thumb|Sjoerd Hofstra: Boys returning from their initiation in the Poro. [[Panguma, Sierra Leone, 1936]]
The Poro, or Purrah or Purroh, is a men's secret society in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast, introduced by the Mane people (the Mande Elites leading large-scale migrations from the Mali Empire into the southern coastal areas). It is sometimes referred to as a hunting society and only men are admitted to its ranks. The female counterpart of the Poro society is the Sande society.
Structure
thumb|Sjoerd Hofstra: A "falui" masker, a one-armed warrior spirit. Panguma, Sierra Leone, 1936
thumb|Sjoerd Hofstra: A boy in Poro outfit. Panguma, Sierra Leone, 1936
The Poro society was part of the culture introduced by Mane people, migrants to the region as early as 1000 AD.
Two affiliated and secret associations exist in Sierra Leone, the Yassi and the Bundu. The first is nominally reserved for women, but members of the Poro are admitted to certain ceremonies. All the female members of the Yassi must be also members of the Bundu, which is strictly reserved to women. In Liberia, the female equivalent of the Poro is the Sande society.
Of the three, the Poro is by far the most important. The entire native population is governed by its code of laws. It primarily represents a type of fraternal society to which even infants are temporarily admitted. The ceremony for them consists of carrying them into the Poro bush and out again.
There are also religious and civil aspects of the Poro. Under the former, boys join it at puberty in a rite of passage. Under its civil aspects, the society serves as a kind of native governing body, making laws, deciding on war and peace, etc.
Cultural context
In Culture and Customs of Liberia (2006) by Ayodeji Olukoju, the place of the Poro society in Liberian life is examined. "Liberian religious culture is characterised by a predisposition towards secrecy (encapsulated in the concept of ifa mo - "do not speak it") and an ingrained belief in the intervention of mysterious forces in human affairs". "Both elite and non-elite Liberians usually attribute events to the activities of secret powers and forces."
Activity by country
Liberia
During his rule, Charles Taylor is reported to have coopted the Poro Society, which helped him project an aura of mystery and invincibility.