African Unification Front
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AFRICAN HEAD SYMBOLISM
 Head symbolism has been used for an undetermined period in Africa and is evident in the use of masks, and in statues, and in language. The oldest depiction of head imagery is found on prehistoric petroglyphs.
Head symbolism is associated with rituals and other community procedures such as judgement, issuing of edicts by leaders, and even during play and theatre. These ceremonies are spectacles in which music, chanting, and recitations of mythical poems form a broad dynamic and also colorful choreographic ensemble. These gatherings are played out over several days in the public square. Masks reaffirm the context of present reality, evolved from a mythical era when it was conceived and projected by the god. The mask brings life to the community's founding myths, and to the myths of every day life. The mask unites human and animal elements to create a composite, incorporating into human elements by its vital force, linking the dancer to everything living in the world.
The mask rarely depicts humans, but rather they depict ideas and natural or social forces. The intervention of mask marks all the significant moments in African life, and three stages in particular: fertility rites, iniation into adult life and funerals. Often the masks consist simply of a face and are carried in front of the wearer’s face, the rest of the body being covered by an appropriate costume. Each community has its own style.
Read more @ Orilonise: Hermenuetics of the Head
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