The series of dances, which constitute a good part of the Sigi, lasts for seven years; one village after another takes its turn to entertain its neighbors with feasting, drinking, and displays of wealth. WebDiscuss why you would or would not like to be selected as the Hogan within the Dogon culture. Identification. 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. Monogamy is the major form of marriage, although nonsororal polygyny with a limit of two wives is permitted. Morton, Robert (ed.) During the yincomoli ceremony, a gourd is smashed over the deceased's wooden bowl, hoe, and bundukamba (burial blanket). . African art and culture had been a driving inspiration to European modern artists like Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, and Amedeo Modigliani, among others. The binou, which is usually in animal form serves as a representation of the ancestor. Historically, the written Burmese term "Karen" probably came fr, Doggett, Bill (actually, William Ballard), Dogs, Wolves, Coyotes, Jackals, and Foxes (Canidae), Dogs, Wolves, Coyotes, Jackals, and Foxes: Canidae, Dogs: The Rise and Fall of an All-Girl Bookie Joint, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dogon. [2] They speak the Dogon languages, which are considered to constitute an independent branch of the NigerCongo language family, meaning that they are not closely related to any other languages. Another example is the custom of elaborate greetings whenever one Dogon meets another. 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. It was held once every sixty years and allegedly celebrated the white dwarf star, Sirius B. WebDogon families are tied to one of the eight ancestral groups as per the four sets of twins in Dogon cosmogony and 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. Each Dogon village may differ in the designs of the masks used in the dama ritual. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. The hogon is always a man. Villages usually contain a single localized lineage whose dwellings are grouped around the "great house" (ginna ) of the head. Livestock, meat, onions, grain, various agricultural products, tobacco, cotton, pottery, and so forth are traded for milk and butter, dried fish, kola nuts, salt, sugar, and other European merchandise. "Mythes et organisation sociale au Soudan franais". Every four days, Dogon people participate in markets with neighboring tribes, such as the Fulani and the Dyula. He is in effect a priest (hogon ), who exercises ceremonial functions on behalf of the lineage, and, in conjunction with a council of elders, judicial functions as well. 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). In addition to the priests and religious functionaries of the various cults, there are seers or visionaries (kumogu ) and diviners. Griaule, Marcel (1938). Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made. Land Tenure. [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. Identification. All of the men in his age-set live together in a due until they marry and have children. In 1995, gravitational studies indeed showed the possible presence of a brown dwarf star orbiting around Sirius (a Sirius-C) with a six-year orbital period. WebThe Hogon must live alone in his house. WebAlthough 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 Conflict. Davis, Shawn R. Dogon Funerals in African Art; Summer 2002, Vol. Also effective as means of inducing conformity are ridicule and threats of supernatural sanction. 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. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Subsistence and Commercial Activities. ', 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 the event of a divorce, the woman takes only the youngest child with her, and the rest remain as a part of the husband's household. Palau Marti, Montserrat (1957). Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Markets are held every four or five days in areas well removed from the villages. ETHNONYMS: Dogom, Dogono, Habbe, Hambbe, Makbe, Tombo, Tommo, Toro, Identification. Because the word sewa is so commonly repeated throughout a Dogon village, neighboring peoples have dubbed the Dogon the sewa people. WebThe Hogan performs a diverse array of political and social functions and is a master of trade and commerce. The leather-workers engage in significant trade with other ethnic groups and accumulate wealth. WebThe past century has seen significant changes in the social organization, material culture and beliefs of the Dogon, partly because Dogon country is one of Mali's major tourist attractions. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. 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. 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). Each district had its own recognized war leaders. Social Control. Their images or figures appeared on the female side of the Dogon sanctuary. Boys are circumcised in age groups of three years, counting for example all boys between 9 and 12 years old. But Islamic law classified the Dogon and many other ethnicities of the region (Mossi, Gurma, Bobo, Busa and the Yoruba) as being within the non-canon dar al-harb and consequently fair game for slave raids organized by merchants. The neighboring Fulani have been largely instrumental in transmitting the Islamic faith to the Dogon. The Dogon migrated after the empire's collapse to the cliffs of the Bandiagara plateau. In the 7th century AD, the Byzantine Empire harnessed the power of fire with the creation of Greek fire, a weapon of destruction unlike any before its time. 15th19th century. According to Griaule, the celebration of twin-births was a cult that extended all over Africa. They communicated a knowledge that went deep into the origins of human beings. The concept of death and rebirth is also contained within Dogon mythology. The fundamental unit of Dogon social organization is the patrilineage, or ginna. Each caste is endogamous, and members do not take part in any of the common religious cults. The ceremony originally honored the dead ancestors but is now for the living; it serves to halt the gradual cultural decline in Dogon society and to cleanse the community of its sins and bad feelings. Dogon has been frequently referred to as a single language. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Despite globalization, there are still a few places in the world which are home to cultures unlike any other. The smiths have important ritual powers and are characteristically poor. Also regional and dialect group names: Chinbok, Chinbon, Dai, Kuku, Lai (s, Karen [40] In late 1946, Griaule spent a consecutive 33 days in conversations with the Dogon wiseman Ogotemmeli, the source of much of Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen's future publications. Identification. The hogon is always a man. Once a boy is circumcised, he transitions into young adulthood and moves out of his father's house. 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 Industrial Arts. There are two major events at which the Awa perform: the 'sigi' ritual and 'dama' funeral rituals.[35]. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. I View the full answer Previous question Next question 23 Feb. 2023 . Not on view. Griaule encouraged the construction of a dam near Sangha and persuaded the Dogon to cultivate onions. Among the interesting Dogon buildings are communal meeting houses for men (Togu Na) and the grinna, which are family homes. 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. Due to the expense, the second traditional funeral rituals, or "damas", are becoming very rare. The Sirige mask is a tall mask used in funerals only for men who were alive during the holding of the Sigui ceremony (see below) (Davis, 68). A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire, New Moai Statue Found on Chiles Easter Island Excites Researchers, Curious Mussel Shell Arrowheads in Norways Mountains Confound Archaeologists, 2,000-Year-Old Roman Phallus Could Be Oldest Known Sex Toy, Huge Wari Empire Temple from 800 AD Unearthed in the Highlands of Peru, What is Shambhala? The Kanaga masqueraders, at one point, dance and sit next to the bundkamba, which represents the deceased. Masks used during the yincomoli ceremony include the Yana Gulay, Satimbe, Sirige, and Kanaga. European contact was first made in 1857. About 10 percent of the Dogon are Christians. Another indication of this is the subjectobjectverb basic word order, which Dogon shares with such early NigerCongo branches as Ijoid and Mande. Every Dogon village or clan has its own totem. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. 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. Economically, the Dogon are no longer as dependent on agriculture as in the past. Dogon society is composed of several different sects: Villages are built along escarpments and near a source of water. 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". "[46], More recently, doubts have been raised about the validity of Griaule and Dieterlen's work. Dieterlen, G., 1955. The cliffs and rocky terrain provided excellent protection from slave He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. [56], Oberg points out a number of errors contained in the Dogon beliefs, including the number of moons possessed by Jupiter, that Saturn was the furthest planet from the sun, and the only planet with rings. This marks the end of their youth, and they are initiated. Following French rule, this concept was modified to allow individual ownership of property. ); from Mali, Figure of a kneeling woman; circa 1500; wood; height: 35.2cm (1378 in. 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. Similarly each village may have their own way of performing the dama rituals. [43] Sirius, in the Dogon system, formed one of the foci for the orbit of a tiny star, the companionate Digitaria star. Circumcision is believed to eliminate the superfluous one. The Dogon dialects are highly distinct from one another and many varieties are not mutually intelligible, actually amounting to some 12 dialects and 50 sub-dialects. Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System, The Gristhorpe Man: A Bronze Age Skeleton with a Story to Tell, 3: The Perfect Number - Trinity Symbolism in World Religious Traditions, Evidence that Noahs Ark Landed on a Mountain 17 Miles South of Ararat, The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts, The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend Part I, Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera Part I, Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations, The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures Part I, Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures Part I, The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription, The Dogons Extraordinary Knowledge of the Cosmos and the Cult of Nommo, Those Who Once Reigned: Experts Name Famous and Forgotten Ancient Gods, The Legend of How Mansa Abu Bakr II of Mali Gave up the Throne to Explore the Atlantic Ocean, https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=084681896, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/africa/article/dogon-cultureprofane-and-arcane/47CD44EC412C57D64B141529BD52F19B, https://journals.openedition.org/articulo/417, Petra Historic World Heritage Site Blasted By Flash Floods, The Classical Gardens of Suzhou: A Sight to Behold, Denizens of South Africas Cradle of Humankind: The First Walking Apes, The Unfinished Timurid Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, The Magnificent Citadel of Erbil - A True Archaeological Sandwich, Kunta Kinteh - The African Island at the Heart of the Slave Trade. 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. All the rites and ceremonies involve, in varying degrees of complexity, offerings and sacrifices, mock battles, and the prominent display of the carved masks (generally through their use in the elaborate dances of the masked society). There are over 200 Dogon villages across the escarpment and each village has a democratically elected headman (Hogon), who is also their spiritual leader. In the Dogon language, the sun's name (nay) had the same root as "mother" (na) and "cow" (n). There are twelve categories of disease considered treatable, each with its own specific healer who has special knowledge of the specific plant that will bring about a cure. The name of the country was changed to "French Sudan," and French administrators levied taxes and introduced currency reforms (e.g., French francs to replace the native cowrie shells). Here goods are exchanged not only between neighboring Dogon villages, but also between the Dogon and neighboring groups such as the Fulani and Dyula. Erosion of the sandstone has left a number of remarkable features, such as caves, rock shelters, and dunes. Women may leave their husbands early in their marriage, before the birth of their first child. 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.