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Moosa (or Moss, Moore): social structure and role of art

Daniela Bonolo
  "Art of Africa", ed. Gallimard, 2000

At the beginning of 15 century. The tribes of warriors, who came from the north of Ghana, won the territory in the south of Burkina Faso and formed her kingdom Moosa, who was born under the influence of modern society MOORE.

Art Moore, contains many borrowings from the cultural assimilation of indigenous people and tribes were forced to leave the territory after the capture of Moss and settled abroad. Plastic language of art serves to establish contact this mixed-ethnic and multicultural nation with the world invisible. In order to understand this art, should be familiar with the social structure of society with the MoE and its religious system and related subjects. New Year for Moosa begins on the first new moon after the winter solstice. At this time the whole country celebrated the holiday "Thanksgiving" land and ancestors for protection that they provide to the people. The climax of the holiday becomes a greeting the King on the occasion of which the monarch is shown surrounded by statues. These statues represent the image of female figures, closely compacted, and at the same time extremely light, called ninande.

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In the statuettes Mohs person occupies a very small part of the head, which obogaschaetya complicated hairdo with fume comb, which comes from his forehead to the neck. Engraved bands suggest that hair plaited into braids. These figurines are typical oval face, was treated very sparingly, framed with typical Mohs ritual three scars that are fully framed face, broad shoulders, the chest is convex, thin and delicate limbs, and especially proud of one's head and long neck.

All these details are intended to meet the requirements of ancient traditions: the celebration Yenengi - a common root of all dynasties Moosa, who is considered the "mother monarzii. Yenenga, great rider and a fearless warrior, famed for its beauty and courage, - a princess who lived in the 15 century. The eldest daughter of King Mamprusi tribe, she ruled the kingdom on behalf of his father. Her son Naaba Ouedraogo became the founder of the kingdom Moore. All permanent exhibition on the feast of female statues embody the mythical virtues Yenengi behalf of all three are marked by ritual scars, which owes its origin to the customs mampruga, which had the right only to older daughters of kings MEP. But above all these things say close contact between the older daughters, and NAAM, Power, of the supreme deity Vende. According to custom, the eldest daughter is the repository of sacred objects, by virtue of which it is a "woman leader" and the possession of which is necessary for the coronation.

Statues Mohs depicting Ancestral elder daughters of kings, the kings of the sisters, that is, women in positions of authority, express the ideal of the people. They rarely exhibit on display, they belong to the category of items dealing with the cult of private character, which is sent within the family.

Other items show a close connection with Mohs ancestors. For example, biiga (children) - female figurines, which are often referred to as "puppets". These figurines are also devoted to femininity, they represent quite a young girl, hiding his eyes behind braided hair falling on her face.

These sculptures are used as for the sacred, and for secular purposes, are made with great skill. Limit simplifying form, the artist emphasizes the principal structural elements, it does so with grace and a sense of balance. I always figure a long neck. Lack of hands and feet emphasizes the important role of other parts of the body, ie chest, a synonym for a new conception of substance, and the head, a symbol of social status, which shows the shape of hair.
Person statuettes barely noticeable, but the full and extended chest is well developed. Oblong shape breast refers to the traditional practice of Mohs massaging breasts mothers to induce milk flow. This idealized image of a future pregnancy, which is considered the moment the full expression of femininity and absolute perfection. Ritual scars are concentrated in the abdomen reinforce this impression, they command international attention to this part of the body, receptacle of a future life, and siiga, the immortal ancestor of substance contained in each newborn, and determining its fate.
Thus biiga - not only the image of female beauty. They are intended to be a vessel of this immortal substance, which becomes possible due to the conception and birth. These items are transmitted from mother to daughter, charged with the complex symbolism. Bride keeps them as a treasure, but then they become a toy for girls, which is under the constant supervision of women of the family: casually refer to the "doll" means a careless attitude towards herself and the child, whom she in turn gives life, whose birth is closely dependent on the properties of the "dolls" to contain a siiga. Thus the "doll" symbolizes the reality that substitute for the child, which it precedes: it is at one and the same time, the material vehicle of the immortal ancestor of substance, efficient and impersonal beginning of this substance, which is contained in a child, and substance, allowing future ROZHEN. Can say that biiga personifies the dream of every woman Moosa - the transfer of the particle substance of the ancient "mythical mother, Yenengi.

The appearance of the second moon in a year marked the rituals associated with the land. The function of the priest of the land was borrowed by the people, the invader from the indigenous population, which, in his capacity as the Pioneer could control the elements. The priests of the land must have been to celebrate the rituals of fertility, to maintain communication between the living and the dead, to ensure the goodwill of their ancestors and get a good harvest. At the ceremonies on the occasion of this holiday for the first time in the new year, there are masks.

These masks associated with the "sons of the earth" (birth of the leaders of indigenous tribes) are the most striking example of how Moosa made the world an image of the invisible, on which the whole of their culture. These masks are known as karinze, tepminom, apply to all the masks, the use of which is reserved exclusively for the descendants of the ancient masters of the earth.

Their shape and symbolism of the vertical boards to which they resemble - a thin, long and laced with a variety of motives - is likely to go back to the country's indigenous population, which included in particular tribe of Kurumba, with the representatives of which was assigned the function of the priests zkmli. Among the objects of worship were kurumba stone steles with rich vygravirovannymornamentom and served tombstones. All of these stelae were equally high, narrow and thin, and differed from each other by Doug upper end, a form which indicated the social status of the deceased: a triangle meant smiths perevkernuty triangle - the leaders of the land, or a trapezoid prism - the leaders of the village. Symbols of these stelae rested on the ancient cosmogonic myths.
Other myths that say about the origin of the royal dynasties Kurumba, bring to the stage characters Sawadogo, described as "a man, which has no equal on earth" and Sandigsa, being descended to earth from heaven. " After a long fight between the magical essence of these characters, in which each tried to prove his power over others, they formed an alliance, which developed the royal dynasty.

Mask karinga uses a form of ancient sepulchral stele, преводя mythical language in the plastic. High vertical and openwork plaque covered with black, white and red geometric motifs and ends trapezoid, triangle or superimposed on each other geomerticheskimi forms. In the center are two thin cone, straight or twisted, resembling various types of antelope horn. External side, oval, convex, and painted white, fitted with two symmetrical holes. Vertical fume ridge divides the face in half. A considerable length of this ridge corresponds to the torso carrier mask. The appearance of these masks is the idea of a meeting between the two worlds, as referred to in the myth - flesh and the divine - that they embody. Thus, the mask karinga is an example of equivalent power.

After the celebration of rituals of fertility, local leaders can organize their own prazdenstva, accompanied by a display of masks of the ancestors - the leaders of the war, designed to ensure the inviolability of borders of different kingdoms. But it is believed that only the leaders of the eastern and western kingdoms territorits Yatengi successfully warned the central government on the invasion of enemies. Therefore, their masks were called "bird's mask" style of identical style karinga, with some differences. A person is always divided in half vertically fume crest, which may have zubtseobraznuyu form. The composition is enriched with new elements - a small female figure or the head of poultry. The surface of the mask is decorated with polychrome geometric motifs. As in all things, having the needed interpretation, prsutstvie female figure refers to the character Pabre, princess, who according to legend founded the kingdom Yyatenga.

Annual cycle preadnikov ends with the last month of the lunar calendar, Mohs, during which celebrates the ancient princes, who were not kings, whose descendants were mixed with "ordinary people". This prezdnike appear related to the initiation rituals, black mask sukobse. This section makes extensive use of masks, small and more or less sstilizovannye images of animals - antelope, birds - and human figurines. Usually, their surface is covered with bright geometric ornament.

Different models were borrowed from the tribe Nunn, Co, Lela and Self, living along the western border of the country Moosa, most of which use in their religious practice masks depicting animals.

These masks are always associated with ancestral cults of ancestors, recalling a chance encounter with a parent "animal spirit" who devoted his secret, which gave his family strength. The image of the animal on the mask is designed to preserve the connection between the spirit of the animal and race.

Unlike all drougih air masks, which are used only in one particular context, the black mask may ispolzovatsyapo prezdenstva any occasion.

Each category corresponds to a certain group of masks, which has a certain power, and these groups should not be mixed or break away from the others and thus contributes podderzhdaniyu ideology that unites this nation.