The Asaro make mud masks with faces of monsters that appear to come from fiction to to survive attacks from neighboring tribes
These inhabitants of the Papua New Guinea Highlands have a unique way of protecting themselves from enemies.
Since ancient times, every village has looked for ways to survive attacks from neighboring tribes, either through better weapons or more sophisticated armour.
The Asaro make mud masks with faces of monsters that appear to come from fiction.
They smear their bodies with clay, which they stain with a different mixture.
To give the masks an even more terrible appearance, they add the tusks of boar.
Most Papua New Guinean tribes greatly fear spirits: legend has it that the Asaro were once defeated by a more powerful people. That night they made the first masks, then, approached their enemy at dawn with very slow movements. The enemy fled in terror thinking they were spirits.