DO
allyGod
Do, also written Dwo, is a power venerated by the Bwa and the Bobo of present-day Burkina Faso, a region formerly named Upper Volta. He is often presented as a manifestation of the deity that communicates with humans, in particular during the mask ceremonies. Do reveals himself through the mask, whose wearer then becomes the intermediary of his will. The leaf masks and the butterfly mask, associated with Do, appear in the rites bound to rain and to the fertility of the fields, at sowing time and after the harvests. The cult of Do is overseen by a village elder, often described as a priest of the earth. The available sources bear above all on these Bwa and Bobo mask traditions, and the descriptions vary from locality to locality.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Weaver of the currents. DO watches over the flow of the waters and the fluid memory that binds the worlds within the Mabioni. Bound to the Upper Volta pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of polished ebony, mother-of-pearl and shells, engraved with symbols of rain and fertility, embodiment of the power of Do
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who venerates Do?
The Bwa and the Bobo of Burkina Faso, a region formerly called Upper Volta.
How does Do manifest?
Principally through the ritual masks. The mask's wearer becomes the intermediary of the divine power before the community.
With what is Do associated?
With the ceremonies of rain and of the fertility of the fields, celebrated at sowing time and after the harvests.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Littérature ethnographique sur les masques et les cultes du Do chez les Bwa et les Bobo (Burkina Faso)
- Guy Le Moal, Les Bobo : nature et fonction des masques (Travaux et Documents de l'ORSTOM n° 121) (1980)
- Alisa LaGamma, Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture (2002)