The Kumpo, the Samay, and thre Niasse are three traditional figures in the mythology of the Diola people in the Casamance (Senegal) and in Gambia.
Multiple times in the course of the year, i.e. during the Journées culturelles, a folk festival in the village is organized. The Samay invites the people of the village to participate with the festivity. Both figures are masked dancers and considered to be a ghosts. The Samay knows everything that happens in the village, and with his stick he mandates strict order in the community. The Kumpo is completely covered with palm leaves and the niasse, which is more people-like, is furred and Equipped with two short sticks.
According to African mythology sometimes it is a physical person underneath, but that person is not themselves, their possessed by a spirit.
Social background[]
They encourage the community to act as good villagers. They promote everybody to participate in community life and wishes that all people are enjoying the feast. The festival is a stimulus for the social community life. Not participating to the feast is seen as anti-social behavior. Nobody has the right to be lonely. The whole community enjoys to perform rhythmical music and to dance.
According to the tradition, the Kumpo is not a person but a ghost. There is a strong relationship with the bois sacré. It is not done to ask about the real identity of the Kumpo. He may not be touched and it is considered as a sacrilege to look into the palm leaves. Therefore, he defends himself against intruders with his stick by smashing and pointing. At the end of the feast, they say goodbye to the community and revokes into the bois sacré.
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