I want to begin today by showing you something that may seem strange. This is a mask of Elvis Presley made by a group of rural farmers in Malawi, called the Chewa. They've used this mask in a sacred and important ritual called the Gule Wamkulu. Our first question might be, what on Earth is Elvis doing dancing amongst the Chewa of Malawi, and why would he be a part of their sacred Gule Wamkulu dance? When a Western person sees this Elvis mask, they might think that it represents some strange misunderstanding of Western culture. That these African people are mimicking a global image in a simplistic and problematic way. However, if we want to truly answer our question, what on Earth is Elvis doing dancing amongst the Chewa? Then we need to understand something about the nature of dances and masks among the Chewa, and why masks of foreign people, like Elvis, or Charlie Chaplin, or the Queen of England might make an appearance in their rituals. We will see that the masked dances of the Gule Wamkulu were not just performance for entertainment, but were primarily ways that the Chewa learned what was and was not appropriate behavior in society. And one way they did this, was by incorporating images and characters from outside of Malawi, using them to teach about particular moments in the past, but also about improper societal behavior. These dances also allow the Chewa to gain a sense of control over their relationships with outsiders through embodying, dancing, mimicking and often, ridiculing them. The image of Elvis dancing among the Chewa was likely an effort to demonstrate the correct way of living, by satirizing a Western icon that lived excessively, and was controlled by vices that were best avoided. The Chewa people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Malawi, a land locked country in Southeastern Africa, just West of Mozambique and Tanzania. In the Untied States, the Chewa are most well known for their masks, which are used in dance rituals by a secret society called the Nyau. The Nyau society is a semi secret association for Chewa men, which is involved in passing on the myths of the society and their moral beliefs. Nyau initiates reenact stories through masked dances. The most important of these dances is called the Gule Wamkulu, and is also performed at significant events such as funerals. This dance is a venue for both communicating time honored values, as well as addressing current issues the group is facing. Within the Gule Wamkulu, dancers perform as a varied cast of characters in at least 30 consecutive dances. Through their performance, dancers interpret and communicate the significance of different spirits, and the ideas that they represent. Most of all however, the Gule Wamkulu is meant to teach and instruct young people, and remind adults the values and morals of their society. As such, the dances offer lessons about exercising authority, how to be courteous, how to care for family and friends, and how to respect elders and ancestors. In fact, many of the masked dancers are understood to be representatives of the ancestors themselves, and through them they impart these important lessons about life. Although there are some standard masks and dances, there's much creativity in the Gule Wamkulu, and the makers of masks and dancers are able to be creative and inventive. It is this creativity that has allowed for the Gule Wamkulu to remain relevant and important in the lives of the Chewa, and to incorporate and comment on historical events in their lives. We can see this in the masks that represent outsiders, both those that have directly influenced the Chewa, and those known primarily through international media. The earliest known examples of the Chewa incorporating images of outsiders into their masked dances are masks of Portuguese and Arab traders. Both of whom were deeply involved in slave trading in Malawi, even before the Colonial era. Both of these groups were feared in the area, where the Chewa lived since they would trade for local slaves, but also march caravans of slaves through the heart of Chewa land. The Chew depicted Arab merchants and the Portuguese in masks, with frightening, fierce red faces. Red is a color that represents danger to the Chewa, and in the context of the dance, communicated that the Chewa should fear these groups, and that their activities were a danger to the social lives of Chewa people. Another historical event immortalized in the Gule Wamkulu was the 1915 killing of a man named John Chilembwe by British colonial officials. Chilembwe was a Chewa man, educated by foreign missionaries who staged an uprising against British colonial officials, who controlled Malawi at the time. Chilembwe's uprising failed, and British officials pursued him and others on horseback as they fled to their home villages. Chilembwe was killed, and others were executed. This chase is represented in the dance by a mask called the Chilembwe, which is shaped like a man on horseback. During the dance, this mask chases young children and women in the audience, in a recreation of the aftermath of Chilembwe's fateful revolt. Since independence in 1964, the Chewa have continued to incorporate images of outsiders into the Gule Wamkulu dances, and have included such people as Charlie Chaplin, Queen Elizabeth, and Elvis. As with the mask we began with here, these masks are not meant to represent the ancestors, but rather represent those who are understood as belonging to the bush, the area outside of the Chewa. The mask of Elvis therefore, can be seen as part of a long line of incorporation by the Chewa of outsiders into their ritual dances. We know that this particular mask was made in 1977, the year that Elvis died. And although we don't have any first hand information about why this particular mask was made, it seems likely that within the context of the Gule Wamkulu, the Elvis mask served of an example of a popular figure who lived excessively and immorally. One can imagine how by dancing the Elvis mask, the Chewa sought to comment on this global American figure, satirizing him and his lifestyle, which represented vices best avoided. We can also now see how the Elvis mask was not some meaningless representation of a global icon, but rather a powerful way of gaining control over powerful Western global images and corresponding values. In dancing the Elvis mask, the Chewa were able to appropriate Elvis' image, in order to teach about a proper social life.
