A Songye Kifwebe (A Songye Mask)

A Songye Kifwebe (A Songye Mask) Clifford C. Richey August 2019 All papers related to Depicted Sign Language use the same system and signs found in: https://www.academia.edu/33253716/Depicted_Sign_Language_An_Ancient_System_of_Communication The sources for approximately three hundred historically documented gesture signs are named. Other signs have been determined through a known context of signs. The paper explains the organization of Pictorials, Form, Imagery, Gesture Signs, Stance, allusion, positionals and incorporation as used in creating the compositions For a direct application of the gesture signs to a composition with illustrations of the gestures see: https://www.academia.edu/13193557/The_Mimbres_Bat_Bowl All the original Images/Photographs used in this paper are either attributed to the source or used under the Fair Use Law exceptions to Copyright. Photo Credit: Picclick.com.au Illustration 1: Original Photo and Color Coded View The Songye people, are a Bantu ethnic group from the central Democratic Republic of the Congo.1 The Bantu system of beliefs and legends are derived from the Bantu peoples of Africa. Although there are several hundred ethnic groups among there is a high degree of homogeneity in their cultures and customs.2 “Certain masking traditions of the Congo River basin personify local control of mystical power. Striated face masks known as kifwebe probably originated in North Shaba, an area inhabited by both Songye and Luba groups. Significant departures in the role and formal interpretation of this art form subsequently developed in each culture. Among the small Songye chiefdoms along the Lomami River, maskers were emissaries of the ruling elite, who relied on the ideology of witchcraft 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songye_people 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu_mythology and sorcery to sustain their rule. These kifwebe members commanded a body of esoteric secret knowledge visually encoded mnemonically in the mask's features...”3 The “visually encoded” mnemonic features are actually the Form, Imagery, and Gestures signs based in an ancient depicted sign language system. The Overall Form, see Illustration 3, is based on the Form of the Crested Chameleon indigenous to the Congo. Illustration 3: (Cropped) Photo Credit: LyWasu, CC BY SA 3.0 Illustration 2: Color and Numerically Coded The Form and Imagery of the Mask was, roughly, based on the Crested Chameleon. The Form and Imagery is distorted by the Gesture Signs used to create it. The Overall appearance of this depiction is a compromise between the need to follow the rules of depicted sign language, for its communicative value, and the actual appearance of the Crested Chameleon. The Mask’s overall Form alludes to the area of the Face, his appearance. Beginning at the base of the Mask we find a (red) Triangle that represents, the Female-earth. There is a count of Three “Chevrons” that mean, held-down, positional, on the sides, of the (red) Female-earth. The (white) count of Three indicates the numerical associative that means, the many. In the area that alludes to the Mouth, the water source (such as a spring or water hole) there is a (green) Square sign that represents, the house, the lineage, and, positional, within it, the (yellow) star. There is a combined Circle-Cupule within the star sign meaning, the one, his location, positional, within, the cup or bowl. There are Three, the many, Horizontal Rectangles, horizontal-places or levels. positional, on the side, of the Square 3 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312287 Illustration 5: Gesture Sign for Man Illustration 4: Color and Numerically Coded Illustration 6: Gesture Sign for Star Above the alluded to Mouth is a Large, the great, Finger, the one, The Finger placed, positional, in the front center of the Face indicates, the ma4 There is a Count of Three, the many, “V” shaped signs that indicate, openings, positional, on the side of, the (red) Triangular, Female-earth. The (dark blue) Form is of Bird, the one that flies, with a Long Neck alluding, to the Throat as, the connecting tunnel, (between the Stomach as, a container, and the Mouth as, a water source). The Protruding Eyes of the Chameleon are composed of signs that allude to the Eye, that refers to, The Eye of the Sun, – Venus. The (white) Count of Two that Forms the “U” shaped sign for, turning, positional, on the side. The Large, the great, (light blue) Curved sign for, the male-spirit, that has the Stance of, heading upwards. The (yellow area) represents the Double Lines around the male-spirit, based on the glans penis, sign that means, unseen. The (dark blue) Quarter Circles indicate, the upper-side, the upper-world, Left and Right, in the east and in the west. “Most Bantu cultures share a common myth about the origin of death, involving a chameleon. According to this myth, God sent the chameleon to announce to men that they would never die. The chameleon went on his mission, but he walked slowly and stopped along the way to eat. Some time after the chameleon had left, a lizard went to announce to men that they would die. Being much quicker than the chameleon, the lizard arrived first, thus establishing the mortal nature of man. As a 4 Tomkins William, Indian Sign Language, Dover Publications Inc., New York, 1969. 38-39 consequence of this myth, both chameleons and lizards are often considered bad omens in Bantu cultures.”5 This sign language translation tells us that the Mask represents the spirit of the Chameleon, the carrier of the message of eternal life, as well as the spirit of a great man, perhaps a great warrior and leader who, in the afterlife, flies to the sky joining or merging with Venus. The meaning of the house, the lineage, of Venus may also have been members of the lineage of the Sun (probably a title of the culture’s Chieftain) who served the Sun- Chieftain in their lifetime continued their emissary service to the Sun by arising before the Sun in the east and after the setting Sun in the west, serving the function of an advance and rear scout or guard. Illustration 8: Crested Chameleon Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com (cropped) Illustration 7: Chameleon Mask Photo Credit: arts-primitive.com - Songye Mask. Primitive art collection., GFDL Illustration 9: Color Coded 5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu_mythology Illustration 10: Color Coded Here is another example of the Form of a Crested Chameleon Mask. Beginning at the base we see the (red) Triangle that indicates, the Female-earth. This sign alludes to the Throat area that represents, the connecting tunnel, between the Stomach as, a container, and the Mouth considered as, a water source. The (blue green) sign for, the flowing (water) is Curved to Form the signs for, held as in bowls, positional, on the side, of the (red) Triangular sign for, the Female-earth. The signs that allude to the Mouth are the (green) Square meaning, the house, the lineage, and positional, within it, the (yellow) outline of the gesture sign for, star. The Four (dark) Quarter Circles represent the four quarters of, the cardinal directions, or, everywhere, in the darkness. This combination of signs creates a (dark) Vertical Rectangle with Curved sides that represents, the Vertical-place, of, arising, on the sides, Left and Right, in the east and west. The (blue green) striations are the sign for, the flow (of water) on the side. This is followed by a Large, the great, (tan) Finger, one, pointing a direction, here, on the side. The Three (blue green) Lines indicate, positional, on, or within, the hidden-pathway. The Large, the great, Circle, the one, his location, positional, within, the flowing (water), positional, on the side. The Circle alludes to the Eye, the Eye of the Sun, --Venus. The Large, the great, (light blue) male-spirit sign, whose Stance is, heading upwards. The (red and tan outlines) Large, the great, Nose is in the Form of both a (tan) Finger, positional, in front of the face, the man, the Face itself indicates, his appearance. The Nose is also a (red) Triangle, representing the Female-earth, positional, within it, the Chevrons that mean, the multiple openings. The association made with the Count of openings is not understood. The Nose alludes to the Nostrils as, orifices or holes, positional, on the Left and Right, in the east and west. Illustration 11: Color Coded The (light blue) Crest of the Chameleon is in the Form of a Long, the long, Necked Bird. The Long Neck alludes to the Throat as, connecting tunnel, with numerous Rectangular, places signs positional, within it. The Bird means, the one that flies and has the Stance of, heading upwards. The Rectangular, places signs appear to be colored light and dark, the light and dark places but the sequence of the Count is not understood. Not all the Chameleon Masks have the gesture sign for, the star in their alluded to Mouth. Some have an “X” indicating, a transformation, positional, within, the water source. Others have a compound of both the star and transformation signs. Still others have the alluded to Mouth composed of “U” shaped signs meaning, turning, positional, on the sides, Left and Right, in the east and in the west. Those readers who have read this writer’s previous papers translating depicted sign language from other cultures will recognize the ancient cosmology related to Venus in these Chameleon Masks.