It was held once every sixty years and allegedly celebrated the white dwarf star, Sirius B. ." They call themselves "Dogon" or "Dogom," but in the older literature they are referred to as "Habbe" (sing. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. 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. Until the masqueraders have completed their dances, and every ritual has been performed, any misfortune can be blamed on the remaining spirits of the dead (Davis, 68). [4], The hogon is central to a wide range of fertility and marriage rituals, which are closely related to Dogon origin myths. Each large district has a hogon, or spiritual leader, and there is a supreme hogon for the whole country. Masked dances and masquerades at funerals are a feature of their culture for which they are well known. A. He is responsible for the creation of three other subordinate beings, the worship of which is the basis of several totemic cults. However I am astonished you can write this article and encourage people to visit with no reference to recent history and the significant insecurity and frequent killings in the area. Some young men will hunt for small game, but wild animals are relatively scarce near villages. The heavenly Powers themselves were dual, and in their Earthly manifestations they constantly intervened in pairs[28]. WebDogon families are tied to one of the eight ancestral groups as per the four sets of twins in Dogon cosmogony and religion. For instance, in one of their most important rituals, the women praise the men, the men thank the women, the young express appreciation for the old, and the old recognize the contributions of the young. Each isolated village or district (canton) in the region has a headman or chief (hogon) who has both religious and judicial responsibilities. There are at least five distinct groups of dialects. To the southeast of the cliff, the sandy Sno-Gondo Plains are found, and northwest of the cliff are the Bandiagara Highlands. The term "Punjabi" signifies both an inhabitant of the Punjab and a speaker of the predominant Language, Wolof The Dogon language is classified within the Voltaic (or Gur) Subfamily of the Niger-Congo Language Family. Ceremonies. Religious Beliefs. The idea has entered the New Age and ancient astronaut literature as evidence that extraterrestrial aliens visited Mali in the distant past. "[46], More recently, doubts have been raised about the validity of Griaule and Dieterlen's work. Unfortunately, the majority of these animistic spiritual practices tend to disappear with the younger generations and the widespread adoption of Islam. The Dogon primarily sell agricultural commodities: onions, grain, cotton, and tobacco. Because of his solitary state, the first son of God acted as he did. Descended from the founding ancestor Dyon, the hogon 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). ETHNONYMS: 'kKxou and related words; Mizo (same as Lushai), Zo, Zomi. Paris: Institut d'Ethnologie. 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). The most ancient dialects are dyamsay and tombo, the former being most frequently used for traditional prayers and ritual chants. 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. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Within Dogon culture, an individuals status is determined by position within a family group according to rules of descent and age. Amsterdam: Time-Life Books B.V. 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. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, Aluxes: The Mischievous Little People of Maya Mythology, The Marriage of the Sky and the Sea: Visayan Creation Myths, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, The Irish Story and Legend of C Chulainn, New Evidence Shows Humans Were Using Bows and Arrows in 52,000 BC, 6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding. 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 Morton, Robert (ed.) WebDogon or Tellem peoples (?) Starting in the northeastern part of Dogon territory, each village takes turns celebrating and hosting elaborate feasts, ceremonies, and festivities. 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. 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). Houses are built extremely close together, many times sharing walls and floors. 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? Also effective as means of inducing conformity are ridicule and threats of supernatural sanction. Kinship Terminology. Davis, Shawn R. Dogon Funerals in African Art; Summer 2002, Vol. Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. [citation needed][why?] 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? 16-19th century. Top image: Cliff of Bandiagara Source: Public Domain, Bolland, R. (1991). 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. 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." Identification. I View the full answer Previous question Next question Ogotemmeli taught Griaule the religious stories in the same way that Ogotemmeli had learned them from his father and grandfather; oral instruction which he had learned over the course of more than twenty years. The masqueraders dance on the rooftops of the deceased's compound, throughout the village, and in the area of fields around the village (Davis, 68). All initiated Dogon men participate in Awa, with the exception of some caste members. [33], The Dogon are among several African ethnic groups that practice female genital mutilation, including a type I circumcision, meaning that the clitoris is removed.[34]. The designation "Naga" is applied to the numerous Indo-Mongoloid tribes living in the hill country at the, Chin During a greeting ritual, the person who has entered the contact answers a series of questions about his or her whole family, from the person who was already there. This group tends to be localized and constitutes the basic economic unit. "[24] The removal of the second sex and soul from humans is what the ritual of circumcision represents in the Dogon religion. The [23] They were symbolized by the colour red, a female symbol. A men's society, frequently referred to as the "awa," or masked-dance society, is characterized by a strict code of etiquette, obligations, interdicts, and a secret language (sigi so). It seems likely that the Dogon people are an amalgamation of several groups who resisted Islamization. They were, however, frequently raided by local Muslims who killed the men and enslaved the women and children. The Dogon people were not the first inhabitants of the cliffs of Bandiagara. Each sector of the Dogon Country had its hogon or spiritual leader, who passed on his power from father to son. Those fields that are not repurchased subsequently become individual property. The Hogon has to live alone in his house. Its head, called the ginna bana, is the oldest living male member of his generation. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! The first wife, or ya biru, holds a higher position in the family relative to any wives from later marriages. Afterwards, the boys stay for a few days in a hut separated from the rest of the village people, until the wounds have healed. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. The birth of human twins was celebrated in the Dogon culture in Griaule's day because it recalled the "fabulous past, when all beings came into existence in twos, symbols of the balance between humans and the divine". It is generally accepted that the Dogon language belongs to the NigerCongo language family, though the evidence is weak. Industrial Arts. The Dogon numbered 500,000 on the eve of Malis independence on [5], The hogon may conduct rituals in the Sanctuaire de Binou, a special building the door of which is blocked with rocks. 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). Ciarcia, Gaetano "Dogons et Dogon. Division of Labor. van Beek (text) (2001). A hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in Dogon religion. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It has a strict code of etiquette, obligations, interdicts, and a secret language (sigi so). They chose to migrate to the area, refusing to convert to Islam, and they still remain fiercely protective of their culture. These events are held annually to honor the elders who have died since the last Dama. [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. Each caste is endogamous, and members do not take part in any of the common religious cults. This announces the entrance of persons wearing the masks used in this ceremony, while the deceased's entrance to his home in the family compound is decorated with ritual elements (Davis, 7273). 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]. [44] They also claimed that the Dogon appeared to know of the rings of Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter. Some of the most beautiful sights to see in China are the classical Suzhou gardens. Unlike norms for the rest of society, parallel-cousin marriage is allowed within castes. During the danyim, masqueraders perform dances every morning and evening for any period up to six days, depending on that village's practice. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made. Dogon lineage is patrilineal, meaning There also exists a supreme hogon for the entire region who resides at Arou (Aru) and is elected by members of the Arou tribe. 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