The Goli Spirit
The Goli is a spiritual force manifested through an elaborate series of masks and dances among the Baoulé people. Rather than a single creature, it is a composite ancestral entity summoned from the forest to intervene in human affairs. The Goli appears during times of crisis, such as droughts or epidemics, or to celebrate the passing of a great leader. Its presence is believed to cleanse the village of negative energy and re-establish the harmony between the living, the dead, and the natural environment