West African Voodoo Dancing Masks

Gelede Mask Dance
Female Spirit
The Big Mother
Spirit Realm
Sacred Tree
Spirits of the Dead
Soul Catchers
Egunun Mask Ceremony
Pope Mask
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Gelede Mask Dance
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Egungun masks during a ceremony in Benin, West Africa, pause to watch other masks dance. Waiting to possess people gathered to watch, the masks can be considered very dangerous. If touched by these powerful deities, a person can instantly die and be taken back to the afterworld.

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—Photograph and caption by Chris Rainier, copyright National Geographic Society
 

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