The Antelope Who Danced for the Dead

When a great chief died, his spirit was angry and would not travel to the land of the ancestors, causing sickness in the village. The people held a great ceremony, but nothing could appease the spirit. A diviner said that the spirit wanted a dance that was as beautiful and graceful as life itself. All the best dancers tried, but failed. Then, from the forest, came a slender Antelope. It began to dance in the center of the village. It leaped and turned with such grace and energy that it seemed to be a flicker of life in the face of death. Its dance told the story of the sun rising, the chase through the forest, and the joy of being alive. The angry spirit was so captivated by the beauty of the Antelope's dance that its anger was soothed. It peacefully left the village and traveled to the spirit world. In honor of this event, the Fang created the ngontang mask, a multi-faced mask that often represents the "young white woman" but whose graceful performance is said to be inspired by the spirit of the Antelope who danced to appease the dead.