialect spoken in Yatenga
Yatenga
Yatenga is a modern province in the Nord Region of Burkina Faso, located in its Nord Region. In modern Yatenga, the most prominent city is Ouahigouya . This city served as the capital of the old Mossi kingdom, but its influence has decreased in the century or two since colonization...
(Ouahigouya
Ouahigouya
Ouahigouya is the most important town in northern Burkina Faso. It is the capital of the Yatenga Province and one of its subdivisions the Ouahigouya Department. It is also the biggest town in the Nord Region. It is the third largest city in the country with a population of 122,677. It is situated ...
), another distinct dialect in the northern region, a third in the southeast in Koupela
Koupéla
Koupéla is a city in Burkina Faso, lying east of Ouagadougou and west of Fada-Ngourma in an area settled by the Mossi people. It is known for its pottery and sculptures; these were made from natural clays found in the area....
, different from a fourth dialect in the same region called Tenkodogo
Tenkodogo
Tenkodogo is the capital city of Boulgou Province and Centre-Est Region in Burkina Faso with a population of 40,839 . -History:Tenkodogo was the center of a city state of the Mossi Empire that dates back to 1120. The name Tenkodogo is derived from the Moore words tenga, meaning land and kodogo,...
. Despite these regional differences, all of the dialects are mutually intelligible
Mutual intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is recognized as a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related languages can readily understand each other without intentional study or extraordinary effort...
.
Cultural values
According to the explanations of Mrs. Tapsoba Marie, the former Cultural Counsellor at Burkina Embassy in Senegal and also Mossi herself, Mossi culture can be divided into four main values characteristic of the ethnic group.Attitude towards ancestors
Ancestors are believed to have reached a better world from which they can influence life on earth. They can help or punish their descendants depending on their behavior. Ancestors are also the judges that have the power to allow a descendant to enter the "pantheon of the ancestors". If an ancestor chooses to deny entrance, the soul of the disavowed one is condemned to run at random for all eternity. Because of these beliefs, Mossi swear by their ancestors or by the land; when they do so (which only occurs in extreme situations), it is more than symbolic — it is a call to imminent justice.Land
Land is related to the ancestors, being a path by which one can access the ancestors. Even today, this notion gives a unique value to land in Mossi thought. Land is considered to be much more than simple dust and has a spiritual dimension to it. A Mossi's life depends on his land, and it is essential for the family settlement.Family
FamilyFamily
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
is also an essential cultural element of the Mossi, who hold collectivism
Collectivism
Collectivism is any philosophic, political, economic, mystical or social outlook that emphasizes the interdependence of every human in some collective group and the priority of group goals over individual goals. Collectivists usually focus on community, society, or nation...
in high regard. Individualism
Individualism
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
does not exist in traditional Mossi culture: one’s actions and behaviors are always taken to be characteristics of one's family. They must always ask an elder in order to do something. As a result, all are expected to act in their family's name; thus, the family is the smallest entity in the Mossi society. Heritage
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
is patrilineal, passed down from a father to his sons. However, when a man has no sons, women can inherit from their husbands and even from their father.
S.F. Nadel writing in the 1940s and 50s about homosexuality in Sub-Saharan Africa, noted that among the Mossi pages chosen from among the most beautiful boys aged seven to fifteen were dressed and had the other attributes of women in relation to chiefs, for whom sexual intercourse was denied on Fridays. After the boy reaches maturity they were given a wife by the chief. The first child born to such couples belonged to the chief.
Hierarchy
Hierarchy is a fundamental concept for the Mossi and pervasive in their culture. The family is organised like a kingdom with its king — the husband and father, his advisor — the wife, and the people — the children. Aunts and uncles also play a role by helping in the education and raising of Mossi children.Traditional and Cultural holidays and events
Ceremonies and celebrations pace the life of Mossi people, with each celebration having its particulars. Through them the community expresses joy or suffering, or simply fulfils duties to the memory of the ancestors.Mogho Naaba court
The Friday Mogho Naaba court ceremonyMoro-Naba Ceremony
The Moro-Naba Ceremony takes place every Friday around 07:00 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Mossi leaders travel to the compound of the Moro-Naba chief. They are seated by rank for the Moro-Naba's appearance. The Moro-Naba wears red and appears with a horse as if prepared for war...
derives from the oppression experience from the appearance of the first colonial invaders
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
. The first threat led the king of the Mossi to travel to the Mamprusi kingdom for help fighting the colonizers. A second threat from the colonizers led the Mogho Naaba to leave his court a second time to find help. However, before he left, the Emperor learned that the threat was false and that his kingdom was safe. In celebration of this event, even today, that event is reenacted every Friday of the week at the Emperor's court.
Mossi Masks
Masks occupy an important position in the religious life of the Nyonyose (the ancient farmers and spiritual segment of Mossi society). The Nakomse (chief class) do not use masks. The use of masks in initiations and funerals is quite typical of all the Voltaic or Gur-speaking peoples, including the Nyonyose, Lela, Winiama, Nouna, Bwaba, and Dogon. Masks appear at burials to observe on behalf of the ancestors that proper burial procedures were carried out. They then appear at several funeral or memorial services held at regular intervals over the few years after an elder has died. Masks attend to honor the deceased and to verify that the spirit of the deceased merits admission into the world of ancestors. Without a proper funeral the spirit remains near the home and causes trouble for his/her descendants. Masks are carved of the wood of the Ceiba pintandra, the Faux kapolier. They are crved in three major styles that correspond to the styles of the ancient people who were conquered in 1500 by the invading Nakomse and integrated into a new Mossi society: IN the north masks are vertical planks with a round concave or convex face http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/Mask_styles/Images/Yatenga/index.htm. In the southwest masks represent animals such as antelope, bush buffalo, and various strange creatures, are painted red, white and black. In the east, around Boulsa http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/Mask_styles/Images/Boulsa/index.htm, masks have tall posts above the face to which fiber is attached, . Female masks have two pairs of round mirrors for eyes, and small masks, representing Yali, "the child" have two vertical horns. All Nyonyose masks are worn with thick costumes made of the fiber of the wild hemp, Hibiscus cannabinus, In the old days only the northern Nyonyose in Yatenga and Kaya, and the eastern people around Boulsa allowed their masks to be photographed. The people in the southwest forbade photography because it did not conform to the "yaaba soore" the path of the ancestors. Mask characters include Balinga, the Fulani woman, katre, the hyena, nyaka, the small antelope, Wan pelega, the large antelope, and many others. Now, however, masks from all three areas appear at annual public festivals such festivals as SIAOSIAO
Held biennially in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou--better known by its French name as SIAO is one of Africa's most important trade shows for art and handicrafts.-Why the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou:The Ouagadougou...
(Fr.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Salon international de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou), Week of the Culture, and the Atypical Nights of Koudougou (Les Nuits Atypiques de Koudougou). Each Nyon-nyonse family has its own mask, and they are charged with protecting the masks to this day. Masks are very sacred, and are a link to the spirits of ancestors and of nature.
External links
Further reading
- Roy, Christopher D. Art of the Upper Volta Rivers. Meudon: Chaffin, 1987 http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/Art%20of%20Burkina%20Faso.html
- Roy, Christopher D. Land of the Flying Masks. Munich: Prestel, 2007.