A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Musai, also called Buzu, is described as an Asben spirit enslaved to Ba-Absini. His performance circles with a spear, plants it in the ground and brings the shield before the left foot. Strong foot-stamping, a jump, sneeze and departure follow. Tremearne says his time in the ring is short because Ba-Absini takes his place as soon as possible, placing the weapon display within a specific hierarchy.
If Musai arrives too early, he must ask permission to dance; the collector identifies that action in a photograph. The song voices Ba-Absini asking Buzu to give him his mount and addressing him as a dependent. This source-backed exchange is more precise than treating both names as unrelated warriors or softening the recorded enslaved status into an unspecified friendship. The Asben label applies to the spirit notice, not to a fantasy people profile.
Origins & earliest records
A. J. N. Tremearne combines interviews and descriptions of bori performances with comparative interpretation. These selected notices do not consistently name individual speakers; printed attributes are distinguished from his conjectures.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected notice in chapter XXV, printed pp. 364; complete chapter read.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
The Ban of the Bori: Demons and Demon-Dancing in West and North Africa
Chapter XXV, printed pp. 364; complete spirit notice and ritual representation.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Digitized historical ethnographic accountTremearne — MusaiResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.