Poro Forest Spirit
Mende · deity · Mende traditional religion; continuing Poro society · Recorded classification
Spirit-class tutelary entered as a deity (Poro masked spirit, masculine counterpart to Sande's Sowo). The Poro/Sande pairing structures Mende ritual life. Sources: Britannica 'Mende'; Wikipedia 'Masquerade in Mende culture'.
Domains
- initiation male society
- law discipline
- forest bush spirit
Powers
- to initiate boys into manhood and enforce the law of the society
- Manifest as the chief masked spirit (ngafa) of the Poro society
Sources
- Gbeni (also Goboi) is a tutelary forest/masked spirit of the Mende men's Poro society, embodied by a masked official; Poro initiates boys into manhood, regulates conduct and fertility, and historically handled military training, counterpart to the women's Sande.: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Mende' (secondary); Wikipedia, 'Masquerade in Mende culture' (secondary)