Sande
Quick Summary
The Sande is a secret society found among the Mende people of Sierra Leone and Liberia. It is a custom where young girls are secluded for a period to be trained in the responsibilities of adult society. While the chief holds secular power, ritual authority rests with secret societies like the Poro for men and the Sande for women. These societies educate boys and girls, regulate conduct, and are involved in agricultural fertility and military training. The Mende people primarily grow rice, yams, and cassava, with cash crops including cocoa and peanuts.12
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African artMende…black helmet-shaped masks representing the Sande society, which is responsible for educating girls and initiating them into womanhood. This is one of the few women’s societies on the continent known to use masks. The blackened wooden mask, which represents a water spirit, also signifies the transformation of young girls into…
Read More…black helmet-shaped masks representing the Sande society, which is responsible for educating girls and initiating them into womanhood. This is one of the few women’s societies on the continent known to use masks. The blackened wooden mask, which represents a water spirit, also signifies the transformation of young girls into…
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Sierra LeoneThe artsThe Sande mask worn on the head of the chief dancer during the ceremony that welcomes the reappearance of female initiates from their period of seclusion is perhaps the best-known carved figure in Sierra Leonean art. It is a black symmetrically stylized head of an African…
Read MoreThe Sande mask worn on the head of the chief dancer during the ceremony that welcomes the reappearance of female initiates from their period of seclusion is perhaps the best-known carved figure in Sierra Leonean art. It is a black symmetrically stylized head of an African…
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KpelleThe poro and the sande are, respectively, male and female secret societies that meet in sacred groves in the forest. The poro, the more important of the organizations, is personified by the Great Masked Figure, or Grand Master, a person who only appears in public disguised by a mask,…
Read MoreThe poro and the sande are, respectively, male and female secret societies that meet in sacred groves in the forest. The poro, the more important of the organizations, is personified by the Great Masked Figure, or Grand Master, a person who only appears in public disguised by a mask,…
Read More- Mende
…women’s secret society is the sande.
Read More…women’s secret society is the sande.
Read More - Vai
…societies known as poro and sande—for men and women, respectively. The modern Vai are largely Islāmized. Formerly known as slave traders, the Vai now rely on farming and fishing; many work in government or for foreign companies. Their crafts are well developed, especially weaving and goldsmithing. A unique syllabic system…
Read More…societies known as poro and sande—for men and women, respectively. The modern Vai are largely Islāmized. Formerly known as slave traders, the Vai now rely on farming and fishing; many work in government or for foreign companies. Their crafts are well developed, especially weaving and goldsmithing. A unique syllabic system…
Read More