The Niasse, along with the

Kumpo The Kumpo is one of three traditional figures (along with ''Samay'', and the ''Niasse'') 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 culture ...

and the Samay, are three traditional masked figures in the religion of the

Jola people The Jola or Diola (endonym: Ajamat) are an ethnic group found in Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. Most Jola live in small villages scattered throughout southern Senegal, especially in the Lower Casamance region. The main dialect of the ...

, living in the

Casamance Casamance is the area of Senegal south of the Gambia, including the Casamance River. It consists of the Lower Casamance (, —i.e. Ziguinchor Region) and the Upper Casamance (, —i.e. Kolda and Sédhiou Regions). The largest city of Casamance ...

(

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

) and in

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

. They play a central role in the social life of the traditional village. Multiple times in the course of the year, e.g. during the ''Journées culturelles'', a

folk festival A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods. Handicra ...

in the village is organized. All three figures are masked dancers. The niasse has two short sticks to mimic a gorilla's walk. The kumpo is completely covered with palm leaves and is considered to be a

ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

. Between the niasse and the samay, which are more people-like, there are fewer differences. The type of dance is a bit different; other differences are:

References

{{Reflist Casamance Gambian dancers Jola religion Senegalese dancers