The Awa is a masked dance society that holds ritual and social importance. Within Dogon culture, an individuals status is determined by position within a family group according to rules of descent and age. Demography. The spread of Islam throughout Africa has brought about some degree of change in the basic religious orientation of the Dogon. The principal ceremonies center around agriculture and death. [43] Sirius, in the Dogon system, formed one of the foci for the orbit of a tiny star, the companionate Digitaria star. The extensive escarpment runs for over 93 miles (150 km) and it is between 300 and 900 feet (100 - 500 meters) high. The danyim is held a couple of months later. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Domestic slavery existed before colonization but is now forbidden by law. This practice has been passed down for generations and is always followed, even during winter. Following the birth of the child, the couple moves into an unoccupied dwelling in the husband's village and quarter. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. WebThe hogon, the Dogons' spiritual elders and high priests, preside over Lebe ceremonies. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Elaborate ceremonial stools of this kind were owned by the hogon, the supreme religious and political leader in each The colour white was a symbol of males. While the people keep chickens or herds of sheep and goats in Dogon villages, animal husbandry holds little economic value. In referring to relatives, linguistic usage distinguishes between the forms of address and the specific relationship. 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. 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. [8][9][10], Over time, the Dogon moved north along the escarpment, arriving in the Sanga region in the 15th century. They speak the Dogon languages, which are considered to constitute an independent branch of the Formed by a range of sandstone hills, the cliff has a distinctive geology and forms a natural redoubt which is somewhat isolated from the surrounding region as it is bookmarked between two mountains. Fruit trees are valued possessions, and although they may be sold, the previous owner reserves the ownership of the field in which they are planted for his own use. [20] The religion embraced many aspects of nature which are found in other traditional African religions. . Once a boy is circumcised, he transitions into young adulthood and moves out of his father's house. & E.I.K. Durieux-Boon (2004). The most ancient dialects are dyamsay and tombo, the former being most frequently used for traditional prayers and ritual chants. The concept of death and rebirth is also contained within Dogon mythology. [23] They were symbolized by the colour red, a female symbol. (February 23, 2023). 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. Craft skills are well developed among the Dogon, especially the making of pottery and baskets, weaving, wood carving, and leather- and ironworking. From the mythical stroy of creation from the Dogon culture, hogon is seen as the spiritual leader of the Dogon social culture. Encyclopedia.com. Although some Dogon accepted the new regime, many strongly opposed and resisted it for many years. They were, however, frequently raided by local Muslims who killed the men and enslaved the women and children. [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? A hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in Dogon religion. The Dogon are strongly oriented toward harmony, which is reflected in many of their rituals. The smiths have important ritual powers and are characteristically poor. Another indication of this is the subjectobjectverb basic word order, which Dogon shares with such early NigerCongo branches as Ijoid and Mande. Not on view. 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. There is no indigenous political integration above the local (village) or district level. "[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. In addition to agriculture, the women gather wild fruits, tubers, nuts, and honey in the bush outside of village borders. A younger brother is first in line to inherit all collective property, followed by the eldest son. Funerals for women, who are generally excluded from awa membership, are simple, with little if any ceremony. Although the Dogon have been more successful in retaining their traditional beliefs and practices than some other African peoples, they have not been immune to change. After his election, he has to follow a six-month initiation period, during which he is not allowed to shave or wash. Dogon has been frequently referred to as a single language. The cliff is not far from the city of Bandiagara in western Mali. One relates to their coming from Mande, located to the southwest of the Bandiagara escarpment near Bamako. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. This leads linguists to conclude that Dogon is likely to have diverged from NigerCongo very early.[when?] Afterwards, the boys stay for a few days in a hut separated from the rest of the village people, until the wounds have healed. Another 10% practices Christianity. During the colonization of Mali by the French, the inhabitants of the escarpment were able to use caves and tunnels to avoid the Europeans and were able to preserve their way of life. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Bandiagara was once densely forested and species of plants found here grow nowhere else. When Digitaria is closest to Sirius, that star brightens: when it is farthest from Sirius, it gives off a twinkling effect that suggests to the observer several stars. A new 'sigi' is started every 60 years. ETHNONYMS: Kareang, Kariang, Kayin, Pwo, Sgaw, Yang Caste boys do not get circumcised.[31]. [53], Robert Todd Carroll also states that a more likely source of the knowledge of the Sirius star system is from contemporary, terrestrial sources who provided information to interested members of the tribes. Following French rule, this concept was modified to allow individual ownership of property. 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. [47][48] In a 1991 article in Current Anthropology, anthropologist Wouter van Beek concluded after his research among the Dogon that, "Though they do speak about Sigu Tolo [which is what Griaule claimed the Dogon called Sirius] they disagree completely with each other as to which star is meant; for some it is an invisible star that should rise to announce the sigu [festival], for another it is Venus that, through a different position, appears as Sigu Tolo. The village of Songho has a circumcision cave ornamented with red and white rock paintings of animals and plants. 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. The yingim and the danyim rituals each last a few days. 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. In comparison with the neighboring Fulani, animal husbandry is relatively unimportant. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. The blacksmith, set apart by his caste, has no rights in the village and lives entirely on the proceeds of the sale of his goods to other villagers. Villages usually contain a single localized lineage whose dwellings are grouped around the "great house" (ginna ) of the head. 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. This chief head is the oldest living son of the ancestor of the local branch of the family. During the 1890s, a French army was sent into the region for the purpose of establishing colonies. 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. Although Temple fails to prove its antiquity, the evidence for the recent acquisition of the information is still entirely circumstantial. For the ethnic group of the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north of Ghana, see. I View the full answer Previous question Next question Current Anthropology, Vol. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. Pern, Stephen (1982). ETHNONYMS: 'kKxou and related words; Mizo (same as Lushai), Zo, Zomi. The blind Dogon elder Ogotemmeli taught the main symbols of the Dogon religion to French anthropologist Marcel Griaule in October 1946. It is thus mysterious that there are so few references to the planets in ancient literature. The Dogon people were not the first inhabitants of the cliffs of Bandiagara. After initiation, he wears a red cap, and a pearl bracelet. The leather-workers engage in significant trade with other ethnic groups and accumulate wealth. Dogon art consists primarily of sculptures. [citation needed][why?] The other factor influencing their choice of settlement location was access to water. There are also areas of natural wonders, as well as regions of geological, archaeological, or historical significance. "[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". Both sexes market, fish, and gather wild foods. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? After initiation, the Hogon wears a red fez. The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? Organisation sociale des dogon (Soudan Franais). A virgin who has not yet had her period takes care of him, cleans his house, and prepares his meals. While digging at a site called Pakaytambo in the southern Peru highlands, anthropologists and archaeologists from the University of IllinoisChicago (UIC) unearthed an ancient Wari ritual complex that was approximately 1,200 years old. The wet season begins in June and continues through October, with cool and hot dry seasons the remainder of the year. The Dogon are a wonderful and unique culture. 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