Pictured Above:
Baga protective serpants from Guinea. Artist
unknown
Serpants were both feared
and revered in West African religious beliefs, as it was believed that
the cunning snake was a deity in animal form. This parallels the Christian belief that associates the serpent with Lucifer, as it is believed that the devil first appeared in Genesis to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden in snake form. Instructing
Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1), the serpent is cursed by God, but is then later used
by the lord in Exodus as a symbol to strike fear into the heart of the pharoah
(Exodus, 4:3). These particular ornate serpants were meant to frighten
away evil and protect the bearers, most likely young boys entering their
initiation into manhood. This particular piece was chosen for this exhibit as a great example of the West African
art that was created when Christianity first came to the contintent and began to infuse itself into
tribal culture, as it combines the old polytheistic beliefs with the
new.
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