Guerre (ngere) forest spirit mask

FOREST SPIRIT MASK

Guerre (or ngere) prefer masks that cause fear, hoping with their help to expel a terrible forest spirit, which is considered a very ancient, powerful and very evil creature. In an attempt to transcend the wickedness of this spirit, the wicked expression of the mask was especially emphasized.

The task of the mask shown in the figure is to test the devotion of the tribe members to their master. For no apparent reason, she grabs one of the tribe members or spoils his property. One who truly honors the head of his tribe should not be angry at such an injustice. In addition, the mask was used to tame the spirit of the forests.

Source: "Symbols of Africa" ​​Heike Ovuzu