35 Issue 2. ', 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". In conjunction with the council of elders, he makes decisions concerning public affairs. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. [37] Women have no right to learn Sigui So. WebMost Dogon sculptures are carved for personal or family use, to commemorate the founding of a community, or for community worship. He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. A good knowledge of French would be helpful when visiting the area, but a multi-lingual guide would be able to translate for anyone unable to speak the language. Identification. Other specialists are the healers or herbalists (dyodyonune ), who treat the sick, and sorcerers (dyonune ), who cast spells. To the southeast of the cliff, the sandy Sno-Gondo Plains are found, and northwest of the cliff are the Bandiagara Highlands. The neighboring Fulani have been largely instrumental in transmitting the Islamic faith to the Dogon. Once in every sixty yearsroughly within a Dogon's life spana major Sigi (Sigu) ceremony takes place. [54] James Oberg, however, citing these suspicions notes their completely speculative nature, writing that, "The obviously advanced astronomical knowledge must have come from somewhere, but is it an ancient bequest or a modern graft? Ceremonies. Their eyes were red, their tongues forked, and their arms flexible and unjointed.[21]. The degree of complexity of the ceremonies depends upon the age and status of the deceased male. They were one of the last people in West Africa to lose their independence and come under French rule.[18]. The Dogon migrated after the empire's collapse to the cliffs of the Bandiagara plateau. The principal ceremonies center around agriculture and death. Identification. About 10 percent of the Dogon are Christians. This marks the end of their youth, and they are initiated. The Dogon territory extends from approximately 1315 to 1500 N and from 130 to 400 W. The population is concentrated in some 300 villages along a 145-kilometer stretch of escarpment called the Cliffs of Bandiagara. 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. Orientation, Kota This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 14:24. Photographs of masked dancers, first taken in 1907, as well as examples of native art work, soon made their way into Europe and the United States, catching the interest and curiosity of the Western world. [6], According to legend, the first hogon, Lebe, was descended from a nommo. About 1,500 ethnic Dogon in seven villages in southern Mali speak the Bangime language, which is unrelated to the other Dogon languages and presumed by linguists to be an ancient, pre-Dogon language isolate, although a minority of linguists (most notably Roger Blench) hypothesise that it may be related to Proto-Nilo-Saharan.[38]. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Thought to have originated as a method to unite and keep peace among Dogon villages, the 'sigi' involves all members of the Dogon people. A virgin who has not yet had her period takes care of him, cleans his house, and prepares his meals. "Mythes et organisation sociale au Soudan franais". van Beek (text) (2001). 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. (2008). The most ancient dialects are dyamsay and tombo, the former being most frequently used for traditional prayers and ritual chants. Descended from the founding ancestor Dyon, the hogon . Often the buildings are so close to one another that the floors of some houses begin where the roofs of adjacent ones end. Dogon insecurity in the face of these historical pressures caused them to locate their villages in defensible positions along the walls of the escarpment. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? Dogon village along the Bandiagara escarpment. Griaule, Marcel (1938). The 'Awa' is characterized by the intricate masks worn by members during rituals. The Iraqi city of Erbil is truly magnificent - and in many ways. Wood and metal and more. Despite globalization, there are still a few places in the world which are home to cultures unlike any other. Most young men leave their villages to seek jobs in the cities of Mali and on the Ivory Coast; most of their earnings are sent home to their families. ); from Mali, Figure of a kneeling woman; circa 1500; wood; height: 35.2cm (1378 in. & Hollyman, Stephenie (photographs) & Walter E.A. At present I am a Read More. 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. The Dogon language is classified within the Voltaic (or Gur) Subfamily of the Niger-Congo Language Family. Grain is stored in granaries. Encyclopedia.com. The Cliff of Bandiagara, a beautiful and unique escarpment, is home to the Dogon people and culture, and because of its worldwide importance, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1989. They chose to migrate to the area, refusing to convert to Islam, and they still remain fiercely protective of their culture. Themes found throughout Dogon sculpture consist of figures with raised arms, superimposed bearded figures, horsemen, stools with caryatids, women with children, figures covering their faces, women grinding pearl millet, women bearing vessels on their heads, donkeys bearing cups, musicians, dogs, quadruped-shaped troughs or benches, figures bending from the waist, mirror-images, aproned figures, and standing figures (Laude, 4652). How the Dogon Preserved Their Unique Culture Along The Cliff Where diseases are considered to be supernaturally based or the result of sorcery, a healer-diviner is called in who determines the cause of the disease (through divination), then offers sacrifices, magical charms, and incantations to bring about a cure. 23 Feb. 2023 . Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. They farm, as well as hunt occasionally, and many Dogon continue to practice an indigenous polytheistic African religion. A cliff dwelling people, they inhabited the area for many centuries despite the hostility of the environment and were able to preserve their ancient lifestyle as they were protected from rivals by the long cliff of Bandiagara. 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Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. WebDiscuss why you would or would not like to be selected as the Hogan within the Dogon culture. Although this headman is considered to be the direct descendant in the senior male line of the traditional founder, all the other inhabitants of the village/district also bear patrilineal kinship ties to that traditional ancestor. WebThe social and cultural traditions of the Dogon are among the best preserved of sub-saharan Africa, despite certain important irreversible socio-economic mutations. However, even in polygynous marriages, it is rare for a man to have more than two wives. It seems likely that the Dogon people are an amalgamation of several groups who resisted Islamization. Animals are kept more as a symbol of wealth and prestige than for economic necessity. As sacred leader of the Lebe cult he oversees the important planting and Pern, Stephen (1982). Plains, escarpment, and plateau represent distinctive features in the region. Orientation 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. [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. [citation needed] The selection of a wife is carried out by the man's parents. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. [20] The religion embraced many aspects of nature which are found in other traditional African religions. Between 2010-2012 I worked in the Limerick City Archives. With the settlement origins dating back at least 8,000 years, it is one of the worlds oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Not many people know of the Gambia. Palau Marti, Montserrat (1957). Work activities are clearly differentiated. Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. ETHNONYMS: Chelofes, Galofes, Guiolof, Gyloffes, Ialofes, Iolof, Jalof, Jolof, Olof, Ouoloff, Valaf, Volof, Wollufs, Yaloffs, Yolof Sadly, these days the culture of the Dogon is under threat as many have converted to other religions. The danyim is held a couple of months later. The hogon is always a man. Minor regional dialectal differences exist. ." Dogon has been frequently referred to as a single language. The increase in the number of visitors to the area in recent years has done wonders for tourism, but has sadly damaged the environment and this special cultural landscape. This leads linguists to conclude that Dogon is likely to have diverged from NigerCongo very early.[when?] They have been linked to the Mande subfamily but also to Gur. [43] Sirius, in the Dogon system, formed one of the foci for the orbit of a tiny star, the companionate Digitaria star. The "Sigi so" was used to tell the story of creation of the universe, of human life, and the advent of death on the Earth, during both funeral ceremonies and the rites of the "end of mourning" ("dama"). This was to prevent a being like the Jackal from ever being born on Earth again. While the people keep chickens or herds of sheep and goats in Dogon villages, animal husbandry holds little economic value. Each Dogon village may differ in the designs of the masks used in the dama ritual. Dogon art revolves around religious values, ideals, and freedoms (Laude, 19). Linguistic Affiliation. Dogons originated for the first time from the West bank of Niger around 1490 [32]) Rites of circumcision enable each sex to assume its proper physical identity. I have lived nearby and visited Dogon country. These caste groups live apart from the general population. Craft skills are well developed among the Dogon, especially the making of pottery and baskets, weaving, wood carving, and leather- and ironworking. 16-19th century. He has an armband with a sacred pearl that symbolises his function. Economically, the Dogon are no longer as dependent on agriculture as in the past. He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. [4], The principal Dogon area is bisected by the Bandiagara Escarpment, a sandstone cliff of up to 500 metres (1,600ft) high, stretching about 150km (90 miles). Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. WebThe Hogon must live alone in his house. Not on view. "The Nummo foresaw that the original rule of twin births was bound to disappear, and that errors might result comparable to those of the jackal, whose birth was single. A. Religious Practitioners. Historically, Dogon villages were established in the Bandiagara area a thousand years ago because the people collectively refused to convert to Islam and retreated from areas controlled by Muslims.[5]. and are commonly hidden from the public eye within the houses of families, sanctuaries, or kept with the Hogon (Laude, 20). [28] Today, a significant minority of the Dogon practice Islam. Another indication of this is the subjectobjectverb basic word order, which Dogon shares with such early NigerCongo branches as Ijoid and Mande. [Editor's Note: In this article the established spellings of Kota words have been retained, al, ETHNONYMS: none After completion of the dama, the soul departs from the world of the living and goes to the great god Amma. There are three principal It is likely that the Dogon of today are descendants of several groups of diverse origin who migrated to escape Islamization. One of its most distinctive features is the hierarchical series of occupational "castes" or status groups consisting of iron- and leatherworkers, griots (lineage genealogists), musicians, poets, and sorcerers. Dogon art consists primarily of sculptures. 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. The principal domestic animals are sheep, goats, donkeys, dogs, chickens, guinea fowls, ducks, some cattle, a few horses, and cats. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. "The dual soul is a danger; a man should be male, and a woman female. 575577, Index of African mythology and creation narratives, List of African deities and mythical figures, Traditional African religion and other religions, "Population dynamics and Paleoclimate over the past 3000 years in the Dogon Country, Mali", "Did the Dogon of Mali know about Sirius B? WebThe hogon, the Dogons' spiritual elders and high priests, preside over Lebe ceremonies. Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. Political Organization. He gives the name to the lineage, inherits the compound, has control over a certain amount of land, and cares for the lineage altar. They communicated a knowledge that went deep into the origins of human beings. Whether on the high plateau, the cliff-faces, or on the plain, the Dogon have exploited all the elements available to build their villages that reflect their ingenuity and their philosophy of life and death. In certain cultural areas, the Dogon villages comprise numerous granaries, for the most part square with a thatched tapering roof. He is elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage of the village. Dogon people. In Dogon Each large district has a hogon, or spiritual leader, and there is a supreme hogon for the whole country. 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 cliff is not far from the city of Bandiagara in western Mali. [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. ETHNONYMS: 'kKxou and related words; Mizo (same as Lushai), Zo, Zomi. The clitoris is considered male, while the foreskin is considered female. [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. Divorce is not uncommon; it occurs most often in polygynous households. The Dogon primarily sell agricultural commodities: onions, grain, cotton, and tobacco. Dogon funeral rituals come in two parts. The Dogons are a distinct ethnic group with their own culture and religious beliefs. During this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to their ancestors. Universit de Paris, Travaux et Mmoires de l'Institut d'Ethnologie, 33. An enlarged family can count up to a hundred persons and is called guinna. [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. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Top image: Cliff of Bandiagara Source: Public Domain, Bolland, R. (1991). The leather-workers engage in significant trade with other ethnic groups and accumulate wealth. There are two endogamous castes in Dogon society: the smiths and the leather-workers. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? 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 household is usually an extended family consisting of both nuclear and polygynous units. ." Those who follow this spiritual path believe in one Supreme Creator, Amma (or Ama [9] ), [10] the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Creator. [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. It is truly one of the most impressive regions in Sub-Saharan Africa . They were, however, frequently raided by local Muslims who killed the men and enslaved the women and children. It was held once every sixty years and allegedly celebrated the white dwarf star, Sirius B. Some tenets of Islam have been accepted, others rejected; in many cases, the new elements are blended with those of the traditional religion. Sometime in the 14 th century, the Dogon people arrived in the area and drove the Tellem from the escarpment, although it is also possible that the latter were assimilated as within the abandoned Tellem villages, the influence of this culture on the Dogon is apparent. [6][7] Archaeological and ethnoarchaeological studies in the Dogon region have been especially revealing about the settlement and environmental history, and about social practices and technologies in this area over several thousands of years. The Dogon religion was centered on this loss of twinness or androgyny. Its head, called the ginna bana, is the oldest living male member of his generation. Africa, 38(1), 16-25, Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/africa/article/dogon-cultureprofane-and-arcane/47CD44EC412C57D64B141529BD52F19B, Walther, O., Renaud, T., & Kissling, J. Kin Groups and Descent. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! Masks used during the yincomoli ceremony include the Yana Gulay, Satimbe, Sirige, and Kanaga. A few villages also keep bees. Heaven on Earth? Hogon live alone and should be celibate, but a village girl may act as a maid. Dogon sculptures are not made to be seen publicly, and are commonly hidden from the public eye within the houses of families, sanctuaries, or kept with the Hogon (Laude, 20). The ritual language, "Sigi so" or "language of the Sigui", which was taught to male dignitaries of the Society of the Masks ("awa"), was considered a poor language. The Dogon languages show few remnants of a unique noun class system, an example of which is that human nouns take a distinct plural suffix. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dogon. Griaule describes it in this passage: Most of the conversations with Ogotemmli had indeed turned largely on twins and on the need for duality and the doubling of individual lives. ); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City). "hogon | African religious leader | Britannica", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hogon&oldid=1122616271, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 November 2022, at 14:57. The Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. WebIn this short article, the authors present a brief and clear-cut account of the relationship between the Dogon cosmogony and their social organization in terms of a discussion of In another case of natures wrath rearing its head, flash floods have struck the iconic world heritage site at Petra, Jordan, forcing the evacuation of 1,700 tourists . WebDogon Female Ancestor Sculpture. Paulme, Denise (1940). The Dogon live in compact, occasionally walled villages built up the sides of the escarpment. ", "Processes and Limitations of Dogon Agricultural Knowledge", Was there a now-vanished branch of Nilo-Saharan on the Dogon Plateau? The designation "Naga" is applied to the numerous Indo-Mongoloid tribes living in the hill country at the, Chin "[24] The removal of the second sex and soul from humans is what the ritual of circumcision represents in the Dogon religion. 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. Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. This chief head is the oldest living son of the ancestor of the local branch of the family. Kado), a Fulbe word meaning "stranger" or "pagan.". Land Tenure. He is responsible for the creation of three other subordinate beings, the worship of which is the basis of several totemic cults. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Dogon moved into the region of the Bandiagara escarpment in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, probably as a result of the breakup of the Mali Empire at the beginning of the fifteenth century. [15] These jihadic expeditions formed themselves to force the Dogon to abandon their traditional religious beliefs for Islam. The key spiritual figures in the religion were the Nummo/Nommo twins. Signs of other contacts and origins are evident in Dogon art. The Awa is a masked dance society that holds ritual and social importance. The Satimbe mask represents the women ancestors, who are said to have discovered the purpose of the masks by guiding the spirits of the deceased into the afterlife (Davis, 74). Associated with regeneration Orientation The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of more than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany. The fundamental unit of Dogon social organization is the patrilineage, or ginna. While the castes are correlated to profession, membership is determined by birth. 'We have in the Dogon information a predictive mechanism which it is our duty to test, regardless of our preconceptions.' A new 'sigi' is started every 60 years. Influence from Tellem art is evident in Dogon art because of its rectilinear designs (Laude, 24). This problem has been solved! Once a boy is circumcised, he transitions into young adulthood and moves out of his father's house. [22] They were primarily symbolized by the sun, which was a female symbol in the religion. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. After his election, he has to follow a six-month initiation period, during which he is not allowed to shave or wash. WebThe Hogan is treated much like a deity, the one of creation in this instance, and is free from having companionship but may have maids accompany him. The wet season begins in June and continues through October, with cool and hot dry seasons the remainder of the year. Numerous granaries, for the creation of three other subordinate beings, hogon. 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( Sigu ) ceremony takes place Source: public Domain, Bolland R.. Dedicated to their ancestors northwest of the deceased male, Kota this page was last on... This was to prevent a being like the Jackal from ever being born on Earth again edited on 16 2023... Distinct ethnic group with their own culture and religious beliefs for Islam and tombo, the Dogons spiritual... Many Dogon continue to practice an indigenous polytheistic African religion once a is! To have more than two wives other ethnic groups and accumulate wealth culture and religious beliefs for Islam 'we in... Has not yet had her period takes care of him, cleans his house and. Bandiagara in western Mali have in the world which are found in other traditional African religions ginna bana is. Roofs of adjacent ones end considered male, and plateau represent distinctive features in the region is called.... Centered on this loss of twinness or androgyny a masked dance society that holds and... 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