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Description: Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art
Index
PublisherYale University Press
View chapters with similar subject tags
Index
Abdomen: beauty of, 109
Abraham, Arthur, 4, 11
Adorned masks/the dancers’ masks, 196, 197–98
Adornments on masks: discussed and illustrated, 199–226. See also Mask adornments
Aesthetics: study of African concepts of, 87
study of Mende concepts of, 89, 137. See also Beauty; Feminine beauty; Memel-Fotê, Harris
Agriculture, 5, 45, 146n13. See also Farming; Rice-farming
Alldridge, T. J., 13, 73, 165
description of 1901 dance by, 73, 75
Amistad incident, xvii, xxin10
Amniotic fluid, 107
Amulets, as mask adornments, 198, 221, 223
Ancestors and ancestor-veneration, 8–10
Animals, as mask adornments: discussed and illustrated, 200–15. See also Birds; Chickens; Crocodiles; Pythons; Snakes; Toads
Ankles, beauty of, 118
Aristotle, 69, 71
Artistic performance, 89, 141
unfolding of event, 232–33
Art of the Mende (Hommel), 163
Arts, body-based ranking of, 232–33
Arts of the Sande Society, introduction to, 13, 15–17
Assistants, research, xvi
Barrenness, 57, 141
Bathing: to beautify baby, 91
as daily pleasure, 91, 138
for feminine fastidiousness, 117
to restore freshness, 132
as ritual during initiation, 138, 194
Beauty, aspects of, in African/Mende thought: true beauty is artistic, 67, 141
pluridimensionality of, 87
relativity of, 87
appreciation of women’s beauty, 89
formal considerations, 122
in the manner of doing things, 122, 149n59
as an ideal, Tingoi, the mermaid, 129–31
as a process, nėku, the young leaf, 131–33
of flowers, 132, 144n2
in nature, 132, 147n15
as a person, haenjo, the initiate, discussed and illustrated, 133–37
Platonic tone, 137–38
and goodness, 138, 140–41, 143
story about, 140
and efficacy, 141
“empty beauty,” 141
as a historical fact, 143–44
flaws in, 151–52n81. See also Feminine
beauty
Biebuyck, Daniel, 250
Birds: as mask adornments, discussed and illustrated, 201, 206–13
anthropomorphized in Mende thought, 206
divining and oracular functions of, 206, 208, 210, 242n47
sayings about, 208, 210
and lovers, 211
part in Sande rituals, 211
proverbs concerning, 211
relation to pregnancy and childbearing, 213, 243n57
in stories, 242n48. See also Chickens
Blackness: aspects of, 21, 151n76, 206, 213
of hair, 96
of skin color, 119, 236
of mask, 158, 236, 238
shiny blackness, 160, 236
of women’s housework, 236
and coolness, 238
of deep waters, 238
Bo, Sierra Leone, 6, 46, 62
Body, beauty of: discussed and illustrated, 100–21. See also Breasts; Buttocks; Feminine beauty; Genitalia, female; Skin-color and texture; Hands; Thighs
Body hair, 120
Boi, Madame, 30, 226
Bonya (tip, dash), 169, 240n14
Bo preceptor, xvi–xvii, 9, 37, 77, 161, 194
Botany, study of, 55, 132
Bowing, 125–26
Brain and mind, 233
Breasts: beauty of, discussed and illustrated, 100, 102–05, 107
public appreciation of, 102
sayings about, 102
of young girls, 102
praises of, 102, 104
infant and young child’s access to, 102, 105
erotic play with, 104
compared to a calabash, 104, 105, 148n29
etymology of Mende word for, 105
imagery of, related to fertility, 105, 107. See also Nipples
British colonial rule, 4–5, 144, 223
Bundu, xx–xxin6, 13
Buttocks: beauty of, discussed and illustrated, 109–14
praises and insults, 110
exercises for babies’, 112
public appreciation of, 112
dances featuring, 114, 149n47
movement of, in walking, 112, 126
Calabash: breast compared to, 104, 105, 148n29
Carvers. See Sculptors
Character, beauty of, 138
Charms, as mask adornments: discussed and illustrated, 221–23
Chickens: as pets for women, 205
in fabric of village life, 208, 210
as oracles, 210
hen as role model, proverb, 211. See also Birds
Childbearing. See Fertility; Pregnancy and childbirth
Childhood, Mende, 66, 79n11
Children: proverbs concerning, 33, 60, 66
and Sande play, 60, 75, 125
shaping beauty of, 89, 91, 93–94
skin care of, 120
clothing of, 149n42
Christianity, 10
Cicatrization lines, 176–77
Cinque (captain of Amistad), xvii
Circumcision, 65
Civilizing cuts, 170
Cleanliness, 21, 39, 52, 91, 93, 109
of women, 117–18
of feet, 119. See also Bathing
Clitoridectomy/excision, 65
Coiffure: of masks, 157
masks distinguished by, 163, 165. See also Hairstyles
Colloquium of First World Festival of Negro Arts, 87
Commercial crops, 5
Complexion, beauty of, 93, 129
Comportment, beauty of, 138, 140
Cooking, 46, 52, 67, 107. See also Food in Sande
Cooking pots, as mask adornments, 215
Coolness, 18, 62, 238
Cosentino, Donald, 71
Costume of Sowo mask, 153, 226, 230, 243n66
Cottage industries of women, 5
Cowrie shells, as mask adornments, 217, 219, 221
Crafts, 5
Crests, as mask adornments, 160
discussed and illustrated, 223–24
Crocodiles, as mask adornments, 213
Crowns, as mask adornments, 223
related to Sande political power, 226
Cummings, Dorothy, xiii
Dancers’ masks, 163
junior in rank, 165, 196
significance of adornments on, 198–99
Dancing: in training initiates, 28, 30
proverbs concerning, 40, 65
and singing in Sande, 60, 63, 65, 67
to song, 73
in Sande, discussed and illustrated, 73–77
in ranking of arts, 233
Davidson, Basil, 3
de Almada, 23, 25
Delicacy. See Yėngėlė
Diamond mining, 86, 146n12
“Die” into a hale society, 27, 65–66
Divination and diviners, 177, 217, 221
related to birds, 206, 208
Dreams: as inspiration, 25–26, 198
of snakes, 205
Dubinskas, Frank A., 169, 170, 171, 223
Dyes, for hair and fabrics, 96
Ear piercing, 93
Ears: beauty of, 91, 96
eroticism of, 173
and Sowo mask, discussed and illustrated, 173–76
beliefs about, 175
infants’, 175
as sense organ, 175–76
Economic organization of Mende, 5–6, 86, 146nn12, 13. See also Agriculture;
Mawė; Rice-farming
Educational functions of Sande Society, 16–17, 55
Elves, 161
Embryo/fetus, 106, 173, 175
Emotions: expression of, 127, 171
Etiquette, 38
sexual, 52
for viewing mask, 161, 240n12
Eyebrows, 97, 99
Eyes: and seeing, proverb concerning, xi
beauty of, discussed and illustrated, 97–99, 129
primacy of, 97, 133
makeup, 99
looking/gazing, discussed and illustrated, 127–29
and Sowo mask, discussed and illustrated, 176–80
“two-eyed” persons, 177
slitted, of mask, 178, 180
Fables. See Stories and storytelling
Facial expression, beauty in, 126–27, 150n65
Farming: by women, 6, 71, 107, 246, 248. See also Rice-farming
Feasting, 52, 55, 57, 59
proverb concerning, 55
essential to fertility and health, 55, 57
Feet: care of, 94
beauty of, 118–19
saying about, 119
anonymity of, 119, 178, 232
Feminine beauty, 81, 82, 84, 86
proverbs concerning, 82, 167
study of, 87, 89
power of, 87, 245–46
sacrifice of, for child’s, 93–94
harmony of elements in, 120
in the manner of doing things, 122
as imagined ideal, 129–31
as a process, 131–33
as a person, 133, 137–38
hardship of, 140
stories re, 140, 151
“empty beauty,” 141
as a historical fact, 143–44. See also Beauty; Sowei; Sowo masks
Fernandes, Valentin, 23, 25
Fertility, 141
body weight and, 55, 57, 59, 77. See also Pregnancy and childbirth
First World Festival of Negro Arts, 87
Fishing, by women, 5, 206
Flam, Jack D., 201
Flexibility: exercises for babies, 93
of hips, 114
Flower imagery: for nipples, 104–05
beauty of, 132, 144n2, 196
Foday Kai, B. A., xv, 23, 57, 69, 118, 167
Folktales. See Stories and storytelling
Food in Sande, 52, 57, 63
proverb concerning, 55. See also Cooking
Forehead: beauty of, 97
and Sowo masks, 180–81, 184
Forge, Anthony, 163
Formulaic composition in Mende thought, 7–8, 157
Frisch, Rose E., 57, 59, 77n3
Fyle, C. Magbaily, xiii, 4
Generosity, 37, 55, 143, 152n83, 169
Genitalia, female: pubic hair, 96, 116
beauty of, 98, 114, 116–18
terminology for, 114
“never ages,” 117
cleanliness of, 117–18
Gervis, Pearce, 75
Ghana, ancient, 1, 3
Girls: gifted, appointed Sowei, 42n26
proverbs concerning, 60, 66
community’s fascination with, 81–82
value of prettiness, 84, 86
shaping beauty of, 89, 91, 93–94
clothing of, 94, 149n42
care for (girl) babies, 105
God the Artist, 150n73, 170. See also Ṅgewȯ
Gonde, Sande mask and personality, 249
friend of novices, 30
as opposite of Sowei, 39–40
proverbs concerning, 39, 40
importance of, 43nn34, 36
mask as rejected sowo-wui, 163, 239n5
Gorvie, the Reverend Max, xiii–xiv, 25–26
Gulama, Madame, 86, 146n11
Haenjo, beauty of: discussed and illustrated, 133–38
Hair: beauty of, 96–97
grooming of, 96–97, 186
of Tingoi, 129, 130, 245
metaphysical aspects of, 137–38
descriptions of, 184, 186
sexuality of, 186
Hairstyles, 96, 186
childrens’, 91
of Sowo masks, 157, 163, 165, 184, 189
distinguish rank of masks, 163, 184
and social bonding, 189
contrasting, of older and young women’s, 189, 192
of initiates, 194, 196
Hale (secret society), xi, xii, 10–11, 17, 87, 249
proverbs concerning, xi, 60
artistic control by, xv, 130
“die” into membership of, 27, 65–66
upholding community morality, 38, 140
powers of, 41n24. See also Poro Society; Religious orientation of Mende;
Sande Society
Halemȯ, xi–xii, 249
attributes of, 33
Hale Waa Jowei, 28, 59
Hands: beauty of, 107, 109
as both tool and sense organ, 107
separate roles of left and right, 109
Harris, W. T., cited, 9–10, 129, 130, 172, 181, 208, 210
Harvest season, 45, 57, 59
Head: shaping of beauty of, 91
beauty of, 94, 96
in transporting, 126
Sowo masks as, 226, 230
Mende thought re, 230, 232–33, 235
Headties, 181, 189
proverb concerning Sowei’s, 23
Healers, 55, 132
Sowei as, 38
Hearing, newborn’s capacity of, 173. See also Ears
Herbs and herbalism, 28, 41n19, 50, 132, 203, 206, 236
instruction in, 55, 75
in care of women, 55, 91, 211, 243n58
in care of hair, 97
and the nėku leaf, 132
powers of, 206
and cooking pots, 215
Hips: gestures using, 114. See also Buttocks
Hofstra, Sjoerd, 6, 203
Hojo (porcelain clay), 249
proverb concerning, 18
and Sande Society, 18, 21, 23, 46
and novices, 21, 63, 65, 79n8, 194, 196, 150–51n75, 219
as makeup, 97. See also Whiteness
“Holiday” Sande, 62, 63
Hommel, William L., 163, 223
Horns, as mask adornments, 215
Homecrafts, 55, 67
Hyde, Jonathan, E., xiii
Infants, newborn: shaping head of, 91
nursing of, 105
capacity for hearing of, 173, 175–76
blessing of, 184
Informants, xvi, 249
anonymity of, xiii
Initiation into Sande, aspects of, xi, 59, 249
proverbs concerning, xi, 60, 65
in sixteenth century, 23, 25
in eighteenth century, 25
as a symbolic death, 27, 65–66
harshness of training, 30, 41n23
as time when girl learns to dance, proverb, 30, 65, 67
class size, 41n18
as an unavoidable ordeal, proverb, 60
scheduling of, 62–63
opening day of session, 63
concluding rituals, 137, 138, 194, 196
final day of, described and illustrated, 194–96. See also Haenjo; Kpanguima
Innes, Gordon: as scholar of Mende language, xii, 7–8
cited, 27, 28, 33, 34, 37, 40, 46, 48, 52, 71, 73, 96, 99, 104, 107, 109, 114, 119, 127, 132, 141, 169, 171, 177, 184, 186, 194, 205, 210, 217, 219, 230, 232, 235, 236, 238
Interviewing for research, xiii, xv–xvi, 87, 89, 143
Iron pots, 215
Islam, 10
Jajo (a hip dance), 149n47
Jewelry, of cowrie beads, 221
Jocelyn, Nathaniel, xvii
Judge, Sowei as, 23, 38, 50, 165
Kargo, Thomas K., 91, 243nn57, 58
Kema, 63, 79n9
Kenema, 6, 46, 62, 163
Kengai, 73
Kilson, Marion de B., 4, 50
Klėi (Sande spokesperson), 30, 46, 172, 249
Knappert, Jan, xii
Kneeling, bowing, curtsying: beauty in, 125–26
Kohl, 93, 99
Koima (nursing mother), 8
Kȯli (greed), 37, 42n32
Kpaa (power of the hale), 33, 41n24
Kpanguima (Sande compound), xviii, 25, 27, 40, 249
education in, 16–17, 30, 42n25, 55, 67, 133
life in, 25, 48, 50, 52
season for, 45
description of, 45–46
proverbs concerning, 48, 55
feasting in, 52, 55, 57, 59
emotional expression in, 52, 127. See also Initiation into Sande
Kpekpe (goodness), 141, 143, 152n83
Kpowa (the uninitiated), xi–xii, xiii, 6, 26, 249
proverbs concerning, xi, 33
as a social child, 33, 65–66
symbolic death of, 65–66
Kup, A. P., 3
Labia, 114, 116, 147n24
Lain Entralgo, Pedro, 69
Language, Mende, xii, 6–8, 12n12
Lappa, 112, 149n42
Left hand, role of, 109
Legs: exercises for babies, 91, 93
beauty of, 118
position of, when sitting, 119, 125
Leve-Njeini (ruling traditions), 8–9, 10, 23, 41n8, 217
Lewis, R., 69 Ligba (middle grade of Sande Society), 26, 249–50
personalities in, 28
relation to masks, 163, 165
Ligba Wa (senior), 28
Ligba Wulo (junior), 28
Lips, beauty of, 99, 129
Little, Kenneth: experiences as ethnographer, xiii, xiv, xv, xvi
cited, 3, 5, 6, 11, 55, 60, 65, 67, 73, 75, 84, 94, 126, 130, 137, 171, 250
Looking/gazing: beauty in, described and illustrated, 127–28
as recreation, 127, 129
etiquette of, 129
Lovers, 104, 105, 112, 114, 171, 173, 189, 211
laughing together, 171
and bird imagery, 211
Maa-Ndȯȯ (Mother Earth), 186, 241n35
MacCormack, Carol P., 66, 94
Magician performance, 230
Makeup: of babies, 93
of forehead, 97
of eyes, 99
Mali, ancient, 1, 246
Mande/Mane/Mani, 1, 4, 11–12n2, 25, 246
Mansarico, 4, 25, 246
Marriages, of older men and young girls, 86, 146n14, 245
Mask adornments, 198–99, 201
animals, 201, 203, 205–06, 208, 210–11, 213, 215
cooking pots, 215, 217
shells and beads, 217, 219, 221
talismans and charms, 221, 223
crests and crowns, 223, 226. See also Sowo masks
Masks and masquerading, xix, 13, 15, 94, 154–55, 194. See also Sowo masks
Matthews, John, 25, 71
Mawė (household), 5–6, 84, 250
Mbaa (comrade), 41n18, 48, 50, 52, 250
Mbogboni (novice, initiate-in-training), 26, 33, 250
initiation of, 59–60, 62–63, 65–67
proverb concerning, 65
cowrie shell as emblem of, 217, 219
sitting position of, 125. See also Initiation into Sande; Kpanguima; Virgins
Memel-Fotê, Harris: ideas on African aesthetics, 87, 89, 122, 160, 180
cited, 141
Men: role in Sande Society, 46
chances for success, 86, 146–47n14
as consumers of beauty, 89
feminine beauty as opposite of male appearance, 96, 138
bodily appearance of, 110
walking style of, 126
masks carved by, 160–61
masks for, 235. See also Lovers; Poro Society; Sculptors
Mende-English Dictionary, A (Innes), xii
Mendeland: map of, 2
scenery of, 9
Mėndemėndemȯ, 34
Mendenization, 4
Mende people: description of, xi, 250
writing system devised by, xii
secrecy of, xiv–xvii, xx
etymology of name of, xx, 148n32
ethnography of, xxn1
origins of, 1, 3, 4, 9
cultural domination over others, 4
economic and social organization of, 5–6
language of, 6–8, 12n12, 42nn31, 39, 206
cultural uniqueness of, 8, 10, 34
religious orientation of, 8–11
ideals of conduct of, 34, 37, 42n30
social structure of, 37–38, 48, 50, 52, 86
sex roles, 37–38, 52
aesthetic thought, 137
ethics and morality, 140
Menstruation, 57, 59, 77nn3, 4, 117
Mind and brain, 233
Motherhood, 8, 171
young mothers, 8, 94, 211, 213
mother’s curse, 171
Mouth: beauty of, 99
and Sowo masks, 170–72
Moyamba, Sierra Leone, 6, 46, 62
Murdock, George P., 1
Musical event, 232–33. See also Singing and songs
Musical instruments, 73, 75, 233. See also Sėgbula
Music education, 67, 69, 71
Muslim practitioners, 221, 241n25
Myths: of Sande Society beginnings, 25–26, 246
of Sowo mask origins, 170–72, 238
Nails, grooming of, 94, 107
Names, for young women: changed in Sande initiation, 63, 66
in praise of beauty, 138
Nature: beauty in, 131–33, 147n15
Mother Earth, 186, 241n35
Ndanema, Isaac, 9
Ndili-python (vampire), 140, 151n80
Ndȯgbȯ Jowei, 28
Ndoli, dance and synchrony, 77
Ndoli Jowei (expert in dance), 28, 30, 198, 250
Ndopo Sande (children’s Sande), 60
Neck: beauty of, 94, 100
special beauty of ringed, 100, 147n26
and Sowo masks, discussed and illustrated, 167–70. See also Ringed neck
Nėku (freshness), 151n76
God’s model of beauty, 131–33
and Sowo masks, 160
Newborn babies. See Infants, newborn
Newland, H. Osman, 75
Ngegba, 46
Ṅgewȯ (the One God), 8, 10, 210, 241n35, 250
Nipples: terminology for, interpreted, 104–05, 107. See also Breasts
Njabu (underwater), 50. See also Rivers and streams; Water imagery
Njala preceptor, xvi, 194
Nje (mother), and lineage, 8
Nobility, and forehead, 181
Nose: beauty of, 99, 129
and Sowo masks, 172–73. See also Smell, sense of
Novices. See Initiation into Sande; Mbogboni
Nyaha (initiated woman), 17, 33, 48, 57, 66–67, 250
grade, in Sande Society, 26, 30
symbolic birth of, 65–66
proverb concerning, 66
birds and, 211
respect for head of, 233
Nya mbaa. See Mbaa
Nyande (beauty and goodness), 28, 138, 140–41, 143, 151–52n81
and art, 140–41
Nyande Jowei, 28, 57
Ogilby, J., 3
Oils, cosmetic, 93, 94, 97, 119, 138
Old and New in Sierra Leone (Gorvie), xiii
Oral literature. See Stories and storytelling
Oral traditions, 3
Payment, for ceremonies and rituals, 28
Penis: breast compared to, 104, 107
“People-watching,” 129
“Perception of Beauty in Negro-African Culture, The” (Memel-Fotê), 89
Phillips, Ruth B., 27
Philosophical functions of Sande Society, 16
Plato, 67
Platonic thought in Mende culture, 137, 151n78
Plumpness: and fertility, 57
and maturity, 66
Political functions of Sande Society, 16
Polygamy/polygyny, 52, 67, 84
Poma Jowei, 34, 250
Porcelain clay. See Hojo
Poro Society, 11, 38, 250
Poro masks, 235
Practical Introduction to Mende, A (Innes), xii
Preceptors, xviii–xix, 250
Pregnancy and childbirth, 52, 57, 59, 91, 102, 104
shaping a child’s beauty during, 89, 91
sexual abstinence after, 94
prenatal care, 94, 243nn57, 58
snake imagery and, 205–06
proverbs concerning, 211
bird imagery in, 211, 213, 243n57
and cowrie symbolism, 221
Proverbs interpreted: on enlightenment, xi, 33
on initiation, xi, 60, 65
on essence of Sande, 18, 203
on Sowei, 23, 60
on masks, 33, 39
on children, 33, 60, 66
on nyaha, 33, 66
on Gonde, 39, 40
on dance of life, 40, 65
on kpanguima life, 48, 55
on Sande power, 48, 203
on feminine beauty, 82, 167
on snakes, 203
on birds, 211
Pubic hair, 96, 116
Pythons, 140, 151n80, 205–06. See also Snakes
Redness: of female mouth and genitalia, 99, 116
of man’s eye, 138
connotations of, 236
Reeck, Darrell L., xiv, 10, 11
Reinhardt, Loretta R., 160, 163, 165
Religious functions of Sande Society, 16
Religious orientation of Mende: traditional beliefs, 8–11, 16
Christianity, 10
Islam, 10. See also Hale
Rice-farming, 3, 5
cycle of, 59
isolation of, 71
Rice farms, beauty of, 132, 147n15
Richards, Josephus V. O., 50, 169, 215, 217
Right-handedness, 109
Ringed neck: special beauty of, 100
described and illustrated, 167–70
Rivers and streams, 9, 18, 46, 50, 94, 199, 213, 230, 244n72
Rodney, Walter, 23, 25
Sacred sowo-wui, 163, 165, 196, 198–99. See also Sowo mask
Sahel, 9, 10
Sande Jo, 25–26, 170 Sande Jowei, 27, 250. See also Sowei
Sande nyaha. See Nyaha
Sande School, 16–17. See also Initiation into Sande; Kpanguima
Sande Society, xii, xvii, 15, 17, 245, 250
artistic functions of, xv, 13, 16, 17, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 114, 157
family structure and, 6
importance of, 15
international aspects of, 15
membership of, 15, 40n2
multi-ethnic nature of, 15, 41–42n5
philosophical functions of, 16
religious functions of, 16
educational functions of, 16, 17
social functions of, 16, 34, 50
political functions of, 16, 146n11, 223, 226, 243n65
as a body of knowledge, 17
as an organization, 17
essence of, 17–18
objects related to, 17, 18
as a stone, 17, 41n8, 42n26, 170, 238
and porcelain clay (hojo), 18
proverbs concerning, 18, 48, 203
as women in fellowship, 18, 203
and color white, 21, 23
historical origins of, 23, 25, 246
mythical origins of, 25–26, 246
organization of, 26–28, 30, 33–34
initiation into, 59–60, 62–63, 65–67. See also Initiation into Sande; Kpanguima
Sande Waa Jowei, 27–28, 59, 63, 250
Sande yo (newly initiated girl), 33, 34, 59, 66, 198, 250
Satan figure in Mende thought, 241–42n45
Sawyerr, Harry: cited, 8, 9–10, 129, 130, 172, 181, 184, 205, 208, 210, 250
Schwab, George, 67, 75
Sculptors: of Sowo masks, 157, 160, 178, 194, 199, 239n7, 239–40n10, 240n11
Seasonal hunger, 45, 52, 59, 62, 169
Secrecy: as an element in Mende culture, xiii, xiv–xv, xxn6, 18, 21, 38, 48, 129, 171, 175
Secret societies. See Hale; Initiation into Sande; Poro Society; Sande Society; Sodality
Sėgbula (women’s musical instrument), 7, 73
Senior wife, 48, 55, 71, 125, 171, 250
as head of the mawė household, 5–6
Sex mores and roles in Mende society, 37–38, 52, 77n2
Sexual abstinence, after childbirth, 94, 116
Sexuality: education for, 52, 77n2
teeth and, 100
breasts and, 104
hands, separation of roles for, 109
buttocks and, 112
of Tingoi, 131
of older women, 144
ears and, 173
eyes and, 178, 180
hair and, 186, 189
of mask adornments, 223. See also Lovers; Genitalia, female
Shaping a girl’s beauty, 89, 91, 93, 94
Shells, 217, 219, 221. See also Cowrie shells
Sherbro and Its Hinterland, The (Alldridge), 13
Sherbro people, 4
Sierra Leone, 1, 4–5
peoples of, 4
natural environment of, 9–10 Sierra Leone Story (Gervis), 75
Silence, in Mende life: as ideal, 37, 171
related to high status, 171–72
Singing and songs: beauty of, 67, 141
Sande training in, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77
primary as art form, 67, 232–33
Mende use of power of, 69, 71
Sitting: beauty in, 122, 125
Skin-color and texture: beauty of, 119–20, 133, 151n76, 236
Smell, sense of, 172–73
saying about, 173
scents, 240n18
Smiling, 99, 126, 172
Smoothness, of mask, 158
Snake-charmers/snake-dancers, 205
Snakes: as mask adornments, 201, 203, 205–06
proverb concerning, 203
dreams of, 205
in stories, 242n48. See also Pythons
Social crimes, 109, 114, 129, 140
Social organization of Mende, 5–6, 167, 171
Sodality, 10. See also Hale
Sokele (bird): proverb concerning, 211, 213
Sowei, 37–40, 169, 246, 251
as religious leader, 16
as ideal of womanly attributes, 16, 34, 39, 171
as judge of women, 23, 38, 50, 165
proverbs concerning, 23, 39, 60
white clothing for, 23, 165
variety of titles and functions, 27–28
as teacher, 34, 38, 55
aspirants to position of, 34, 42nn25, 26
praises for, 38
as healer, 38, 211
represented by Sowo mask, 39
role in the arts, 39
temperament of, 57
controller of senior, sacred Sowo mask, 165
prestige of, 169, 233
mystical powers of, 177, 206
information network of, 177, 241n28
use of talismans, 221, 223
respect for head of, 233
Sowo Kundoi, 28
Sowo-lolimȯ, masked dancer, 114, 217, 251
masks for, 196, 198–99. See also Ndoli Jowei
Sowo mask costumes, 153, 226, 230, 243n66
Sowo masks (sowo-wui), xix, 13, 15, 34, 251
costumed mask, 13, 73, 153–54, 180, 192
public display of, 30
proverbs concerning, 33, 39
Gonde contrasted with, 39–40
description and illustrations of, 153–57
coiffure of, 157
criteria for evaluation of quality, 157–58, 160–61, 239nn5, 8
hairstyles of, 157, 163, 165, 184
meaning of, 161, 163
etiquette for handling and viewing, 161, 240n12
mystical origins of, 163, 165
hierarchy of masks, 163, 165, 248
senior, sacred mask, 163, 165, 192, 194, 196
middle, dancers’ mask, 163, 165, 196, 198–99
neck of, 167, 169–70
mouth of, 170–72
nose of, 172–73
ears of, 173, 175–76
eyes of, 176–78, 180
forehead of, 180–81, 184
effect on spectators, 194
adornments on, 198–99
snake adornments, discussed and illustrated, 201–06
bird adornments, discussed and illustrated, 201, 206–13
animal adornments, 213, 215
cooking pot adornments, 215, 217
shell and bead adornments, 217, 219, 221
talisman and charm adornments, discussed and illustrated, 221–23
as a head, 226, 230, 232–33, 235
as made of wood, 235–36
blackness of, 236, 238
“retirement” and disposal of, 238–39n3, 239n5
Sowo-wui. See Sowo masks
Sperm, 107
Spokesperson, 30, 172
Standing: beauty in, 122
Stone imagery, 17, 217, 219, 238, 240n22
Stories and storytelling, 71, 140, 151n79, 244n72
characters in, 42n32, 73, 89, 244n72
song in, 71, 73
about beauty, 140
Sudan, ancient western: economy and trade in, 3
Supernatural sight, 177, 241nn27, 28
Sweetness, 105, 172, 240n18
Symmetry of masks, 158, 160
Talismans, as mask adornments, 198–99, 221, 223
Teacher, Sowei as, 38
Teeth: care of, 94, 100
beauty of, 99–100
gap in front, 99–100, 147n25
sexuality of, 100
Telu preceptor, xvi
Tėmui (elves), 161
Thighs: beauty of, 118–19
in sitting posture, 119, 125
Thompson, Robert Farris, xviii, 89, 126, 167
Tingoi (the mermaid), 137, 150nn68, 70, 245, 251
as ideal of beauty, 129–31
eyewitness report on, 150n67
beauty of hair, 150n69, 192, 245
and neck form of Sowo mask, 170
as water deity, 192
Toads, as mask adornments, 213, 215
Todd, S. K., 184
Transporting objects on head or back, beauty in, 126
Twins, mystical nature of, 240n24
Uterus, 57, 107
Upper Guinea Coast (also West Atlantic Coast and Western Sudan), history of, 1, 3
Vagina, 114
quality of, 116–17
as mask adornment, 223
Vai Sande masks, 239n6
Values: of Mende society, 34, 37, 42n30
of American society, 42n30
van Oven, Cootje, xiii
Virgins, 63, 86, 144, 149n42. See also Mbogboni
Vulva: mouth compared to, 99, 100
beauty of, 114, 116
cowrie shell compared to, 221
Waistlines, 109
Walking: beauty in, 126, 150n64
Water deities: the mermaid, 129–31
masks attributed to, 161, 192, 194. See also Tingoi
Water imagery, 18, 50, 91, 138, 206, 213
and the kpanguima, 50, 170, 196
mysticism and, 105, 107
and pregnancy, 105, 175
in sexual intercourse and conception, 107
sprinkling, as an insult, 117–18
as source of beauty and art, 129, 131, 192, 235
as heavenly abode, 161, 170, 244n72
masks and, 161, 181, 196, 238
cowrie shells and, 217, 219. See also Bathing; Rivers and streams; Tingoi
Water Sowei, 118, 194
Welmers, W. E., 6
Whiteness, aspects of, 18, 21, 23, 46, 150–51n75
of Sowei’s clothing, proverb, 23
of initiation garments, 196
and snakes, 206
and birds, 213. See also Hojo
Women: beauty of, 81–82
proverbs concerning allure of, 82, 167
political power of, 146n11, 223, 226, 243n65. See also Feminine beauty; Girls; Haenjo; Nyaha; Sowei
Women’s court, 50
Wooden nature of mask, 235–36
Work, 86. See also Economic organization of Mende; Rice-farming
Yambo Society (snake-charmers and exterminators), 205
Yėgbėi Society (prenatal care), 243n57
Yėngėlė (delicacy): defined, 21
of feminine size, 120
in performance, 141
of masks, 160–61
Yoko, Madame, 86, 146n11
Young mothers, 93–94, 211, 213
Zahan, Dominique, 232