Great Kponiugo Mask

They are characterized by a bovine head, anthropozoomorphic face with curved horns, long and elegant. Big teeth on an elongated jaw that remembers the crocodile's. On his head he wears an animal, snake, chameleon, calao or some other bird.

It is a zoomorphic helmet in which the traits of different mythical animals, crocodile jaws, antelope horns and others such as chameleon or hyena are combined. He is usually accompanied by some female mask. He defends humans from the evil forces that haunt him.

The kponiugo or Waniugo group consists of masks related to cosmogony and mythology. They are masks of the “Lô”, used in the cult of ancestors, in funeral rites and in other ceremonies. They represent the chaos that prevailed in the universe before God's intervention. They are essentially nocturnal and in some ceremonies they introduce plaster into their jaws and once lit they blow on it to produce flares, which has earned them the nickname of fire spitting masks. A variety of these masks are the Janus, characterized by having two more or less symmetrical faces. They are voluminous masks, very thick, that gather the attributes of several animals: a bovine head, anthropozoomorphous face with curved horns, long and elegant that can be those of buffalo or antelope and fangs of facocero, African boar. Big teeth on an elongated jaw that remembers the crocodile's.

Between the two big horns there is a representation of the chameleon or calao. The calao represents the Senufo people and is associated with the cult of fertility. The chameleon would indicate a cult to the primordial Universe and would be the first being created by God. In all senufo realizations there is allusion to their totemic animals. The representation of their primal animals is constant : The chameleon, the turtle, the snake pyton and the calao, its great bird. “Waniugo” represents Poro’s head. In it are associated the buffalo’s strength, the antelope’s wisdom, the facocero’s impetus, and the crocodile’s aggressiveness and power.

Wanyugo masks are distinguished from Kponiugo because they carry a small container over their heads intended to receive the magic substance or “wa” that will serve to ensure the success of the ceremony.

They both behave during the funeral ceremonies of the Initiatic Society of the Pore to obtain the deceased's access to the kingdom of the spirits. Their function is to protect the village from evil spirits and sorcery and to preserve the community from misfortune and disease. Originally from the "sacred forest", sanctuary of the ancestors and spirits of the jungle, this mask was always covered by an initiate, member of the secret society of the village. The Porea secret society of male initiation, very powerful, whose dignitaries speak a secret language, plays an essential role in the life of the community. Weave bonds of fraternity and assistance between members of the same age class and of the same degree. Your kpo masksniugo never go out alone, always in groups, at least ten. On the masks have been painted white spots with kaolin, meaning that the ritual has been placed under the sign of the panther. The mask itself Waniugo symbolizes the universe in its origins, created by the divine architect or Kulotiolo. In this universe are represented all animals and the panther occupies a preeminent place.

In some regions they are kponiugo In this case, it doesn't have buffalo horns. Often this mask is sculpted in relief a sinuous line, which is the symbol of the great python ShebaThis is an allusion to fertilizing water, a factor in life.

The mask Waniugo The informants say that you can sit without suffering any damage, on a brazier, ride a single jump on the roof of a house, or burn a sorcerer without burning her hut.

It's a fire spit mask. When they go out at night, spit fire, for which they place a saucer with coals on the lower jaw on which they put a few pieces of plaster that the carrier blows when it starts to burn giving the impression that the mask spits fire, an impression enhanced by the fact that this exhibition takes place at night. If an uninitiated or a woman sees these masks they will be sentenced to pay a substantial fine. This mask of great proportions presents on the forehead a lizard that is being bitten by a calao. The mask has suffered some breaks and accuses the passage of time.