Awa Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Part of a series on |
| African traditional religions |
|---|
 |
Awa (in Dogon),[2] also known as the Awa Society,[3][2] the Society of Masks,[4][5] is an African mask and initiatory society of the Dogon people of Mali which is made up of circumcised men, and whose role is both ritual and political within Dogon society.[6] The Awa Society takes an important role in Dogon religious affairs, and regularly preside over funereally rites and the dama ceremony—a ritual ceremony that marks the end of bereavement in Dogon country ( fr ).[7] This Society is one of the important aspects of Dogon religious life—which is primarily based on the worship of the single omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Creator God Amma[8][9] and the veneration of the ancestors.[9] Although it is only one aspect of Dogon's religious sects, it is perhaps more well known than the others partly due to Dogon mask–dance culture which attracts huge tourism, and their masks highly sought after, and in fact, one of the first to be sought after by art collectors in the west.[10][11]
The Dogon word awa (not to be confused with the Arabic name for Eve, Hawa/Awa) comes from the Dogon's Sacred language of Sigi so of Sangha, Mali. The term is used to describe several things: fibre ornaments and masks worn by members of the Society, masked dancers, all men age to participate in ritual dances, or the Society itself.[5][12]
