THE BEST-KNOWN SECRET SOCIETY

The Ciwara society is one of the six secret societies of Bambara cosmogony. A society whose teachings are protected by taboos, the Ciwara society contributes to the social cohesion of the community.

It teaches its members how to grow each plant, but also the need for collective farm work to secure the harvests.

The Ciwara statue is thus attributed to the

The dances were linked to agrarian rites and therefore to the idea of fertility, fecundity and sowing. The dancers wear Ciwara crests* and mimic the work of the hoe in the fields with the antelope’s horns.

Ciwara crest*: a ritual mask in the shape of a roan antelope

Image: Bambara men wearing Ciwara crest masks during a Bambara initiation ritual in Mali. (Photo by Michel HUET/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)* https://www.gettyimages.fr/detail/photo-dactualité/hommes-bambara-portant-des-masques-ciwara-à-cimier-photo-dactualité/947830298