The masks of the Leele are animated by a nature spirit (ngesh) that manifests itself as soon as the wearer begins to dance. His gestures, together with the shrieks and chants that accompany him, bring the spirit to life in an expressive way.

Some Leele masks were personae: mwaash amboy, for example, an incarnation of the mythical hero Wóóto, or the female mask Mbwekoyo, which symbolizes Mbeenga, the wife of the first nyimi (king) Kombe a Deer. Apart from these, Leele peoples sculpted mourning masks. These were known by the generic name for a mask: ncwe mwa nkaand (head with the powerful decision). They danced at the death of a royal dignitary (kólmm) or of the sculptor himself.