To what extent a people believe in spirits, (ancestral or otherwise), is often reflected in their art. The Holo believe in spirits of the dead, as well as in the...
To what extent a people believe in spirits, (ancestral or otherwise), is often reflected in their art. The Holo believe in spirits of the dead, as well as in the rainbow spirit incarnated in a serpent who lives in the river, and a moon spirit which has the power to kill. In order to protect themselves against these pernicious entities sculptures were made that would frighten away evil forces. It is both paradoxical and fascinating that those who understand the world of spirits- sorcerers, healers, diviners, recognize that what is frightening to us may not be to an incarnate entity, and consequently they create objects which effect us with delight, while scaring the life from a ghost! This extraordinary mask is full of life; it breathes with animation and radiates a very strong personality, at once ingratiating and charming. Though he may startle and perplex, his wide smile and sparkling eyes lure us in, as if to converse, engaging us in a conversion about magical and mysterious things he has seen in his visions of this world and the next.