This painted wooden hudoq or masks depict Aso – the powerful Dayak dragon goddess of the underworld, while the other mask shows a wild boar. Almost all Dayak groups produce wooden masks that depict gods, ancestors, demons or animals. Hudoq have been used by dancers during special occasions to repel evil spirits and attract guardian spirits. They have also been used to lessen sorrow during solemn funeral ceremonies, to elicit laughter on festive occasions, and to attract rice spirits to bless the planting season. Dayak mothers often don these masks to scare their children into obeying them.
