MENDE - BUNDU - SOWEI HELMET MASK
( Sierra Leone ). Early 20th century
( Sierra Leone ). Early 20th century
The Mende culture is primarily found in Sierra
Leone, Liberia, western Guinea and Mali. Secret
societies among the Mende are called Poro, which
means "laws of ancestor spirits, thereby imparting
power to the Poro from ancestor spirits. The Poro
duties include settling disputes, controlling fishing
and harvesting, and regulating the economy and
trading. Other societies within the Mende are
responsible for military training, agricultural fertility,
general education, sexual conduct, and medical
and social services. The Mende women belong to a
secret society called Sande which is primarily
responsible for training young girls for the adult
roles they will soon encounter. Mende girls are
instructed in child care, homemaking, sexual
matters abed the proper attitude towards husbands
and authority. Mende boys are instructed in road
maintenance, clearing land for agriculture, bridge
and trap making, basketry and weaving, traditional
law and custom, and the art of enduring hardship
and pain. Secret societies dominate the lives of
traditional West Africans and serve to establish
social, political, economic, and artistic rules that
solidify and unite the culture.
The Sande society uses the word ''Sowei'' to
represent the personification of the society's spirit,
medicine, and the most important masked dancer.
The Sowei is present at initiation school, brings
male offenders to justice, and is the chief mourner
at funerals for Sande officials. Sowei mask are kept
in special enclosures called Kende where the mask
attendant keeps medicine and masks.
Leone, Liberia, western Guinea and Mali. Secret
societies among the Mende are called Poro, which
means "laws of ancestor spirits, thereby imparting
power to the Poro from ancestor spirits. The Poro
duties include settling disputes, controlling fishing
and harvesting, and regulating the economy and
trading. Other societies within the Mende are
responsible for military training, agricultural fertility,
general education, sexual conduct, and medical
and social services. The Mende women belong to a
secret society called Sande which is primarily
responsible for training young girls for the adult
roles they will soon encounter. Mende girls are
instructed in child care, homemaking, sexual
matters abed the proper attitude towards husbands
and authority. Mende boys are instructed in road
maintenance, clearing land for agriculture, bridge
and trap making, basketry and weaving, traditional
law and custom, and the art of enduring hardship
and pain. Secret societies dominate the lives of
traditional West Africans and serve to establish
social, political, economic, and artistic rules that
solidify and unite the culture.
The Sande society uses the word ''Sowei'' to
represent the personification of the society's spirit,
medicine, and the most important masked dancer.
The Sowei is present at initiation school, brings
male offenders to justice, and is the chief mourner
at funerals for Sande officials. Sowei mask are kept
in special enclosures called Kende where the mask
attendant keeps medicine and masks.