Structural Aspects of a West African Secret Society

Abstract

Secret societies in West Africa have largely been considered from the point of view of their social function. In this article an analysis is made of the relevant collective representations from a structural standpoint. It is argued that this is not as innovatory as current debate might suggest but is implicit in the work of a number of authors. The Sande society initiation ceremonial is examined in relation to three dominant dimensions: that of people, space, and supernatural spirits. Each is shown to be dichotomized as women and men, forest and village, invisible spirits and visible maskers in a configuration encompassing and specifying the representations involved. This allows a comprehension of several features which have been problematic, such as the question of secrecy and the issue of the masked figure.