Jane Ellen Harrison , on the other hand , claims that many primitive cultures use similar ritual masks . These are meant to scare the owner from doing something wrong , or , as she terms it , to make an ugly face at him . Jane Ellen Harrison , on the other hand , claims that many primitive cultures use similar ritual masks in order to scare the owner from doing something wrong , or , as she terms it , to make an ugly face at him : `` The ritual object comes first ; then the monster is begotten to account for it ; then the hero is supplied to account for the slaying of the monster '' .