To what extent a people believe in spirits,
(ancestral or otherwise), is often reflected in their
art. The Holo believe in spirits of the dead, as
well as in the rainbow spirit incarnated in a
serpent who lives in the river, and a moon spirit
which has the power to kill. In order to protect
themselves against these pernicious entities
sculptures were made that would frighten away
evil forces. It is both paradoxical and fascinating
that those who understand the world of spirits-
sorcerers, healers, diviners, recognize that what
is frightening to us may not be to an incarnate
entity, and consequently they create objects
which effect us with delight, while scaring the life
from a ghost! This extraordinary mask is full of
life; it breathes with animation and radiates a
very strong personality, at once ingratiating and
charming. Though he may startle and perplex,
his wide smile and sparkling eyes lure us in, as if
to converse, engaging us in a conversion about
magical and mysterious things he has seen in his
visions of this world and the next.
- (PF.4414)
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