The southern Bwa are called nyanegay, or “scarred Bwa” because their faces and torsos are heavily scarred by patterns applied during initiation. The southern Bwa abandoned the use of leaf masks to honor Dwo, the god of the wilderness, and adopted the use of wooden masks from their Gurunsi neighbors. The masks represent nature spirits or animals that family elders encountered in the wilderness and which watch over their families. This particular mask represent an antelope. Both the scars on people’s faces and the patterns on the masks represent the moral code or religious laws that the followers of these spirits must obey if they are to receive the blessings of the spirit.  The motifs are symbols linked to Dwo and to the history of the clan. The mask is worn in front of the face. These masks are thought to be inhabited by supernatural forces, who act to benefit the clan, that possess them.