Dara E Healy
“He walks on extraordinarily long wooden legs and because of this enormous height is a magnificent, stately floating presence, high up in the sky…African griots expounded tales of these tall statuesque figures literally floating, in the dead of night, through darkened villages and forests as the symbol of an avenger to those who had evil thoughts or committed evil deeds.”
– Jeff Henry, Under the Mas
THE LAUNCH of Carnival brings with it the usual conversations about the viability of our festival, why wining should be considered culture and the overall direction of our celebration.
I continue to see mistakes being made with our traditional masquerades, both by practitioners and funding agencies. Particularly concerning is the portrayal of the moko jumbie, an ancient African masquerade and deity. If Carnival is to offer more to our society, especially younger generations, we need to be respectful to the traditions that make our Carnival unique and an inspiration to many.
If you look up Guy Fawkes, you will read that in 1605 he and a group of other protesters attempted to blow up the British Houses of Parliament to bring attention to the persecution of Roman Catholics.
Fawkes was unsuccessful, but his name and actions survived partly due to the fascination behind the mask that bears his likeness. The Guy Fawkes mask was featured in the 2005 film V for Vendetta. In the film, the protagonist wore the mask as a symbol of defiance against a fascist regime which he eventually destroyed.
In the following years, global protesters gravitated to the Guy Fawkes mask. For members of Occupy and other movements, the exaggerated features and disturbing smile resonated with them as they agitated against growing social inequity, materialism and environment decline.
David Lloyd, the British graphic novel artist who designed the mask, is quoted as saying the Guy Fawkes mask "has now become a common brand and a convenient placard to use in protest against tyranny – and I'm happy with people using it.”
Across the globe, young people from New York to Bangkok, London, Istanbul, Cairo, Turkey and Rio de Janeiro wore the mask during public protests. Many found deep symbolism in the fact that while they were all wearing the same mask, their identity remained hidden.
It was a powerful statement on removing focus away from the individual, emphasising instead collective resistance. Masks, says one writer, have a “…communicative and performative power to help protesters make demands, raise awareness and offer a degree of protection.”
In masquerades inspired by traditional African culture, the mask holds a different kind of power. Masks connect wearers to the ancestral realm. They open a portal of spiritual conversation for the masquerader, as well as providing a line of communication between the deities and the community.
Stilt-walkers are found in different regions across Africa, from Ethiopia to Tanzania, Senegal and Nigeria. The stilts are practical as well as spiritual, as they serve to protect the weare
