The Bamana of southern Mali have long considered farming to be among the most noble of professions. Ci Wara (chee WAH rah), literally meaning “farming beast,” is the name of an organization that is devoted to practical and ritual activities that encourage successful farming. The most spectacular manifestation of the group is the Ci Wara masquerade, in which headdresses like these are used in paired dances to encourage men to work like “farming animals” to maintain the livelihood of their families and community. The zoomorphic forms of the headdresses refer to the attributes of several animals. The tall horns of the antelope and the male's elaborate mane evoke the graceful strength and bounding energy vital to Bamana farmers, who spend long hours hoeing, planting, and harvesting millet and corn in hot, dry fields.