Original Tribal masks are often seen by unknowing eyes as fine art physical objects in themselves. That is not the case, unless of course they are modern copies. A tribal mask have embued powerfulness and is alive during the ceremonial for which it is used. An African visitant to a Greater London museum stated, "This mask is dead." He was seeing the mask out of context, it had lost its powerfulness for the people who created it and the the magic had died.

To the aggregators eyes the very visual aspect of the mask and the story behind it takes to the magic. The cryptic fine art word forms drawing on the imaginativeness and a demand to interpret. As a piece of fine art it have the powerfulness to affect the perceiver in fathoming significance to attain an understanding. This tin move the spectator into a different framework of reference. Affecting a life style that is at once unusual and distance, yet it have the feel of something closer to home. A paradox that looks to originate in studying aged tribal ways. In a aggregation this is magic.

It is also of import to appreciate that nearly all masks are portion of a full costume. Often the costume is made from less lasting stuffs and makes not survive. Indeed some masks are also made of less lasting materials, such as as the basketery Yam mask, created by the Abelam in New Guinea New Guinea. And again some masks are destroyed as portion of the ceremonial for which they are used.

The commonalty in masking traditions

Delving back into the earlier recordings, historically, a visit to the caves of Trois Feres in French Republic is enlightening. Picture this painted Paleolithic scene.

A cardinal figure stand ups wearing the caput and antlers of a deer. He stands, priest-doctor like, environ by animals. Animals that are of import to the civilization he represents. Some of the animate beings no longer be in this area. Ibex, reindeer, bison, hart and horses. The shaman, for that is what he looks to be, stands, a human figure amongst the possible food. What magic he is creating or ascendants he is communicating with we make not know. Yet from our cognition of tribal people studied in times closer to ours it is possible to understand the links. The demand to Hunt for nutrient is indispensable to survival. The Gods nexus all matters, stay in good standing with the Gods and nutrient will be available. Take only what can be used fairly and make not go against the natural laws. Life travels on, following the seasons. There is a balance to life and death. The nexus between them is maintained by the magician, shaman, wizard, enchantress doctor, whatever you wish to name him.

During my surveys of masks this human relationship between the charming and the priest-doctor constantly arises. There is a commonalty between the ancient civilizations of the Pacific Occident Seashore of North United States ( now Canada and Alaska ) and the tribal traditions of Africa. Fertility, the hunted animal, ancestors, initiation, circumcision, cannibalism existent and symbolic, healing and crossing over into the spirit world for counsel and healing powerfulnesses or to pacify the Gods or ancestors. All these happen in different traditions spreading around the world.

As you let yourself to delve into the traditions surrounding masks in Europe something interesting arises. Here the traditions have got been sanitised by the encompassing civilization and the church. Yet when you delve back and effort to understand the masking traditions, now displayed as common people lore, ineresting analogues are revealed. Whilst in Kingdom Of Belgium Iodine witnessed a processions depicting enchantresses and and modern giants. Other masques also have got golf course to witchery and by deduction to shaman. One powerful nexus is the seasonal nature of many traditions. The Green adult male and the Avocation Equus caballus being two examples.

Forgive me. Iodine could go on to wax lyrical about the golf course in our current traditions seen as common people traditional knowledge to those of our ancient ancestors. To me there is a tremnedous nexus which is jump up with the very nature of the people we are and how we have got developed. Our formative roots dwell in our societies now. That is why I happen masks so powerfully evocative. Along with other word forms of crude and traditional fine art we can trace our ain golf course to earlier times. Even today the priest-doctor / prestidigitator bes following ancient magik rules.

Even modern latex masks incorporate some of the same magic, because they are linked back to the same corporate unconcious and traditions of masquerade, disguise and the spirit world. As a school instructor I have got come up across some quite blatant reactions by parents to having Halloween in school. Some see its heathen golf course and reject it. The seam runs deep into the modern psyche. Perhaps the most cogent place to see this nexus is in the Mexican Day of the Dead Celebrations. This festival combines a premix of Christian and Heathen practices. In peculiar Halloween have a apposition between the dead and children. Here children are masked to frighten away the wicked liquor and expression after the dead. By this agency a nexus with the ascendants and children is perpetuated.

Another absorbing nexus between the masks of many civilizations is the fool. The sap have many characteristics, the most noticeable of which is paradox. The sap can be wise and foolish; handsome and ugly; playful and barbaric. He spans the line between the extremes of the other masks switching from one function to the other. Perhaps the sap simply stands for the many dichotomies and paradoxes in life.

Also the sap plays a full portion in the theatrical production of the ritual. Noohlmahl in the Kwakwaka'wakw rites is a monstrous animal covered in hair with snob pouring from his nose. He prances about entertaining the crowd, making gags and anticipating reponses. Should the reponses go too familiar a violent response could be expected. Of course the responses to the spectators remarks could be of another more than humourous nature. Surprise and paradox are indispensable to the nature of all fools. Another of his occupations is to command the children. He steps the line between clowning for them and ensuring that they make not interrupt proceedings. As with the inappropriate remarks from grownups a violent response can be provoked should the children, literally, over measure the line.

To go back to my original point masks are a manner into the very nature of our being. The mythology of the Palaeolithic times is linked directly to tribal mask and western common people traditional knowledge masks. For me this is why the mask holds such as powerfulness and magic. The mask lets us to physically touch and share our past in a manner which few physical objects can do. Tribal Masks transport a cosmopolitan signature that entreaties to our nature.

© Ian Bracegirdle 2004 1 Bourtree Stopping Point East Jelly Roll Morton BD20 5WA United Kingdom 01535 692207

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