Why Do Stones and Masks Hold Power?

Introduction

Why do masks and buried stone figures hold such an important place in Sierra Leonean tradition? The answer lies in a powerful idea that appears again and again across the country’s folklore and ritual culture: ancestors remain connected to the living world, and certain objects can act as channels for that connection. In Sierra Leone, hidden knowledge is often associated not with written texts but with initiation societies, sacred performances, heirlooms and ancient objects found in the land itself.

Two of the most striking examples are the Poro society’s initiation masks and the mysterious soapstone figures known as Nomoli or Pomdo. Although they come from different historical contexts, both have been understood as links to earlier generations, sources of authority and symbols of knowledge that is not available to everyone. Together they reveal how folklore, ritual and material culture intersect in Sierra Leone’s understanding of ancestral power.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgKabemba MaskA kabemba, or ka-bemba, mask worn during the initiation of Temne boys into the Poro society. Ka-bemba means grandfather, or f…

Why Do Stones and Masks Hold Power?

Across many Sierra Leonean traditions, power is not imagined as an abstract force floating freely through the world. It is often attached to places, objects, lineages and ceremonies. An initiation mask is more than a costume, while an ancient stone figure is more than a piece of sculpture. Both can be understood as vessels of memory and authority.

This idea helps explain why masks are treated with respect during initiation ceremonies and why ancient stone figures discovered in fields have often been preserved, consulted or incorporated into ritual practice rather than discarded. In folklore, objects may embody the presence of ancestors, former rulers, protective spirits or the accumulated wisdom of earlier generations.[penn.museum]penn.museumPoro (Sherbro, Paw) is the most important of the numerous secret societies of southern Sierra Leone. Outside of the…Read more…

The result is a tradition in which hidden power is frequently associated with things that are partly concealed: knowledge revealed only to initiates, masks whose meaning is not publicly explained, and stone figures whose original creators remain unknown.

Poro Initiation and the Kabemba Mask

The Poro society has long been one of the most influential men’s initiation institutions in parts of Sierra Leone and neighbouring regions. Beyond its ceremonial role, Poro traditionally helped transmit social values, community responsibilities and ideas about adulthood. Membership often carried significant social importance, and initiation marked a transition from childhood into recognised manhood.[sfomuseum.org]sfomuseum.orgHearst Museum of Anthropology. Sande and Poro societies are found throughout Sierra Leone and Liberia, in parts of Guinea…Read more…

Among the objects associated with this process is the Kabemba mask. Museum records from Sierra Leone and the British Museum describe Kabemba masks as being used during the initiation of Temne boys into Poro society. Significantly, the name is interpreted as meaning “grandfather” or “forefather”.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgKabemba MaskA kabemba, or ka-bemba, mask worn during the initiation of Temne boys into the Poro society. Ka-bemba means grandfather, or f…

That meaning is revealing. The mask does not merely conceal the wearer. It symbolically invokes ancestral authority. During initiation, a young person is brought into a chain of transmission stretching back through previous generations. The mask therefore represents continuity between the living and the dead, between present members and those who came before.

Folklore surrounding Poro performances often emphasises secrecy. Outsiders may see the public appearance of a masked figure, but the deeper meanings are traditionally restricted to initiates. This selective sharing of knowledge contributes to the aura of mystery that surrounds Poro masks in popular imagination. What gives the mask power is not only its appearance but the belief that it embodies inherited wisdom and sanctioned authority.[re-entanglements.net]re-entanglements.netPoro Archives20 Dec 2020 — There are many masquerades associated with Poro in the south of Sierra Leone… (1961) 'The I…

Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures

If Poro masks are living ritual objects, Nomoli and Pomdo figures are relics from a more distant and uncertain past.

These small sculptures, usually carved from soapstone, are found mainly in Sierra Leone and neighbouring parts of Upper Guinea. Many have been discovered buried in fields, forests and river valleys, often during agricultural work. Their distinctive features include large heads, prominent eyes and strongly modelled facial features.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgNomoliAncient stone figure sculptures found buried in the ground in south-eastern Sierra Leone and presumed to have been made by the orig…

One reason they fascinate folklorists is that nobody knows with certainty who made them. Sierra Leone Heritage notes that they are generally believed to have been created by earlier inhabitants of the region before the arrival of later populations. Museum collections and art historians likewise suggest that many examples predate Portuguese contact on the coast during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgNomoliAncient stone figure sculptures found buried in the ground in south-eastern Sierra Leone and presumed to have been made by the orig…

Because their origins became obscure, stories grew around them. Some communities interpreted them as traces of forgotten peoples. Others regarded them as representations of chiefs, rulers or ancestors. Early accounts recorded beliefs that the figures had been made by beings possessing knowledge no longer available to living communities.[Wikipedia]WikipediaArt in Sierra LeoneArt in Sierra Leone

The figures acquired new roles after being rediscovered. Several museum records note that Nomoli sculptures were reused as “rice gods”, placed in fields or associated with hopes for agricultural success and protection. Other traditions employed them as oath-taking or ritual objects. In these later interpretations, the ancient figures became active participants in community life rather than archaeological curiosities.[britishmuseum.org]britishmuseum.orgBritish Museumnomoli figureThe nomoli may originally have been ancestor figures, but are now put to secondary use as 'rice gods' when the…

Ancient Objects, New Meanings

An important point is that the original purpose of the figures may not have been the same as their later use.

Scholars have proposed that some Nomoli figures originally functioned as memorial or ancestor sculptures. Others have suggested links to elite authority or funerary traditions. None of these theories has achieved complete consensus. What is clear is that later communities attached fresh meanings to the stones after discovering them.[collegeart.org]collegeart.orgArt Bulletin Vol 65 No 2 LampMemorial Art of Fifteenth-Century Sierra Leoneby FJ Lamp · 1983 · Cited by 31 — The Mende call them nomoli (pl., nomolisia), properly the…

This process is common in folklore. When the true origin of an object becomes uncertain, stories emerge to explain it. The mystery itself becomes part of the object’s power.

Secrecy, Ancestors and Museum Evidence

Poro masks and Nomoli figures differ in age, function and appearance, yet they share a common theme: hidden ancestral authority.

The Kabemba mask explicitly invokes forefathers during initiation. Nomoli figures are often interpreted as traces of unknown ancestors or earlier societies. In both cases, power derives partly from distance. The authority of the object comes from a connection to a past that ordinary people cannot fully access.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgKabemba MaskA Kabemba, or Ka-bemba, mask worn during the initiation of Temne boys into the Poro society. Ka-bemba means grandfather, or f…

Museum collections provide valuable evidence because many of these traditions were historically transmitted orally rather than through extensive written records. Institutions in Sierra Leone, Britain, Europe and North America preserve masks and stone figures that help researchers compare local traditions with archaeological and historical evidence. These collections show how interpretations have changed over time, from colonial descriptions of mysterious artefacts to modern efforts to understand them within Sierra Leonean cultural history.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgKabemba MaskA kabemba, or ka-bemba, mask worn during the initiation of Temne boys into the Poro society. Ka-bemba means grandfather, or f…

The continuing importance of these objects is also reflected in heritage debates. In 2025, Sierra Leone marked the return of a Nomoli artefact from the Netherlands, presenting it not simply as an artwork but as a culturally significant object linked to ancestral identity and historical memory.[Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs]tourism.gov.slMinistry of Tourism and Cultural AffairsNOMOLI RETURNS HOME: SIERRA LEONE RECLAIMS A…Nomoli artifacts are ancient stone figures origin…

From Hidden Ritual to Public Heritage

Today, many Sierra Leoneans encounter Poro masks and Nomoli figures not through initiation ceremonies or agricultural rituals but through museums, heritage projects and cultural exhibitions. Yet the old themes remain recognisable.

The Kabemba mask still evokes the idea of knowledge passed from elders to younger generations. Nomoli figures still raise questions about forgotten peoples, ancestral memory and the relationship between communities and the land. Whether displayed in a museum case or remembered in oral tradition, both continue to embody a distinctive Sierra Leonean belief: that the past is never entirely gone, and that certain objects can make its presence felt in the world of the living.[sierraleoneheritage.org]sierraleoneheritage.orgKabemba MaskA kabemba, or ka-bemba, mask worn during the initiation of Temne boys into the Poro society. Ka-bemba means grandfather, or f…

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Endnotes

1. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/item/BM%3AAf.1954.23.3501/kabemba-mask

2. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/glossary/nomoli

3. Source: cambridge.org
Link:https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/nomoli/FA25A3EAE9D80C1C3A7DD93B043A4DAC

4. Source: penn.museum
Link:https://www.penn.museum/sites/bulletin/1945/

5. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/item/SLNM.1967.08.02/kabemba-mask

6. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/item/BM%3AAf.1952.7.15/kabemba-mask

7. Source: re-entanglements.net
Link:https://re-entanglements.net/tag/poro/

8. Source: jstor.org
Link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/40793500

9. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273937194_The_Stone_Sculptures_of_the_Upper_Guinea_Coast

10. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/item/SLNM.1949.01.11/nomoli

11. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://www.sierraleoneheritage.org/item/SLNM.1962.54.22/nomoli

12. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Art in Sierra Leone
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_in_Sierra_Leone

13. Source: collegeart.org
Title: Art Bulletin Vol 65 No 2 Lamp
Link:https://www.collegeart.org/pdf/artbulletin/Art%20Bulletin%20Vol%2065%20No%202%20Lamp.pdf

14. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://sierraleoneheritage.org/v12.6/glossary/word.php?id=ndoli-jowei

15. Source: sierraleoneheritage.org
Link:https://www.sierraleoneheritage.org/item/BM%3AAf.1925.1125.1/wooden-nomoli

16. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Nomoli figurine
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomoli_figurine

17. Source: britishmuseum.org
Link:https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1904

18. Source: sfomuseum.org
Link:https://www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/liberian-helmet-masks-sande-and-poro-societies-collections-phoebe-hearst-museum

19. Source: ecoi.net
Title: Sierra Leone
Link:https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1422820/4792_1516879887_142537.pdf

20. Source: michaelbackmanltd.com
Link:https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/object/carved-steatite-female-nomoli-figure/

21. Source: tourism.gov.sl
Link:https://tourism.gov.sl/nomoli-returns-home-sierra-leone-reclaims-a-sacred-piece-of-its-heritage/

Additional References

22. Source: howardnowes.com
Link:https://howardnowes.com/products/dan-poro-mask?srsltid=AfmBOoorhpNSv6Yl0ibRohkK_ye9c-YS_2jDzzwn0n7YYD3pXAbriNZc

23. Source: reggieceleste.com
Link:https://reggieceleste.com/nomoli/

24. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/612838496320447/posts/1066456954291930/

25. Source: direct.mit.edu
Title: An Ancient Terracotta Figure from Sierra Leone
Link:https://direct.mit.edu/afar/article/57/2/76/120923/An-Ancient-Terracotta-Figure-from-Sierra-Leone

26. Source: instagram.com
Link:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX1vyuoN-vc/?hl=en

27. Source: facebook.com
Title: story 16100part 1this is the oldest human made legacy ever found in sierra leone
Link:https://www.facebook.com/TheProlificMamy/posts/story-16100part-1this-is-the-oldest-human-made-legacy-ever-found-in-sierra-leone/4275801699334191/

28. Source: lib.ecu.edu
Link:https://lib.ecu.edu/artworks/work/view/113

29. Source: collection.ncartmuseum.org
Title: male figure pomdo or nomoli
Link:https://collection.ncartmuseum.org/objects/3173/male-figure-pomdo-or-nomoli

30. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/archeologyandcivilizations/posts/9120206484739461/

31. Source: metmuseum.org
Title: nomoli pomdo stone figures
Link:https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/nomoli-pomdo-stone-figures