A Lobi "ti puo" iron sculpture, collected in Gaua, Southern Burkina Faso, one arm uplifted,, oxidised patina.

Dangerous person" (ti puo) are those bateba duntundaara, that are neither ordinary nor paralyzed. They either show a distinct defensive gesture, i.e. hold up one hand or both hands in slanted way next to the head, or stretch them out horizontally, and that way block the entrance into the house against enemies. Or they stand out through unusual physical marks (like two heads). These latter bateba are also called extraordinary persons (see below). Only thila that are dangerous themselves order dangerous bateba (see Chapter 2.4.). If dangerous bateba would stand on the shrines of ordinary thila, there would be the danger that these bateba will be more dangerous, i.e. stronger than their thila. Since dangerous persons are more effective in their fight against witches than ordinary bateba, the dangerous persons decide what the ordinary bateba have to do if they are standing on the same shrine. The Lobi say: The ordinary bateba belongs (bine) to the dangerous bateba."

Lit.: Piet Meyer, Kunst und Religion der Lobi, Musuem Rietberg Zürich, 1981, 88; Wolfgang Jaenicke, Zu den "ti puo" Figuren der Lobi.

photo: The wife of Bonfanté, funeral dance, close to BouroumBouroum, Sothern Burkina Faso WJ.

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Height: 46 cm
Weight: 220 g