Universit de Paris, Travaux et Mmoires de l'Institut d'Ethnologie, 33. Because the word sewa is so commonly repeated throughout a Dogon village, neighboring peoples have dubbed the Dogon the sewa people. Marriages are endogamous in that the people are limited to marry only persons within their clan and within their caste.[29]. I View the full answer Previous question Next question The Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. [44] They also claimed that the Dogon appeared to know of the rings of Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter. Kin Groups and Descent. They communicated a knowledge that went deep into the origins of human beings. African religions: Ritual and religious specialists. Their images or figures appeared on the female side of the Dogon sanctuary. [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]. Demography. [13] As the growth of cities increased, the demand for slaves across the region of West Africa also increased. Houses are built extremely close together, many times sharing walls and floors. In the past the Dogon were considered a warlike people; they often fought with other Dogon districts as well as with their non-Dogon neighbors such as the Fulani. Bandiagara was once densely forested and species of plants found here grow nowhere else. Another example is the custom of elaborate greetings whenever one Dogon meets another. He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. The village of Songho has a circumcision cave ornamented with red and white rock paintings of animals and plants. 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). 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. It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. 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. I have lived nearby and visited Dogon country. The hogon is always a man. 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. 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. [18] Griaule had lived amongst the Dogon people for fifteen years before this meeting with Ogotemmeli took place. Question: Discuss why you would or would not like to be selected as the Hogan within the Dogon culture. The Dogon people were not the first inhabitants of the cliffs of Bandiagara. They speak the Dogon languages, which are considered to constitute an independent branch of the Trade. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. There are at least five distinct groups of dialects. A younger brother is first in line to inherit all collective property, followed by the eldest son. [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]. The Dogon are primarily agriculturists, their principal crops being millet, sorghum, rice, onions, beans, tobacco, and sorrel. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a monument in Turkestan, a city in southern Kazakhstan. The Dogon religion was centered on this loss of twinness or androgyny. This practice has been passed down for generations and is always followed, even during winter. Once a boy is circumcised, he transitions into young adulthood and moves out of his father's house. 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. The souls of the just reach paradise, Ardyenne, or the house of god (Amma ginu ), where they live an existence analogous to that which they lived on earth. [37] Women have no right to learn Sigui So. [11] They also believe in ancestral spirits such as the Serpent Ancestor Lebe, and the "Water Spirits" Nommo. [Editor's Note: In this article the established spellings of Kota words have been retained, al, ETHNONYMS: none [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. The yingim and the danyim rituals each last a few days. 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). This marks the end of their youth, and they are initiated. 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. [6], According to legend, the first hogon, Lebe, was descended from a nommo. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. The idea has entered the New Age and ancient astronaut literature as evidence that extraterrestrial aliens visited Mali in the distant past. The Mali landscape around Dogon (Spooner, J / CC BY 2.0 ). Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. (2008). It seems likely that the Dogon people are an amalgamation of several groups who resisted Islamization. The other factor influencing their choice of settlement location was access to water. [28] Today, a significant minority of the Dogon practice Islam. "[46], More recently, doubts have been raised about the validity of Griaule and Dieterlen's work. Industrial Arts. [4], The hogon is central to a wide range of fertility and marriage rituals, which are closely related to Dogon origin myths. 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. "[24] The removal of the second sex and soul from humans is what the ritual of circumcision represents in the Dogon religion. WebI have learned that within in the Dogon Culture, Hogon is considered to both a political and spiritual leader to the people of Mali in West Africa. [15] These jihadic expeditions formed themselves to force the Dogon to abandon their traditional religious beliefs for Islam. 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. He is elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage of the village. 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. The Dogon migrated after the empire's collapse to the cliffs of the Bandiagara plateau. But after this generation, human beings were usually born single. This group tends to be localized and constitutes the basic economic unit. They call themselves "Dogon" or "Dogom," but in the older literature they are referred to as "Habbe" (sing. 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. Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. Some tenets of Islam have been accepted, others rejected; in many cases, the new elements are blended with those of the traditional religion. WebThe Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. The great annual Feast of Sowing (bulu ) begins in April or May, prior to the beginning of the rainy season, in all the villages of the region. "The jackal was alone from birth," said Ogotemmli, "and because of this he did more things than can be told. While there is not a great deal of accommodation near the Cliff of Bandiagara (Dogon County), there is some in nearby towns. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. 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. At present I am a Read More. Work activities are clearly differentiated. It is generally accepted that the Dogon language belongs to the NigerCongo language family, though the evidence is weak. Starting with the French anthropologist Marcel Griaule, several authors have claimed that Dogon traditional religion incorporates details about extrasolar astronomical bodies that could not have been discerned from naked-eye observation. Dieterlen, G., 1955. The largest ginnas are subdivided into several families, or tire togo (sing.). ETHNONYMS: Cohatur, Kohatur, Kotar, Koter, Kothur 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). Among the Dogon, several oral traditions have been recorded as to their origin. The private property of a woman goes first to her daughter, then to the youngest sister. And then there are special sites such as this, which boast all these features. About 1,500 ethnic Dogon in seven villages in southern Mali speak the Bangime language, which is unrelated to the other Dogon languages and presumed by linguists to be an ancient, pre-Dogon language isolate, although a minority of linguists (most notably Roger Blench) hypothesise that it may be related to Proto-Nilo-Saharan.[38]. 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). After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. 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. Biographies - Hogon | African Religious Leader | Britannica According to Dogon belief, they (hogon) are the "oldest direct descendant of the original ancestor." Masked dances and masquerades at funerals are a feature of their culture for which they are well known. Paulme, Denise (1940). He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. 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. Since the late 20th century, the Dogon have developed peaceful trading relationships with other societies and have thereby increased variety in their diets. Socialization. 'Sigi' is a society-wide ritual to honor and recognize the first ancestors. Descended from the founding ancestor Dyon, the hogon The appealing factor lies in many raw, visual, fetishized pursuits and compelling cultural narratives. The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made. 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. ETHNONYMS: Dogom, Dogono, Habbe, Hambbe, Makbe, Tombo, Tommo, Toro, Identification. 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. Monogamy is the major form of marriage, although nonsororal polygyny with a limit of two wives is permitted. He is elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage of the village. Among the interesting Dogon buildings are communal meeting houses for men (Togu Na) and the grinna, which are family homes. On average, a village contains around 44 houses organized around the 'ginna', or head man's house. Associated with regeneration Starting in the northeastern part of Dogon territory, each village takes turns celebrating and hosting elaborate feasts, ceremonies, and festivities. The Kanaga masqueraders, at one point, dance and sit next to the bundkamba, which represents the deceased. Orientation 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 population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. Domestic slavery existed before colonization but is now forbidden by law. . The 'Awa' is characterized by the intricate masks worn by members during rituals. The vast majority of marriages are monogamous, but nonsororal polygynous marriages are allowed in the Dogon culture. Most young men leave their villages to seek jobs in the cities of Mali and on the Ivory Coast; most of their earnings are sent home to their families. 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). The most ancient dialects are dyamsay and tombo, the former being most frequently used for traditional prayers and ritual chants. Craft specialization is determined by gender and caste. [8][9][10], Over time, the Dogon moved north along the escarpment, arriving in the Sanga region in the 15th century. There are two major events at which the Awa perform: the 'sigi' ritual and 'dama' funeral rituals.[35]. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. WebThe Hogan performs a diverse array of political and social functions and is a master of trade and commerce. Where diseases are considered to be supernaturally based or the result of sorcery, a healer-diviner is called in who determines the cause of the disease (through divination), then offers sacrifices, magical charms, and incantations to bring about a cure. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Each isolated village or district (canton) in the region has a headman or chief (hogon) who has both religious and judicial responsibilities. According to Griaule, the celebration of twin-births was a cult that extended all over Africa. Death is conceived as the separation from the body of the two parts that make up the personalitythe nyama, or vital life force, and the kikinu say, or soul. 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. Pern, Stephen (1982). Current Anthropology, Vol. [12] See also [ edit] Pangool Mand creation myth Samay (mythology) Zin (water spirits) Traditional African religion portal Mali portal References [ edit] The Dogon also believe in various malevolent and benevolent spirits who populate the bush, trees, and uninhabited places. Of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact.. During winter here grow nowhere else of their culture for which they made... Of twinness or androgyny had lived amongst the Dogon to abandon their religious. Languages, which are considered to constitute an independent branch of the Trade found here grow nowhere else nobody allowed... For slaves across the region of West Africa also increased funerals are a feature their... Variety in their diets ( sing. ) masquerades at funerals are a feature of their youth, and ``... Youngest sister colonization but is now forbidden by law their diets family homes as,. 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