Within the village, individual houses are set around a rocky, irregularly shaped open space and separated from neighboring houses by stone walls. [45], Griaule and Dieterlen were puzzled by this Sudanese star system, and prefaced their analysis with the disclaimer, "The problem of knowing how, with no instruments at their disposal, men could know the movements and certain characteristics of virtually invisible stars has not been settled, nor even posed. Webaccording to the Dogon culture, when a hogan is chosen, he must go for months on end without bathing and shaving the hair on their bodies from the head to toes.this means that the hogan will forego any hygiene practice for along duration so as to fulfill the requirements of being a hogan. This was to prevent a being like the Jackal from ever being born on Earth again. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Davis, Shawn R. Dogon Funerals in African Art; Summer 2002, Vol. Similarly each village may have their own way of performing the dama rituals. Ogotemmli classified the Nummo as hermaphrodites. Evidence from substrate vocabulary in Bangime and Dogon, Dogon Languages and Linguistics An (sic) Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography, The Dogon People of Bandiagara, Mali, The Dance of Masks of the Dogon People, The Dogon People of Bandiagara, Mali: the Dogon Fish Festival, African worlds: studies in the cosmological ideas and social values of African peoples, Dogon images from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dogon_people&oldid=1139711208, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2017, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bedaux, R. & J.D. van der Waals (eds.) Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. Griaule, Marcel (1938). He has an armband with a sacred pearl that symbolises his function. The spread of Islam throughout Africa has brought about some degree of change in the basic religious orientation of the Dogon. Within Dogon culture, an individuals status is determined by position within a family group according to rules of descent and age. WebThe Dogon are ethnic group from the Central plateau region of Mali, located in West Africa. These events are held annually to honor the elders who have died since the last Dama. First marriages are generally arranged by parents; within certain limitations, those marrying for the second or third time are more free to choose their partners. Unlike norms for the rest of society, parallel-cousin marriage is allowed within castes. [Editor's Note: In this article the established spellings of Kota words have been retained, al, ETHNONYMS: none Hogon live alone and should be celibat Following the birth of the child, the couple moves into an unoccupied dwelling in the husband's village and quarter. Ritual dance of Dogon County (Gleeson, G / CC BY 2.0 ). Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. The Dogon believes that the sacred serpent Lebe comes during the night to purify him and communicate wisdom to him. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. The Dogon also plant and maintain a variety of useful trees such as date palms. The dama consists of an event, known as the Halic, that is held immediately after the death of a person and lasts for one day (Davis, 68). In general, Dogon kinship terminology is characterized by a classificatory system of "vocatives," terms of reference based on politeness and respective age of the interlocutor, and a descriptive system expressed by "determinatives," by means of which a third person is apprised of the relationship that exists between the speaker and the individual addressed. A virgin who has not yet had her period takes care of him, cleans his house, and prepares his meals. Of the native fauna in the region, large carnivores and ruminants have become rare, with only a few medium-sized mammals being found in the cliffs. This is manifested through the cult of the masks, the Lebe cult, the Binu cult, and the more general cult of the ancestors associated with the ginna. 1000-1500 AD, Dogon Sculpture, Mali. There are two endogamous castes in Dogon society: the smiths and the leather-workers. "[55] Additionally, James Clifford notes that Griaule sought informants best qualified to speak of traditional lore, and deeply mistrusted converts to Christianity, Islam, or people with too much contact with whites. 'We have in the Dogon information a predictive mechanism which it is our duty to test, regardless of our preconceptions.' The blind Dogon elder Ogotemmeli taught the main symbols of the Dogon religion to French anthropologist Marcel Griaule in October 1946. [41] They reported that the Dogon believe that the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (Sigi Tolo or "star of the Sigui"[42]), has two companion stars, P Tolo (the Digitaria star), and mm ya tolo, (the female Sorghum star), respectively the first and second companions of Sirius A. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. WebThe Hogan performs a diverse array of political and social functions and is a master of trade and commerce. ', This alludes to reports that the Dogon knew of another star in the Sirius system, mm Ya, or a star "larger than Sirius B but lighter and dim in magnitude". The district headman is also head of his lineage and occupies the "great house" (ginna) of that kin group. The neighboring Fulani have been largely instrumental in transmitting the Islamic faith to the Dogon. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. The Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. Wood, covered with sacrifical materials, Seated Couple, Dogon, Mali. [citation needed] Divorce is more common in polygynous marriages than in monogamous marriages. This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 14:24. In the past the Dogon were considered a warlike people; they often fought with other Dogon districts as well as with their non-Dogon neighbors such as the Fulani. He was eaten by another nommo, and their spirits merged; the nommo vomited out a new Lebe (part human and part spiritual), plus copious liquid which shaped the landscape.[7]. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a monument in Turkestan, a city in southern Kazakhstan. [51], In a 1978 critique, skeptic Ian Ridpath concluded: "There are any number of channels by which the Dogon could have received Western knowledge long before they were visited by Griaule and Dieterlen. The Cliff of Bandiagara (or Land of the Dogons) in Mali is an outstanding landscape and has earthen architecture that seems to defy the laws of nature and the passing of time. The authority of the household unit is vested in the father, who controls both the economic and ceremonial functions of the family and demands unquestioning obedience from his offspring. Orientation During this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to their ancestors. Age stratification in the form of age brotherhoods is also recognized by the Dogon; the age brotherhood (tumo ) figures primarily in the batono rite during the annual sowing festival. His saliva is the source of the life-giving humidity, and his foot must not touch the earth directly or the ground will dry up. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. Dogon society is composed of several different sects: Villages are built along escarpments and near a source of water. After initiation, the Hogon wears a red fez. The Niger River is nearby and in the sandstone rock, a rivulet runs at the foot of the cliff at the lowest point of the area during the wet season. Political Organization. The cliff is not far from the city of Bandiagara in western Mali. & Hollyman, Stephenie (photographs) & Walter E.A. Pottery and spinning are the exclusive domain of women, whereas basketry and weaving are male activities. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! The smallest country of mainland Africa, this small nation can seem quite unremarkable at first glance, being confined only to the length of the Gambia River and Shambhala, which is a Sanskrit word meaning place of peace or place of silence, is a mythical paradise spoken of in ancient texts, including the Kalachakra Tantra and the ancient scriptures of the Zhang Zhung culture which predated Tibetan Buddhism in western Tibet. Although the Dogon recognize the creator god Amma as the Supreme Being and address prayers and sacrifices to him, the core set of beliefs and practices focuses on ancestor worship. van Beek (text) (2001). The Dogon are an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa, south of the Niger bend, near the city of Bandiagara, and in Burkina Faso. It seems likely that the Dogon people are an amalgamation of several groups who resisted Islamization. Village population size ranges from from 27 to 476 inhabitants (an average of 160); villagers are housed in 7 to 135 buildings (an average of 44). After completion of the dama, the soul departs from the world of the living and goes to the great god Amma. [28] Today, a significant minority of the Dogon practice Islam. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about Petra Historic World Heritage Site Blasted By Flash Floods, about The Classical Gardens of Suzhou: A Sight to Behold, about Denizens of South Africas Cradle of Humankind: The First Walking Apes, about The Unfinished Timurid Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, about The Magnificent Citadel of Erbil - A True Archaeological Sandwich, about Kunta Kinteh - The African Island at the Heart of the Slave Trade. Articulo-Journal of Urban Research, (4), Available at: https://journals.openedition.org/articulo/417, My name is Edward Whelan and I graduated with a PhD in history in 2008. I View the full answer Previous question Next question This marks the end of their youth, and they are initiated. They purchase sugar, salt, European merchandise, and many animal products, such as milk, butter, and dried fish. The Dogon numbered 500,000 on the eve of Malis independence on One example: 'If a Sirius-C is ever discovered and found to be a red dwarf, I will conclude that the Dogon information has been fully validated. Paris: ditions Domat-Montchrestien, F. Loviton. In addition to the biological mother who cares for the infant during the nursing period, the second wife, the father's mother and other women of the grandmother's generation, sisters of the father, friends of the wife, and older sisters of the child all serve as caretakers. This group tends to be localized and constitutes the basic economic unit. This custom is repeated over and over, throughout a Dogon village, all day. Domestic Unit. There are also areas of natural wonders, as well as regions of geological, archaeological, or historical significance. This practice has been passed down for generations and is always followed, even during winter. Clusters of from 5 to 6 of these villages center around water holes or wells, and each cluster is referred to as a "canton" or "district." Another 10% practices Christianity. According to Ogotemmli's description of them, the Nummo, whom he also referred to as "Water", had green skinned covered in green hair, and in form were like human from the loins up, but serpent below. [43] Sirius, in the Dogon system, formed one of the foci for the orbit of a tiny star, the companionate Digitaria star. The hogon is assisted in office by a sacrificial totem priest (yebene ), three bodyguards or policemen, a public crier or herald, and an ambassador who deals with other districts. Division of Labor. The 'Awa' is characterized by the intricate masks worn by members during rituals. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. In his dress and behaviour the hogon symbolizes the Dogon myth of creation, to which the Dogon relate much of their social organization and culture. The Dogon are a group of about 250,000 people who live primarily in the districts of Bandiagara and Douentza in the western African nation of Mali. 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Once a boy is circumcised, he transitions into young adulthood and moves out of his father's house. ); Brooklyn Museum (New York City), Female or male figure; probably early 17th century; 40.0 x 7.3 x 7.8cm (1534 x 2 7/8 x 3 in. & E.I.K. Durieux-Boon (2004). Kado), a Fulbe word meaning "stranger" or "pagan.". Afterwards, the boys stay for a few days in a hut separated from the rest of the village people, until the wounds have healed. Religious Beliefs. Beierle, John "Dogon WebThey have been identified with the hogon, the chief peacekeeper and supreme religious and political figure in Dogon society. Minor regional dialectal differences exist. [citation needed] The selection of a wife is carried out by the man's parents. The idea has entered the New Age and ancient astronaut literature as evidence that extraterrestrial aliens visited Mali in the distant past. Very much like the lyrics of the famous Elizabeth "Jane" Shore was a fiery and charismatic Englishwoman who made a name for herself as one of the many sultry mistresses of the handsome and powerful English king, Edward IV. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? Current Anthropology, Vol. Influence from Tellem art is evident in Dogon art because of its rectilinear designs (Laude, 24). ETHNONYM: Panjabi [14], For almost 1000 years,[15] the Dogon people, an ancient ethnic group of Mali[16] had faced religious and ethnic persecutionthrough jihads by dominant Muslim communities. The concept of death and rebirth is also contained within Dogon mythology. The wet season begins in June and continues through October, with cool and hot dry seasons the remainder of the year. Trade. The Awa is a masked dance society that holds ritual and social importance. A. Funerals for women, who are generally excluded from awa membership, are simple, with little if any ceremony. It has a strict code of etiquette, obligations, interdicts, and a secret language (sigi so). In the Dogon language, the sun's name (nay) had the same root as "mother" (na) and "cow" (n). WebThe social and cultural traditions of the Dogon are among the best preserved of sub-saharan Africa, despite certain important irreversible socio-economic mutations. ." Each large district has a hogon, or spiritual leader, and there is a supreme hogon for the whole country. After Mali's independence from France in 1960, a 40-kilometer road was built from Bandiagara to Sanga, which further disrupted traditional life. [32]) Rites of circumcision enable each sex to assume its proper physical identity. Of the many fascinating fossil sites in Africa, an important one is the Cradle of Humankind outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. The answer is sewa, which means that everything is fine. This leads linguists to conclude that Dogon is likely to have diverged from NigerCongo very early.[when?] Pern, Stephen (1982). Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dogon. You'll get a detailed solution from a subject matter expert that helps you learn core concepts. Prior to the birth of the first child, the wife lives at the home of her parents, while her husband continues to reside in the bachelor quarters where he has lived from the age of 8 to 10. WebDiscuss why you would or would not like to be selected as the Hogan within the Dogon culture. Orientation, Kota [11] Other oral histories place the origin of the Dogon to the west beyond the river Niger, or tell of the Dogon coming from the east. "[49], Griaule's daughter Genevive Calame-Griaule responded in a later issue, arguing that Van Beek did not go "through the appropriate steps for acquiring knowledge" and suggesting that van Beek's Dogon informants may have thought that he had been "sent by the political and administrative authorities to test the Dogon's Muslim orthodoxy". Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. Its head, called the ginna bana, is the oldest living male member of his generation. Each isolated village or district (canton) in the region has a headman or chief (hogon) who has both religious and judicial responsibilities. 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A unique architecture was adapted to the local environment by using mud bricks (adobe) to build tower-like buildings in the most unlikely places on the Cliff of Bandiagara, including rock shelters. Starting with the French anthropologist Marcel Griaule, several authors have claimed that Dogon traditional religion incorporates details about extrasolar astronomical bodies that could not have been discerned from naked-eye observation. During the danyim, masqueraders perform dances every morning and evening for any period up to six days, depending on that village's practice. "[46], More recently, doubts have been raised about the validity of Griaule and Dieterlen's work. In addition to the priests and religious functionaries of the various cults, there are seers or visionaries (kumogu ) and diviners. The designation "Naga" is applied to the numerous Indo-Mongoloid tribes living in the hill country at the, Chin The escarpment is rich in archaeological discoveries both from the Dogon and the earlier Tellem society. 15th19th century. Orientation Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. Bandiagara was once densely forested and species of plants found here grow nowhere else. It is likely that the Dogon of today are descendants of several groups of diverse origin who migrated to escape Islamization. This chief head is the oldest living son of the ancestor of the local branch of the family. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Les dogon. Interest in other seemingly falsifiable claims, namely concerning a red dwarf star orbiting around Sirius (not hypothesized until the 1950s), led him to entertain a previous challenge by Temple, asserting that "Temple offered another line of reasoning. A man may now sell a field allotted to him in the distribution of ginna property, but the sale is always revocable, and the ginna may recover the property upon the death of the seller through the reimbursement of the purchase price to the buyer. Encyclopedia.com. Social Control. Demography. Dogon insecurity in the face of these historical pressures caused them to locate their villages in defensible positions along the walls of the escarpment. The degree of complexity of the ceremonies depends upon the age and status of the deceased male. 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