Paris: ditions Domat-Montchrestien, F. Loviton. In a recent overview of the NigerCongo family, Dogon is treated as an independent branch.[3]. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. 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. 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. Other specialists are the healers or herbalists (dyodyonune ), who treat the sick, and sorcerers (dyonune ), who cast spells. ", "Processes and Limitations of Dogon Agricultural Knowledge", Was there a now-vanished branch of Nilo-Saharan on the Dogon Plateau? ." WebThey have been identified with the hogon, the chief peacekeeper and supreme religious and political figure in Dogon society. Paris: Institut d'Ethnologie. 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. Caste boys do not get circumcised.[31]. Amsterdam: Time-Life Books B.V. 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. However, the gender is deliberately ambiguous, and it may be intended to represent a nommo a mythological hermaphroditic ancestor. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. They have been linked to the Mande subfamily but also to Gur. The cliffs and rocky terrain provided excellent protection from slave WebDiscuss why you would or would not like to be selected as the Hogan within the Dogon culture. WebThe Hogan performs a diverse array of political and social functions and is a master of trade and commerce. There also exists a supreme hogon for the entire region who resides at Arou (Aru) and is elected by members of the Arou tribe. Within the village, individual houses are set around a rocky, irregularly shaped open space and separated from neighboring houses by stone walls. 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 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. Bandiagara was once densely forested and species of plants found here grow nowhere else. The Dogon believe the sacred snake Lb comes during the night to clean him and to transfer wisdom. WebThe Dogon are ethnic group from the Central plateau region of Mali, located in West Africa. Other authors have argued that previous 20th-century European visitors to the Dogon are a far more plausible source of such information and dispute whether Griaule's account accurately describes Dogon myths at all. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. [8][9][10], Over time, the Dogon moved north along the escarpment, arriving in the Sanga region in the 15th century. Starting in the northeastern part of Dogon territory, each village takes turns celebrating and hosting elaborate feasts, ceremonies, and festivities. ); Brooklyn Museum, Sculpture, probably an ancestor figure; 17th18th century; wood; height: 59cm (23 in. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Another minority practices Christianity. 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. 'We have in the Dogon information a predictive mechanism which it is our duty to test, regardless of our preconceptions.' The idea has entered the New Age and ancient astronaut literature as evidence that extraterrestrial aliens visited Mali in the distant past. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. In addition to agriculture, the women gather wild fruits, tubers, nuts, and honey in the bush outside of village borders. The Awa is a masked dance society that holds ritual and social importance. The orbit cycle takes 50 years. [18] Griaule had lived amongst the Dogon people for fifteen years before this meeting with Ogotemmeli took place. 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. Following the birth of the child, the couple moves into an unoccupied dwelling in the husband's village and quarter. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Marriages are endogamous in that the people are limited to marry only persons within their clan and within their caste.[29]. 'Sigi' is a society-wide ritual to honor and recognize the first ancestors. 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 15th19th century. Unless arrangements are made to the contrary, a man's property is inherited by his eldest son, who is expected to provide support for his brothers or assure them of an equal share of the inheritance. The 'Awa' is characterized by the intricate masks worn by members during rituals. WebThe Hogon must live alone in his house. He is elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage of the village. A new 'sigi' is started every 60 years. 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). Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. WebDogon families are tied to one of the eight ancestral groups as per the four sets of twins in Dogon cosmogony and religion. In conjunction with the council of elders, he makes decisions concerning public affairs. 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). Sadly, these days the culture of the Dogon is under threat as many have converted to other religions. WebThe Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. . [25] There has been extensive speculation about the origin of such astronomical knowledge. Villages usually contain a single localized lineage whose dwellings are grouped around the "great house" (ginna ) of the head. The mausoleum was built during the reign of Timur, the ruler of the Timurid Empire. 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. Their metaphysical systemwhich categorizes physical objects,, Thus, for the Dogon the hogon, or spiritual leader, is not just a simple officiant but a sacred figure. This leads linguists to conclude that Dogon is likely to have diverged from NigerCongo very early.[when?] The Dogon believes that the sacred serpent Lebe comes during the night to purify him and communicate wisdom to him. 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). Masks used during the yincomoli ceremony include the Yana Gulay, Satimbe, Sirige, and Kanaga. [19] What makes the record so important from a historical perspective is that the Dogon people were still living in their oral culture at the time their religion was recorded. Marriage into the occupational castessuch as that of blacksmithsis strongly prohibited. The Dogon migrated after the empire's collapse to the cliffs of the Bandiagara plateau. 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. Once in every sixty yearsroughly within a Dogon's life spana major Sigi (Sigu) ceremony takes place. Griaule, Marcel (1938). "[24] The removal of the second sex and soul from humans is what the ritual of circumcision represents in the Dogon religion. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. 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. African religions: Ritual and religious specialists. Circumcision is believed to eliminate the superfluous one. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. 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. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. The danyim is held a couple of months later. 35 Issue 2. Members of these castes are physically separate from the rest of the village and live either at the village edge or outside of it entirely. ); 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. Beierle, John "Dogon The Dogon language is classified within the Voltaic (or Gur) Subfamily of the Niger-Congo Language Family. WebThe Dogon religion is the traditional African beliefs of the Dogon of Mali. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Circumcision and excision are once again the remedy."[27]. It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. [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]. How the Dogon Preserved Their Unique Culture Along The Cliff Dogon art revolves around religious values, ideals, and freedoms (Laude, 19). 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. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. [57] A more recent study using advanced infrared imaging concluded that the probability of the existence of a triple star system for Sirius is "now low" but could not be ruled out because the region within 5 AU of Sirius A had not been covered.[58]. Birth of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks makes decisions concerning Public affairs ) ; Brooklyn Museum, Sculpture probably... Days the culture of the Dogon is treated as an independent branch. [ 29 ] is by! Around a rocky, irregularly shaped open space and separated from neighboring houses by stone walls a mythological hermaphroditic.. The distant past threat as many have converted to other religions the idea has entered the New and... Houses are set around a rocky, irregularly shaped open space and separated from houses... % of the NigerCongo family, is headed by one male elder leader of the dominant lineage the! Are once again the remedy. `` [ 27 ] migrated after the Empire 's collapse the. 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