Glossary

Vogel, Susan Mullin

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Glossary

Susan Mullin Vogel

Baule: African Art, Western Eyes

Glossary

Author

Susan Mullin Vogel

PublisherYale University Art Gallery

PublisherYale University Press

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-22156

Glossary

Abla Poku queen of the Baule who, according to legend, led them on their exodus out of Asante

Adyanun the women’s cult and the dance to it; forbidden to men

Agba a Baule subgroup of the southeastern border around Dimbokro

Aitu (also called Atutu in the older literature), a Baule subgroup that live in the central area

aja family treasure including gold that is inherited and passed on to succeeding generations; considered sacred

akoto acolyte, attendant who accompanies a masked dancer

Akwe a Baule subgroup that live on the eastern border around Yamoussoukro; the major source for information in this study

Ambomon a costumed figure who is amuin, appears in the Gbagba dance wearing a cloth face covering

amuin god, deity, supernatural force localized in a material object; also the object itself

amuin bla the women’s deity: Adyanun

amuin bo nun the bush sanctuary where the bo nun amuin masks are kept; the sacred forest

amuin yasua the men’s deity: mainly masks

Asye the earth literally and as a deity

asye usu nature spirit or bush spirit often the object of a cult; may be localized in a carved figure

bae malevolent spirit that can possess a person, making him or her a witch (bayefwe)

bian man

Baule ethnic group of central Ivory Coast. Has numerous subgroups: Warebo, Kode, Faafwe, Akwe, Sa, Agba Katienou, Agba Bonou, Nzipri, Aitu, Nanafwe, and Abe, among others

bla woman, wife; female as opposed to male

blo bush, wilderness as opposed to village

blo koffi a kind of small, relatively unimportant bush spirit; associated with hunting; figures are carved for their shrines

blo ninge thing, creature of the bush

blofwe white person, imported thing associated with whites

blolo the other world; the place one comes from before birth and returns to after death

blolo bian husband of the other world, often localized in a carved figure

blolo bla wife of the other world, often localized in a carved figure

bo bush, forest as opposed to savannah

bo nun amuin gods in the forest (literally); the men’s masks and objects kept in the bush sanctuary and forbidden to women

bo usu small forest spirit-sprite, sometimes localized in a carved figure

Botiwa one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women: it is the husband of Do—an animal helmet mask, often janus-faced

Do one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women: very old, represented by a drum and perhaps by a mask; considered to be the wife of Botiwa

Je one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women: a helmet mask with protruding jaw, large teeth and, usually, curving horns

fe agreeable to the senses, sweet to hear or to taste; physical or moral pleasure

Gbagba a dance of enjoyment (women’s dance) which involves the use of small human and animal face masks

Glao one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women: a sacred mask dances that involves a janus-faced animal helmet mask

goli (leopard): a men’s cult that does not involve a mask but a sound; also called amuin goli

Goli a dance of Wan origin that involves the use of four pairs of masks; a northern Baule subgroup with no special relationship to the Goli dance

Goli Glin the senior male mask in the Goli series, a horned helmet mask with large, open jaws; also called simply Glin

kakatika bush spirits, smaller and weaker than asye usu, who particularly help hunters; figures are carved for them

Kami Akwe village near Yamoussoukro where much of this research was conducted

kannannglan a backed chair made of several pieces of wood fitted together; similar chairs are made by the Senufo, Guro, Dan and other peoples north and west of the Baule

klanman beautiful, good (in a moral or physical sense); used as a term of aesthetic approval

klo village

klo nnen village or domestic animals

klo sran social person

Kloro one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women: a mask cult of recent date; a helmet mask that may be janus with two muzzles

Kode a Baule subgroup; patrilineal neighbors of the Wan

kokowa iron gong that is struck with a plain wooden stick

Koli one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women: a horn sounded with performances of Je but that may be performed alone

komien a trance diviner, man or woman, who does divinations while in a trance, possessed by an asye usu

konantre weaving pulley, carved or plain

Kouassi Gbe a relatively recent name for the junior male mask in Goli, the disk-faced mask; appears in first place; also called Kple Kple

Kpan the senior female mask in Goli; a humanfaced mask with high crested hairdo; last mask to appear

Kpan Kpan a new mblo dance; the name means “thunder”

Kpan Pre the junior female mask in Goli; human face with goat horns; appears in third place

kpa good in a physical or moral sense, useful, suitable; used as a term of approval for sculpture

Kple Kple junior male mask for the Goli dance, disk face with horns; also called Kouassi Gbe

Laka one of the men’s bo nun amuin forbidden to women, that only some men can see: involves dancing but no masks; very old

Lokosue a sanun amuin; a poison that may be used offensively or defensively

lowre carved wooden mallet, often ornamented with figures and masks; used by komien, trance diviners

mblo small face masks of humans, animals, or phenomena, and their dances; masks are also called mblo ba (ba = small part); women participate, masks are stored in the village

Mbra an amuin; cult for divination and success in war; a man or woman is possessed and dances publicly; sacrifices center on special cow-tail fly whisks and large wooden human or monkey figures; appeared after 1900, originating among the Nzipri Baule

Nanafwe a Baule subgroup, neighbors of the Akwe; the Baule goldfields of Kokumbo were in their territory

nandwa horse- or cow-tail fly whisk, carried by important people

nandwa blawa gold-covered fly whisk (sometimes nandwa blaliwa)

ndoma namesake; person with the same name; a portrait mask

Nyamien the creator god, firmament, the sky

nyanngonduin the rainbow; name of one of the Je masks and subject of a face mask that sometimes appears in Gbagba

sanun amuin object that derives its supernatural power from ingredients placed in or on it

sran person, a human being

te bad, evil, ugly

umien ancestor, ancestor spirit

waka wood; standing tree; carved wooden object either simple (hoe handle) or elaborate (mask)

waka sran statuette, carved figure; literally, “person of wood”

Wan a small Mande-speaking ethnic group who live along the northwest frontier of the Baule; source of the Goli mask dance

Warebo a Baule subgroup living in the northwest, around Sakasso; the descendants of Abla Poku and her followers, considered noble

yasua man, male as opposed to female

Yaure a small Mande-speaking ethnic group living between the western Baule and the Guro; half speak Yaure, a Mande language (not a dialect) related to Guro; half are gradually becoming Baule and speak Baule

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