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Aunt Tizzy’s African Masks The masks in MYRTLE are based on actual African masks. Aunt Tizzy gave me the perfect excuse to learn about African Masks. They are an important part of African history and culture. They are used in rituals and celebrations. In Africa men traditionally wear the masks, even the female ones. Aunt Tizzy is not traditional. She is a wise old mouse. She shares the masks with Myrtle in the closet. They perform their own ritual and empower and celebrate Myrtle for who she is. |
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The mask Aunt Tizzy wears is based on a “Singing Mask” of the We or Bete people from the Ivory Coast. It is considered feminine and it is used on festive occasions. It has small bells and would be accompanied by drums. Ancient stories of ancestors would be told and proverbs would be recited. |
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The mask Myrtle wears is based on a “Walu Mask” of an Oryx antelope and used by the Dogon of Mali. The mask would be worn in funeral rituals, which are considered an important rite of passage and a celebration. These masks could be in the form of other animals such as hares or lions and they are considered sacred and to have magic power. Although Myrtle is going through a different rite of passage, I felt a little bit of magic might help. I also thought she would like the antelope. |
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Myrtle’s little brother has the mask based on a “reliquary figure”. These are very old and more of a ghost representation and a place to hold someone’s spirit. |
| I hope you and your students will try to learn more about African culture and masks. Encourage your students to create their own masks. Create a ritual celebrating friendship and respect. Really, it is not just about the mask…. I hope the mask is a vehicle that can be used to begin a positive discussion about dealing with bullies. A little imagination and fun can open a door. |
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MAKE AN AFRICAN MASK Click here for “Make Your Own African Mask” instructions. WEBSITES ABOUT AFRICAN MASKS http://pbskids.org/africa http://edsitement.neh.gov http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~bcr/AfricanMask.html MORE ACTIVITIES to encourage a conversation about bullies I hope that teachers and librarians will use Myrtle to begin a dialogue about bullies. To start the conversation one librarian dressed up as Aunt Tizzy and served tea (apple cider). The library even created a closet to serve it in! They took a corner of the room and hung a bunch of clothes from strings hanging from the walls. They covered the floor area with pillows. Children made African masks and danced and roared like Myrtle. The American Academy of Pediatrics has lots of helpful information for parents and adults about helping children deal with bullies, including the article titled “What if your child is being bullied?” You can get to this article through the http://www.medem.com website by putting the name of the article in their “search medical library”. They also have more articles on bullying if you search bullying under their “for patients” section. Click here for MYRTLE’S
COLORING PAGE BULLY BOOK LIST Grace Greene, our state children’s librarian in Vermont, has put together a list of “bully books” that you might find in your local library. Thank you, Grace! Click here for the “Bully Book List”
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