Gunye ge
Dan · numen · Dan traditional religion; continuing · numen
Gunye ge is the racing mask-spirit of the Dan, embodied by a village's swiftest young man. As the spirit, the runner competes in foot-races, characteristically pursuing an unmasked rival in sprints staged between neighbouring villages; a runner who is overtaken must in turn take up the mask. The gunye ge is one of the athletic, competitive ge, its mask kept relatively plain and robust so that it can be worn while running. Fischer and Himmelheber note that a mask's role among the Dan is not fixed for life, and a racing ge may in time be promoted to a more senior office.
Domains
- athletic competition
- speed
Powers
- runs foot-races as a village champion
Sources
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, collection record for the Gunye Ge mask, Dan peoples.
- Fischer and Himmelheber, The Arts of the Dan in West Africa (1984).