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. It is likely that the Dogon of today are descendants of several groups of diverse origin who migrated to escape Islamization. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. Age stratification in the form of age brotherhoods is also recognized by the Dogon; the age brotherhood (tumo ) figures primarily in the batono rite during the annual sowing festival. "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. You'll get a detailed solution from a subject matter expert that helps you learn core concepts. [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. The answer is sewa, which means that everything is fine. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! The Dogon religion was centered on this loss of twinness or androgyny. There are two major events at which the Awa perform: the 'sigi' ritual and 'dama' funeral rituals.[35]. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! After his election, he has to follow a six-month initiation period, during which he is not allowed to shave or wash. The household is usually an extended family consisting of both nuclear and polygynous units. "[52] In his book Sirius Matters, Noah Brosch postulates that the Dogon may have had contact with astronomers based in Dogon territory during a five-week expedition, led by Henri-Alexandre Deslandres, to study the solar eclipse of 16 April 1893. 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 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. The vast majority of marriages are monogamous, but nonsororal polygynous marriages are allowed in the Dogon culture. Individuals with high status may own a small number of cattle.[30]. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. Unlike norms for the rest of society, parallel-cousin marriage is allowed within castes. Thought to have originated as a method to unite and keep peace among Dogon villages, the 'sigi' involves all members of the Dogon people. & Hollyman, Stephenie (photographs) & Walter E.A. While the castes are correlated to profession, membership is determined by birth. They make music on a special instrument that is made of a rod of wood and calabashes that makes the sound of a rattle. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? The circumcision is celebrated and the initiated boys go around and receive presents. According to this oral tradition, the first Dogon settlement was established in the extreme southwest of the escarpment at Kani-Na. The Dogon people with whom French anthropologists Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen worked during the 1930s and 1940s had a system of signs which ran into the thousands, including "their own systems of astronomy and calendrical measurements, methods of calculation and extensive anatomical and physiological knowledge, as well as a systematic pharmacopoeia". Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. Large mock battles are performed in order to help chase the spirit, known as the nyama, from the deceased's body and village, and towards the path to the afterlife (Davis, 68). Houses may never be sold because the sites on which they stand belongs to the descendants of the old inhabitants, who have control over who occupies the house. [15] These jihadic expeditions formed themselves to force the Dogon to abandon their traditional religious beliefs for Islam. They were one of the last people in West Africa to lose their independence and come under French rule.[18]. Circumcision and excision are once again the remedy."[27]. Highest in the order of supernatural beings is Amma, the supreme creator god, the master of life and death, a benevolent albeit impersonal being who prevails over all, sees all, and knows all. A few villages also keep bees. The virgin is replaced by one of his wives, and she also returns to her home at night. 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 smiths have important ritual powers and are characteristically poor. 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. Tellem textiles: archaeological finds from burial caves in Mali's Bandiagara Cliff, Available at: https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=084681896, Douglas, M. (1968). 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. 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. Corrections? In addition, men tend the livestock, hunt, and clear and fertilize the fields, whereas women collaborate in sowing, weeding, and harvesting the grain and in raising seasonal crops such as onions. To the southeast of the cliff, the sandy Sno-Gondo Plains are found, and northwest of the cliff are the Bandiagara Highlands. Domestic slavery existed before colonization but is now forbidden by law. 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. [citation needed][why?] Gathering activities involve the collecting of wild fruits, nuts and berries, various seeds, leaves, tubers and roots, and honey. There is also a secret ritual language sigi s (language of Sigi), which is taught to dignitaries (olubar) of the Society of the Masks during their enthronement at the Sigui ceremony. Paris: Institut d'Ethnologie. It is thus mysterious that there are so few references to the planets in ancient literature. [20] The religion embraced many aspects of nature which are found in other traditional African religions. It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. The newly circumcised youths, now considered young men, walk around naked for a month after the procedure so that their achievement in age can be admired by the tribe. 16th-20th Century. 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). 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. [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. Other fauna include crocodiles (in the swampy areas on the plain), reptiles, monkeys, guenons, guinea hens, hyenas, foxes, panthers, rabbits, and small rodents. There are also two types of granaries - male granaries with a pointed roof is where seeds are stored, and female granaries (without points) are where the women of this society (who are economically independent from their husbands), store their personal belongings. Damas that are still performed today are not usually performed for their original intent, but instead are performed for tourists interested in the Dogon way of life. There are also areas of natural wonders, as well as regions of geological, archaeological, or historical significance. Above the lineage is the much larger kin group called the clan, from which the various lineages emerge. The fundamental unit of Dogon social organization is the patrilineage, or ginna. Each isolated village or district (canton) in the region has a headman or chief (hogon) who has both religious and judicial responsibilities. Erosion of the sandstone has left a number of remarkable features, such as caves, rock shelters, and dunes. 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. Circumcision is believed to eliminate the superfluous one. [50] An independent assessment is given by Andrew Apter of the University of California. Nearby is a cave where music instruments are stored. Encyclopedia.com. 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. Influence from Tellem art is evident in Dogon art because of its rectilinear designs (Laude, 24). Subsistence and Commercial Activities. An enlarged family can count up to a hundred persons and is called guinna. 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. Ritual dance of Dogon County (Gleeson, G / CC BY 2.0 ). WebHogon are the high priests of the cult of Lebe, the first Dogon ancestor to die, whose body was miraculously transformed into a snake after his death. A secret language known as sigi so is used by members of the men's society (awa ) in connection with religious rites. They communicated a knowledge that went deep into the origins of human beings. 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 use this entertainment to earn income by charging tourists money for the masks they want to see and for the ritual itself (Davis, 68). [8][9][10], Over time, the Dogon moved north along the escarpment, arriving in the Sanga region in the 15th century. Paris: ditions Domat-Montchrestien, F. Loviton. In traditional Dogon society, land was transmitted within the family group (ginna, or lineage), and was considered inalienable property. [37] Women have no right to learn Sigui So. Once there, many trails are open to visitors along the escarpment and while visiting a traditional Dogon village, cultural respect is encouraged. 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. The Dogon also believe in various malevolent and benevolent spirits who populate the bush, trees, and uninhabited places. The orbit cycle takes 50 years. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. & E.I.K. Durieux-Boon (2004). [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? 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. The historical pattern included the murder of indigenous males by raiders and enslavement of women and children. Although Temple fails to prove its antiquity, the evidence for the recent acquisition of the information is still entirely circumstantial. Among the Dogon, several oral traditions have been recorded as to their origin. ETHNONYMS: Cohatur, Kohatur, Kotar, Koter, Kothur Elaborate ceremonial stools of this kind were owned by the hogon, the supreme religious and political leader in each There is no indigenous political integration above the local (village) or district level. Dogon art revolves around religious values, ideals, and freedoms (Laude, 19). Hogon live alone and should be celibat Sadly, these days the culture of the Dogon is under threat as many have converted to other religions. Within Dogon culture, an individuals status is determined by position within a family group according to rules of descent and age. Also regional and dialect group names: Chinbok, Chinbon, Dai, Kuku, Lai (s, Karen Public opinion is a great regulator of social behavior in Dogon society, not so much for its threats of punishment through shame, but by its withdrawal of satisfaction and love from its erring members. van Beek (text) (2001). Afterwards, the boys stay for a few days in a hut separated from the rest of the village people, until the wounds have healed. ." [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. Craft skills are well developed among the Dogon, especially the making of pottery and baskets, weaving, wood carving, and leather- and ironworking. And then there are special sites such as this, which boast all these features. Despite globalization, there are still a few places in the world which are home to cultures unlike any other. The Dogon are European contact was first made in 1857. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. On the other hand, private property goes first to the eldest son (who must provide for his siblings), then the younger brother. Boys are circumcised in age groups of three years, counting for example all boys between 9 and 12 years old. He is responsible for the creation of three other subordinate beings, the worship of which is the basis of several totemic cults. Caste boys do not get circumcised.[31]. Masked Dancers of West Africa: The Dogon. Ogotemmli classified the Nummo as hermaphrodites. The leather-workers engage in significant trade with other ethnic groups and accumulate wealth. The Hogon The Hogon is an elderly male, spiritual leader of the Dogon village who lives alone in a hut constructed, furnished, and decorated to symbolize the universe. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. (February 23, 2023). 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. Each village celebrates for around a year before the 'sigi' moves to the next village. This problem has been solved! [12] See also [ edit] Pangool Mand creation myth Samay (mythology) Zin (water spirits) Traditional African religion portal Mali portal References [ edit] Inheritance. The spread of Islam throughout Africa has brought about some degree of change in the basic religious orientation of the Dogon. Within Dogon culture, an individuals status is determined by position within a family group according to rules of descent and age. [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. This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 14:24. Pottery and spinning are the exclusive domain of women, whereas basketry and weaving are male activities. When a woman leaves her husband, she takes with her only the youngest childthe remaining children stay with the husband's family. Each caste is endogamous, and members do not take part in any of the common religious cults. Socialization. Signs of other contacts and origins are evident in Dogon art. The Yana Gulay mask's purpose is to impersonate a Fulani woman, and is made from cotton cloth and cowl shells. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. 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). (2003), Wanono, Nadine & Renaudeau, Michel (1996), Hochstetler, J. Lee, Durieux, J. Dogons originated for the first time from the West bank of Niger around 1490 WebThe Hogon must live alone in his house. 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