Lommel Andreas. Masks: Their Meaning and Function

Ferndale Editions, 1972. — 236 p.This book provides the origins and interpretation of various kinds of masks across the world and discusses their cultural significance to the people who use them.
To a large extent the original significance of the mask has been forgotten in the ‘civilized’ world. Today we talk of ‘tearing the mask from someone’s face’ or ‘unmasking’ him, meaning that we have removed his disguise as an honest man and exposed him for what he really is. But the mask was once far more than a mere figure of speech. Its use, in ritual dances, was undoubtedly an important aspect of the religious and social life of our ancestors. Masks are still worn, ofcourse; in many European countries, at carnival time, ordinary people appear disguised as pirates, Indian princes or whatever other picturesque character takes their fancy. But this is a disguise only, and the wearers have no idea of actually personifying the characters behind whose mask they hide. Originally, every mask was imbued with significance, and the mask itself or the person wearing it mysteriously represented some power or spirit. In some parts of the world the mask still retains a deep and often complex meaning. To understand their origin and true significance it is necessary to look at masks in all regions of the world. A study of masks in Europe alone would never give us full insight, for here masks, as a part of everyday life, belong to the distant past. Though the myths and beliefs with which they were associated may still survive to a certain extent in so-called folk culture, they do so only in a drastically reduced and much distorted form. The superb masks of Africa have long been familiar to collectors, and the African continent is one of the areas of the world where the true meaning of the mask is most clearly apparent, for masks still play a vital role in community life. The masks of the South Seas are generally rather less well known than those of Africa, although masks from the Melanesian islands of New Guinea, the New Hebrides and New Caledonia may have become familiar to a wider public in recent years. In both Africa and Melanesia the mask is an integral part of culture and tradition.