Mongwa (Owl) Katsina carving

Mongwa, The Great Horned Owl is best noted for his incessant war on the clowns. As the clowns follow their usual pattern of behaviors, a single silent figure will drift into one corner of the plaza and watch. When the clowns next appear, growing ever more boisterous in their actions, the Owl again appears and hoots solemnly. With each appears he gets closer until he ends up talking with the clown chief who promptly blames all misbehavior on the other clowns. But at the last performance, the Owl is joined by other Warrior Katsinas. They leap upon the clowns, douse them with water, beat them vigorously with willow switches, and leave them howling with remorse in the middle of the plaza. (Wright, B., 1977:111).