Two articles on African masquerades, one on the Senufo and the other on the Mende, reveal stark differences in their gender participation and their effects on gender belief systems and politics. All Senufo masquerades "are performed by males, are associated with men's activities in the Poro society and are a clear expression of male roles and prerogatives" (Glaze 30). On the other hand, in a unique situation for such activities, the Sande masquerades of the Mende "are performed by women who wear carved wooden headpieces and elaborate body costumes," with "exclusive management and performance by women" ("Masquerades of Sande" 77).
The masquerade of each group, then, has as its immediate purpose the expression of the roles and power of one of the genders, the Senufo the males, and the Mende the females. At the same time, the masquerades of both groups share a larger purpose in presenting elaborate ceremonies which result in the initiation of the young members, the control of the behavior of all members of the group, the establishment of social and political hierarchies, and finally the celebration of group unity.
Another major difference between the masquerades of the two groups is the fact that in the Senufo masquerade the ceremony includes representation of both male and female members, although all roles are played by men, while in the Sande masquerade of the Mende group all references are to the group's female roles and power. Part of the reason for this difference may be that the male power of the groups in the social and political realms are taken for granted, allowing Senufo expression of both male and female aspects, and making unnecessary the expression of male roles and power in the Mende masquerade. This taking for granted of male power in African societies may also be the explanation for the fact that the female-controlled and completely female-oriented Sande masquerades among the Mende are such rarities on that con...