Mbangu illness face mask

There are several villages that present in their masks the aesthetics of the disformity, of the ugliness, like this mask that represents a face disfigured by a facial paralysis. The function of these masks is precisely to remove disease and epidemics or to prevent different forms of paralysis. This mask comes from western Cameroon.

It is the name that this mask of sickness or sick receives in the Congo. He represents a bewitched man, affected by the illness inflicted upon him by the sorcerer. His distorted face reminds us of facial paralysis. Bichrome, black and white, refers to the duality “disease – health”. It also symbolizes the effects of an epileptic crisis that is considered as the result of the manifestation of evil spirits. For this reason the opposition of the white (spirits of death) and black (symbol of disease) colors means the struggle between good and evil. In the Mbangu ceremonies he presents himself as a hunchback wounded in the back by an arrow. Attendees laugh at him while he sings. His chants convey a message of tolerance to the victims of sorcery, because anyone can be his victim.

This mask is also used to place it at the entrance of the village in case of epidemics or serious diseases.