Ritual Messengers

Featured artifacts


| Ritual figures | Mask | Stool | African symbols | Sources |


  African symbols


WHAT ARE THEY?

They are African symbols.

WHERE ARE THEY USED?

They are used by a number of different cultural groups in Central Africa.

WHAT MESSAGE DO THEY CONVEY?

For the Luba, the three circles represent the Supreme Being, the Sun and the Moon. This combination of circles symbolizes the unfailing continuity of life. It is a common belief that ancient African cultures feared the elements, but in fact African peoples trusted in the continuity of nature, its unchanging cycle of seasons and the succession of day and night.

The second image symbolizes the union of all creatures, confirming that everything in the universe is connected. Ancient African peoples in particular felt a close affinity to nature.

The knot, according to the Yaka, is another expression of the unity between the world and all its creatures. In the Yaka culture, this symbol would be used to protect a person's home and land.

HOW ARE THEY USED?

In African cultures, the world can be interpreted by and seen as a series of signs and symbols. Man interprets these symbols, giving them names, and in the same way defines himself as a symbol. Within this exhibition, because of their unifying message, the designer has chosen to use these symbols to link different sections.

HOW ARE THESE SYMBOLS DIFFERENT FROM AN ALPHABET?

Like letters, these symbols can be combined to give a message. However, much is left unsaid, and a story told can be interpreted in many different ways, depending on the reader's imagination. In many African cultures, the spoken word passed down from generation to generation is more sacred than the written word.

HOW ARE SYMBOLS MADE?

A carver uses a chisel to produce these symbols. Each symbol on a piece of work conveys a message.

WHAT ROLE DO SYMBOLS SERVE?

The symbols are magical: they communicate messages within the living world and serve as a link to ancestors and the supernatural world.


 
MYSTERY

Why do some Lulua and Lulu women cover their bodies with lines and scars?

1. To follow fashion.
True   False

2. As part of a ritual.
True   False

3. To communicate information.
True   False


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