Cosmogony deals with the concept of the origin of the universe. African cosmogonies serve also as guides that enable us to fulfill our missions on Earth. It is fair to say African masks are created for rituals which derive from a specific ideology. Ideology must be construed here as a philosophy of life, a set of concepts sustaining a specific world view. Our world view influences to a great extent the way we approach the external world.
African ideology gives center stage to the spirit.
Spirit is valued over matter. Thus the creation of masks fulfills a need to realize what is already experienced on the spiritual plane. The African masks also function in an initiation framework. Masks are used in various initiation ceremonies. These initiation ceremonies are also called rites of passage and have placed an important role in African societies for centuries.