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Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Masks

"The spirits that inhabit masks can be capricious, even savage creatures. There are reports of mask-wearers being led on chains to prevent them from attacking onlookers. Some mask-gods, such as the Egungun of the Yoruba, are thought to be able to kill an unmasked person with a single touch. One Tibetan mask was removed from its shrine only once a year in preparation for its ceremony. It was then kept overnight in a locked temple, while monks chanted prayers to prevent its malicious spirit from breaking free. Villagers for miles around barred their doors. Among the Ilahita Arapesh of Melanesia, ritual killings were carried out by a man in a state of possession by the appropriate mask."
 A quote from this essay that seemed pretty creepy and gameable.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like the totem people from jack vance's Tsai series. They were humans who took on the personality and authority of the totem they wore

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  2. Cool. I don't think I ever saw that series. Thanks for letting me know about it.

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