The Yacouba or Dan people are made up of about 800,000 people and are one of the most important in the Ivory Coast and Liberia. They are known for being great artisans, especially for their masks, which are one of the main differentiating elements of this society. These masks are associated with the animistic spiritual beliefs of the Dan, and usually represent the spirits or ancestors who live in the forest. The most identifying element of the Dan people is the practice of the Snake Girls Ritual.
The snake girl ritual is usually celebrated in communities that live in isolated and difficult-to-access regions, where traditional Dan culture is more preserved. Through the dance, participants enter into communion with nature and sacred wild animals, especially the snake. By performing this dance, it is believed that the village will be protected by the animal spirits of the forest.
Girls have special importance in this ritual. A group of girls is chosen when they are very young by the 'Simbo', the community shaman, and they are chosen according to their spiritual gifts and their similarity to the spirit of the snake.
Snake Girls Initiation
The initiation for these girls begins when they are about three years old. The chosen ones are isolated in the forest with their mentor for seven years. During this period, they learn to capture the essence of nature, in the form of the soul of the snake, and train and perfect the technique of the snake dance. During the course of the retreat, the girls are locked in a dark room, meditating and are not allowed to speak or communicate. They usually have their faces painted with white motifs that evoke wild animals, and their lips and perioral area are painted black. On their heads, they wear a headdress decorated with animal fur and cowries. At the age of ten, their relationship with this brotherhood ends, and they are released to live a normal life.
Do you want to experience the Snake Girls Ritual?
Join Joan Riera on her next trip to the Ivory Coast from 24 June to 4 July 2024, during which you will have the opportunity to witness the Snake Girls Ritual. Click here to discover all the details of the trip.
Snake Girls Ritual
The Simbo, who acts as master of ceremonies in the ritual, begins the snake dance with a call. The girls come to the scene and begin to move their heads, as if they were cobras. They say that, in this way, girls go into a trance and are possessed by the spirit of the snake. The ceremony is accompanied at all times by the hypnotic rhythm of traditional percussion instruments. The ritual has officially begun. The ritual has officially begun.
First, the girls appear in front of the Simbo and perform light hip movements. From there, one by one, the acrobatics begin, throwing themselves into the arms of the master of ceremonies and those of his assistant. The girls control their bodies very precisely to maintain balance during the stunts. At all times, they continue to move their heads like a snake.
There is a point in the ceremony at which the stunts become more dangerous. By using knives, the shaman demonstrates that the spirits are on his side and that, although these are very dangerous stunts, the girls will not suffer any harm. Throughout the entire event, the girls remain silent and stare into space.
Finally, the Simbo takes center stage, piercing his tongue and cheeks using thin metal rods in order to demonstrate to what extent the power of the snake prevents him from pain. This is a metaphor for the protection that the spirit of the snake will dedicate to the entire village.
You can learn more about Dan people at www.101lasttribes.com
© Photos by Aníbal Buenoand Jordi Zaragozà Anglès taken during a trip to the Ivory Coast.
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