ABSTRACT
Throughout the Islamic world, among both the clerical elite and the mass of believers, the concept of djinn is an ever-present feature. From Morocco through Islamized portions of black Africa, the Middle East, and as far afield as Southeast Asia, the mysteries and workings of the djinn form a central part of the scriptural, magical, and popular dimensions of the faith. Theologians and jurists have pondered over the definition of djinn, and they have served as a leitmotif in the great classics of Islamic literature, such as The Thousand and One Nights, and as constant characters in the everyday language and folklore of the faithful; verbal descriptions of the djinn are easily collected, and they are vividly engaging accounts. The Islamized Zara of Bobo-Dyula of southwestern Upper Volta, however, approach the ambiguous world of the djinn in a totally unique way. Through the agency of the mask and its surrounding artistry and ritual, the Zara give form and body to this ephemeral spirit, thereby enabling members of their society to comprehend and relate more fully to this important element within Islam. It is hardly surprising that it is within an Islamized African culture that the mask would be employed in making the djinn manifest. How and why it is done, however, are important questions, and their answers can help us to gain a further appreciation of the creative contributions made by West African Muslims to the religious and cultural dimensions of Islam as a whole. 1
