Mossi People

Origins / Location : Burkina Faso

Names : Mosi / Moore / Moose / Moshi

Languages : Mooré

Religion : Animism (centered on the veneration of Wende, the creator, fertility spirits, and their ancestors) / Islam / Christianity

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi woman with elaborate hairstyle, near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, [negative].” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 5

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi woman with elaborate hairstyle, near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, [negative].” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 5 Nov. 2015, https://learninglab.si.edu/q/r/394628

Vintage postcard, circa 1910. The Moro Naba, king of the Mossi people in Ouagadougou, now in Burkina Faso. (Photo courtesy of AdireAfricanTextiles.blogspot.com)

Vintage postcard, circa 1910. The Moro Naba, king of the Mossi people in Ouagadougou, now in Burkina Faso. (Photo courtesy of AdireAfricanTextiles.blogspot.com)

A Mossi Naaba (leader) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi_people#

A Mossi Naaba (leader) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi_people#

Sources: Photo: © Viktor Cerny / Burkina Faso 2010, Wikipedia.org Gregory A. Finnegan - Everyculture.com University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art via https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mossi.html

Sources: Photo: © Viktor Cerny / Burkina Faso 2010, Wikipedia.org Gregory A. Finnegan - Everyculture.com University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art via https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mossi.html

The Mossi: A people of culture by Sheba Anyanwu, July 25, 2011. via https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-mossi-a-people-of-culture

The Mossi: A people of culture by Sheba Anyanwu, July 25, 2011. via https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-mossi-a-people-of-culture

The Mossi: A people of culture by Sheba Anyanwu, July 25, 2011. via https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-mossi-a-people-of-culture

The Mossi: A people of culture by Sheba Anyanwu, July 25, 2011. via https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-mossi-a-people-of-culture

Sources: Photo: © Viktor Cerny / Burkina Faso 2010, Wikipedia.org Gregory A. Finnegan - Everyculture.com University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art via https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mossi.html

Sources: Photo: © Viktor Cerny / Burkina Faso 2010, Wikipedia.org Gregory A. Finnegan - Everyculture.com University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art via https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mossi.html

Sources: Photo: © Viktor Cerny / Burkina Faso 2010, Wikipedia.org Gregory A. Finnegan - Everyculture.com University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art via https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mossi.html

Sources: Photo: © Viktor Cerny / Burkina Faso 2010, Wikipedia.org Gregory A. Finnegan - Everyculture.com University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art via https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mossi.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

Mossi funeral north of Yako, 1977, Yatenga style karanse. The masks perform in front of the dead man's house. via https://www.randafricanart.com/Mossi_mask_2.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

"Mossi indigo dyers, vintage postcard, circa 1910." The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

"Mossi indigo dyers, vintage postcard, circa 1910." The original work wear - Mossi Indigo Cloths from Burkina Faso via Adire African Textiles by Duncan Clarke. http://adireafricantextiles.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-original-work-wear-mossi-indigo.html

Africa Haute Volta Ouagadougou Mossi people Old Photo Sarr Cheick 1960. Vintage M. Sarr Cheick Studio Photo, Service Information Haute Volta. Burkina Faso, Africa (Other). https://www.abebooks.co.uk/photographs/Africa-Haute-Volta-Ouagadougou-Mossi-

Africa Haute Volta Ouagadougou Mossi people Old Photo Sarr Cheick 1960. Vintage M. Sarr Cheick Studio Photo, Service Information Haute Volta. Burkina Faso, Africa (Other). https://www.abebooks.co.uk/photographs/Africa-Haute-Volta-Ouagadougou-Mossi-people/30364939978/bd

A mask at a funeral in the village of Kirsi in 1976. A black plastic child's doll has been added to the horns to create a karan wemba, to honor a female ancestor. 25 March 1976. Christopher D. Roy. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mossi_ma

A mask at a funeral in the village of Kirsi in 1976. A black plastic child's doll has been added to the horns to create a karan wemba, to honor a female ancestor. 25 March 1976. Christopher D. Roy. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mossi_mask.jpg

"The wives of the Emperor of the Mossi in Ouagadougou, ca. 1930, when a Swiss delegation was visiting the city. “He’s having a good day” said one of the wives, when they heard that the emperor wanted to bring them along for a flight. Another one was

"The wives of the Emperor of the Mossi in Ouagadougou, ca. 1930, when a Swiss delegation was visiting the city. “He’s having a good day” said one of the wives, when they heard that the emperor wanted to bring them along for a flight. Another one was not allowed on the plane, because she and the emperor had fought the day before and said how jealous she was. Personally, I love that the photographer talked to the women to hear what they had to say. " via 19th Century Girls on Tumblr.

"Mossi hunters and warriors." from Mossi People: funeral rites via https://peuplesautochtones.com/peuple-mossi-rites-funeraires-copy/

"Mossi hunters and warriors." from Mossi People: funeral rites via https://peuplesautochtones.com/peuple-mossi-rites-funeraires-copy/

"Mossi men" from Mossi People: funeral rites via https://peuplesautochtones.com/peuple-mossi-rites-funeraires-copy/

"Mossi men" from Mossi People: funeral rites via https://peuplesautochtones.com/peuple-mossi-rites-funeraires-copy/

Above: Mossi women and children near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Photo credit: Eliot Elisofon via https://www.beprimitive.com/blog/believing-is-magic

Above: Mossi women and children near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Photo credit: Eliot Elisofon via https://www.beprimitive.com/blog/believing-is-magic

Two little Mossi girls photographed in 1976 holding their dolls. 5 June 1976. Christopher D. Roy. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mossi_girls_with_dolls.jpg

Two little Mossi girls photographed in 1976 holding their dolls. 5 June 1976. Christopher D. Roy. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mossi_girls_with_dolls.jpg

"Mossi Mask. Burkina Faso. credit : L. Frobenius (1912)", https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/826269862858424434/

"Mossi Mask. Burkina Faso. credit : L. Frobenius (1912)", https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/826269862858424434/

"mossi 3032 masks zegede", https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/826269862858424432/

"mossi 3032 masks zegede", https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/826269862858424432/

"mossi masks, Masqueraders in Guinea." via https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/826269862858424530/

"mossi masks, Masqueraders in Guinea." via https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/826269862858424530/

MOSSI KINGDOMS Year: 11th Century - 1896 Location: Burkina Faso, Ghana via @Vincredible__ (twitter)

MOSSI KINGDOMS Year: 11th Century - 1896 Location: Burkina Faso, Ghana via @Vincredible__ (twitter)

MOSSI KINGDOMS Year: 11th Century - 1896 Location: Burkina Faso, Ghana via @Vincredible__ (twitter)

MOSSI KINGDOMS Year: 11th Century - 1896 Location: Burkina Faso, Ghana via @Vincredible__ (twitter)

François-Edmond Fortier, Mossi Hunter-Warrior (Hombori Region). West Africa – Sudan. "Fortier was born in Nantes, France in 1862 and became interested in photography at an early age. He moved to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1886 and opened a phot

François-Edmond Fortier, Mossi Hunter-Warrior (Hombori Region). West Africa – Sudan. "Fortier was born in Nantes, France in 1862 and became interested in photography at an early age. He moved to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1886 and opened a photography studio, specialising in portraits and landscapes. In 1900, Fortier began to focus on documentary photography, capturing the daily life and culture of the Vietnamese people. He travelled extensively throughout the country, documenting everything from street scenes to religious ceremonies. Fortier's photographs were highly regarded for their technical excellence and artistic composition. He won numerous awards for his work, including a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900.Fortier's photographs are now considered an important historical record of Vietnam in the early 20th century. They offer a glimpse of a time and place that has since been transformed by war and modernisation. Fortier died in Saigon in 1928, but his legacy lives on through his photographs, which continue to inspire and educate people around the world." Collection - Francois-Edmond Fortier (1862–1928) French documentary photographer, editor and ethnographer. via https://picryl.com/media/chasseur-guerrier-mossi-region-de-hombori-aof-0e0f06

Mossi people, Burkina Faso, mask, Ouagadougou style, © 1976 Christopher D. Roy. via https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/304767099776499266/

Mossi people, Burkina Faso, mask, Ouagadougou style, © 1976 Christopher D. Roy. via https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/304767099776499266/

"Mossi warriors and hunters in French West Africa." via https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi#

"Mossi warriors and hunters in French West Africa." via https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi#

“Ceremonial dance of the Mossi, performed at the imperial court of Ouagadougou.” via https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi#

“Ceremonial dance of the Mossi, performed at the imperial court of Ouagadougou.” via https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi#

"Mossi woman in the market of Gorom Gorom, Burkina Faso" by Davide Comelli, March 1, 2012. via https://www.flickr.com/photos/neslab/16388101902

"Mossi woman in the market of Gorom Gorom, Burkina Faso" by Davide Comelli, March 1, 2012. via https://www.flickr.com/photos/neslab/16388101902

"Mossi girl in the market of Gorom Gorom, Burkina Faso" by Davide Comelli, March 1, 2012. via https://www.flickr.com/photos/neslab/15766823544/in/photostream/

"Mossi girl in the market of Gorom Gorom, Burkina Faso" by Davide Comelli, March 1, 2012. via https://www.flickr.com/photos/neslab/15766823544/in/photostream/

The Mossi people, via https://samepassage.org/the-mossi-people/

The Mossi people, via https://samepassage.org/the-mossi-people/

"COLLECTION TROPENMUSEUM Group portrait of a Mossi man with his two wives and his children in Kaya TMnr 20010073" via https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi#/media/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Groepsportret_van_een_Mossi_man_met_zijn_twee_vrouwen_en_zijn

"COLLECTION TROPENMUSEUM Group portrait of a Mossi man with his two wives and his children in Kaya TMnr 20010073" via https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossi#/media/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Groepsportret_van_een_Mossi_man_met_zijn_twee_vrouwen_en_zijn_kinderen_te_Kaya_TMnr_20010073.jpg

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi woman with elaborate hairstyle, near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 13 Feb. 2021,

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi woman with elaborate hairstyle, near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 13 Feb. 2021, https://learninglab.si.edu/q/r/5804526

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi women and children with water pots and gourds, near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, [negative].” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi women and children with water pots and gourds, near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, [negative].” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 5 Jul. 2016, https://learninglab.si.edu/q/r/1090726

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi dignitaries at an audience with Moro Naba Kougri, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 2

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian Learning Lab Resource: Mossi dignitaries at an audience with Moro Naba Kougri, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, 28 Dec. 2020, https://learninglab.si.edu/q/r/5682407