JuliaEmily

Behind the mask

Masks utterly fascinate me, they come in so many different forms with so many functions : masks to protect us - from gas, from germs, from cold, from sparks, from projectiles from baseballs to spears : masks to hide our identities - when we are doing something bad, from breaking lent and acting lasciviously at carnival to committing bank robberies or terrorist attacks : masks to create mystery and allure - in art and at the masquerade : masks to decorate or commemorate the dead : masks to create a character, persona or to express or disguise an emotion - at the theater, in dance and in Mexican wrestling : masks to attract or to repel spirits in rituals from rain dances to Halloween.

I love to hear about places like the Canadian town of Grand Etang in Nova Scotia, where they have developed a mask tradition based on an event that has passed in folklore. A man, desperate to break lent and nibble a little cake, sip a little wine, fashioned a mask from a paper bag to disguise himself from the priest in his naughtiness. The other villagers, seeing that he got away with this little rebellion anonymously, followed his lead and soon the whole village were running around from house to house breaking lent with impunity. Over the years the masks have become more and more elaborate inspiring them to open a mask museum dedicated to the tradition.

October brought us the English speaking world’s most popular excuse for disguise. On the eve of All Saints day pagans believed the souls of the recently deceased would attempt to reinhabit living bodies. To avoid being possessed by these lost souls the living would disguise themselves as things already dead. Of course Halloween has changed enormously since such intrigues - but this year’s costumes made me smile keeping the tradition alive.

New year’s eve promises some masked extravaganzas, so let your imaginations run wild. Pictured are my favorite masks on etsy - click the images to go to the listings.