WOIMA

Woïma means “magician” in Malinke. It is a sacred mask that travels from village to village, performing magic tricks, miracles, and driving out evil spirits. The powers of a Woïma vary—some work directly with spirits, while others focus solely on magical performances.

Upon arriving in a village, the Woïma first seeks permission from the village chief to perform. If empowered to do so, he will also check for the presence of evil spirits in the area, with the intention of capturing and banishing them.

During his performance, the Woïma might cut his own tongue or hand, then miraculously regenerate them. He may eat blades, break bottles and swallow the shards, or even open his stomach to reveal his intestines. He can also dig into the earth, pour in water, and make cassava plants grow instantly. The Woïma dances and works through the night, sometimes uncovering malevolent spirits responsible for harm or even death in the community.

« Féticheurs » (French for spiritual healers)—such as the Soliwulen mask—also dance to the Woïma rhythm , as it is sacred and in communion with the spirit world.

BASSITI

Among the Malinké of Upper Guinea, Bassiti are sorcerers and traditional healers—known in French as “féticheurs”.

Bassiti possess deep spiritual knowledge and the ability to communicate with spirits—both ancestral and tutelary. They perform rituals, provide physical and spiritual healing, and offer guidance to their communities. They are also the guardians of sacred places such as ponds, forests, and ancestral groves.

They work with herbal remedies, ritual objects (amulets, fetishes, staffs, and other sacred instruments), and ceremonies intended to protect the community from harmful entities—whether malevolent spirits or wicked sorcerers.

Bassiti occupy an ambivalent position in Malinké society: they are respected for their protective and healing powers, yet sometimes feared or stigmatized, suspected of witchcraft or of wielding political and social influence through occult means.

During public celebrations—such as processions to sacred ponds, great mask festivals, or Dununba festivals—Bassiti take part to bless the gathering, summon the spirits, and ensure the ritual purity of the site. They are believed to detect malevolent individuals, whom they symbolically strike and drive away from the assembled crowd.

Each “féticheur” has his own rhythm and ceremony, usually performed late at night. Among the principal ritual masks are Djina Mansa, Kawa, Koma, Nama, Nyaba, Soliwulen, Woïma, and Wulujeng.
Among them, Koma is regarded as “the greatest”, “the master of fetishes”—the most powerful of all.