Venetian Carnival Mask Research Paper

Many Mesoamerican Indian groups in Mexico used and continue to use masks in their culture today. One of these Mesoamerican Indian groups includes the Hñahñu Indian people, also known as the Otomí Indians. Due to a loss of the unwritten customs and traditions that failed to continue by word of mouth, many mask-making origins have been lost. Researchers make assumptions with the little information they have obtained from researching the Otomíes and other close indigenous groups. The Otomí Indians associate many rituals with masks. Religious ceremonies and carnival celebrations often include masks. Masks were also often combined with storytelling, music, and rhythm (Bell). The masking rituals contain many religious and cultural aspects. The Otomí have a highly diverse history filled with cultural traditions in which masks are used to represent symbols or spirits. Masking traditions display the needs, beliefs, values and desire of a culture.

In the online dictionary, masks are described as being “a covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal one’s identity”. Andrew Lloyd Webber utilizes masks in The Phantom of the Opera, in such a way that really captivates the viewers and helps to highlight and hide certain aspects. Not only does he use the mask to shield the Phantom’s deformation, he also shows what kind of person the Phantom is with and without the mask, including his behaviour, and actions towards others.

The mask is a significant symbol of savagery and the dark side that lies within every human being. One instance is when Jack painted his face to fool the animals and blend in with the island for hunting. He painted his face with different colors and when he peered into the water he saw a stranger looking back at him.“He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness” (Golding

Masks have held countless uses and meanings throughout history. Masks have been used in plays, like those of Shakespeare, traditional dances, social gatherings, even as a form of casual or corporal punishment. Although masks have several different uses in different cultural situations, the meaning of the masks is generally the same. Masks are used to conceal an appearance and assume the identity of another. Metaphorically, masks can be used to hide feelings, to protect oneself, and to block out the outside world. Many of these examples are shown in Art Speigelman 's Maus.

The masks act as a way for the guests to block their guilt from being exposed after leaving people beyond the four walls to fend for themselves. “It was towards the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence” (Poe, Par.4). The invitees put on masks to symbolically obscure themselves from the fate of the “Red Death”. Poe is stating that the people are falling into the same arrogant way of thinking as Prospero by trying to escape disease. The party-goers are also hiding from themselves and each other because they selfishly tried to make themselves immune to the disease while leaving the outside world to fend for their lives. The masks being worn also helps give the sense of confidence while being “hidden”, especially Prospero. “ ‘Who dares’-- he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him-- ‘Who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him-that we may know whom we have to hang, at sunrise, from the battlements!’ (Poe, par.11). As soon as Prospero’s eyes landed on the mummer, there was a surge of confidence that shot up within his body in a split second. The mask upon Prospero’s face caused him to act in a boastful and cocky way to try and defeat the mummer, despite

Paul Laurence Dunbar, dispatches the cold troubles of African Americans in the lyrical poem, "We Wear the Mask." In this poem, Dunbar links imagery, rhythm, rhyme, and word choice to in order to institute a connection to the reader. From reading the poem, one can infer that Mr. Dunbar is speaking in general, of the misery that many people keep concealed under a grin that they wear very well. But if one were to go further and take the time to research Mr. Dunbar’s selection of this piece and the era of which this poem was written, one would come to understand that this poem focuses entirely on Paul Laurence Dunbar’s viewpoints on racial prejudice and the struggle for equality for the African-American’s of his time period. Though this

The mask is part of the ceremony known as "the Dance of the Goats” or La Danza de los Chivos. The mask on masksoftheworld.com is from Chilpancingo, State of Guerrero, Mexico. However, the traditional Dance of the Goats began in Zitlala, State of Guerrero, Mexico. The villagers created the dance after the Mexican Revolution in 1910. After the war, an epidemic took place

To really understand why masks were created by the Aztecs, I believe one really needs to look at the history and religious beliefs of the group. The Aztecs, like other mesoamerican civilizations before it, was a complex nation that faced times for war, had advanced calendar systems, and created a vast amount of art (a variety of different art forms- from poetry to pottery) that sadly most of it was destroyed by the spaniards that came later. The Aztecs had a belief system that included many different deities, with their own different visual characteristics in which they represented in their artwork. Many of their art pieces had both a functional and symbolic value, including the masks discussed in this paper. (Coe)

Aztec masks were used as ornaments, and were sometimes worn as part of a ritual, or in death as a death mask. They usually represented one god or another, and the Aztecs did have countless gods. Like the artistry and materials, the Aztecs worshipped gods collected from a variety of cultures. A common type of mask would have snakes on it, a representation of the god Quetzalcoatl or perhaps Tlaloc. The masks generally then were used for worship of the gods, whether by being displayed in a temple or worn by a priest.

Lets get right to it, a mask is a device for deception or hide ones identity. Some mask can also be use for protection. Like a welder, a war mask protect his or her face from the heat and fire. For Lucy, its was use to conceal her identity. When wearing the costume, Lucy could be one of the kids because everyone is dress up. then mean she was a normal average kid on Halloween. More importantly, it meant she wasn't getting mock or insulted by others. It made her bold and happy for having the chance to interact with others.

What are masks? One usually thinks it is an object the individual puts on and takes off.

Dominic lives a variety of lives, wearing a variation of masks throughout. By day, he is a prosecutor in Austin, Texas, and by night he plays music at the Norman Pub (Pryor 11); but underneath it all, he is a psychopath. Generally this means, he doesn’t process, or display emotions like a typical person would. Instead, Dominic "can [only] feel some of them, ones like anger, disappointment, and lust. … Emotions [tying him] to others, like compassion, love, or even fear, … [he] doesn’t feel" (Pryor 28).

Masks are one of the most spiritually important art forms developed in Africa. Among the masks many uses were; communicating with spirits and ancestors, serving as teaching aids in gender specific initiation ceremonies, tools for maintaining order, enhancements for reenacted stories and myths, symbols of rank and power, and a record for past leaders. I will be focussing on masks from the first three categories. The masks, which are all Helmet style masks from West and Central Africa, illustrate how artists from different tribes approached symbolism and visual storytelling. They also show what was considered ideally beautiful for each clan.

In conclusion, I believe that is the best police always to help us people because need to anything emergency from call 911 something need before happen. I have experience with them before there a Halloween is trick or treat house and saw police car can take of the picture. I will ask to them can available want to take is a picture with your car police and he can accept to allow for you a wear this. I did finish is the picture about police car in park then send to facebook page about Halloween Day and tell to him say thank you for share in your car. It's my favorite a wear in halloween costumes for police officer to be future in my life being look like is handsome man and boss. I want to future about police something wants needs to do know anywhere

     Masks were created to be placed over the face, on the top of the head, or even over the head. Most masks represent spirits of ancestors (Fetzer 106). Some villages make masks with full costumes and use them with music to dance in ritual performances. They used masks for social control,