Archer

The archer is an important character in African ethnicities. The bow and spear have been the main African weapons for many centuries. The archer occupies the advance in the battles and thus has defended his people from the attacks of other peoples over the centuries and sometimes for years has been able to defend him from the colonizer. The archer is not only a warrior, he is also a hunter, mainly in times of peace. As a hunter he is one of the most important characters in traditional African societies and most respected connoisseurs of the secrets of magic. They are great initiates. Deep knowledge of nature, knows how to orient itself by the stars, predict the time, knows the medicinal plants. He can cure many diseases and snake and insect bites have no secrets for him. In addition to a healer, he is responsible for defending the village and protecting its inhabitants and their property. He is able to guess the weight and species of an animal by the footprint that he has left when passing on wet or sandy earths and by the way in which he has eaten the grass on the leafy grounds. And he knows how to follow his trail under any circumstances. Imitate the sound of the animals and the call of the females to their cubs by making them reach their feet and be able to capture them alive. His sense of orientation in nature even in territories unknown by him is impressive. It detects the danger of any animal that may be lurking or a camouflaged snake. It's indefatigable walking through the jungle or the savannah. Its camouflage is perfect, it can approach the animals at unsuspected distances. It masks its human scent by staining its hunting vest with animal excrement, from which hang numerous protective amulets. Never miss a shot, because it approaches a distance where it is impossible to miss the shot. They are usually homemade rifles, manufactured by blacksmith or by himself.

The African hunter does not hunt for hunting, does not hunt for minor hunting, hunts to provide meat to the village in times of hardship or when the domestic livestock is not enough. He becomes brave and skillful warrior in times of war. It is part of a powerful caste grouped in secret societies. Their masks are zoomorphs and participate almost systematically in the initiation rites of young teenagers to whom they transmit the ideals of courage, suffering and constancy. And they also participate in funeral rites and festive activities. In many ethnicities it is not hunter who wants but the one who comes from caste or the chosen one. The hunter is respected and admired.

The soul of the deceased or nyama not only must face the hostilities of the nyama of other deceased whose sympathy he did not enjoy in life but if during his life he had been

The deceased hunter will have to be very careful with the nyama of the animals he has killed in life against whose hostilities his soul will have to face.

For all these reasons the statuettes they represent are used in numerous rites of magic and divination.