AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Encyclopedia.com. Another 10% practices Christianity. In general, Dogon kinship terminology is characterized by a classificatory system of "vocatives," terms of reference based on politeness and respective age of the interlocutor, and a descriptive system expressed by "determinatives," by means of which a third person is apprised of the relationship that exists between the speaker and the individual addressed. 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. 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. 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. Pern, Stephen (1982). Another minority practices Christianity. Minor regional dialectal differences exist. Industrial Arts. Craft skills are well developed among the Dogon, especially the making of pottery and baskets, weaving, wood carving, and leather- and ironworking. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. It contained only about a quarter of the full vocabulary of "Dogo so", the Dogon language. The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made. 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). As sacred leader of the Lebe cult he oversees the important planting and ." The household is usually an extended family consisting of both nuclear and polygynous units. It is truly one of the most impressive regions in Sub-Saharan Africa . Les dogon. Every four days, Dogon people participate in markets with neighboring tribes, such as the Fulani and the Dyula. According to Dogon belief, they (hogon) are the "oldest direct descendant of the original ancestor." ); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City). The vast majority of marriages are monogamous, but nonsororal polygynous marriages are allowed in the Dogon culture. [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. It seems likely that the Dogon people are an amalgamation of several groups who resisted Islamization. How the Dogon Preserved Their Unique Culture Along The Cliff 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. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. ETHNONYMS: Chelofes, Galofes, Guiolof, Gyloffes, Ialofes, Iolof, Jalof, Jolof, Olof, Ouoloff, Valaf, Volof, Wollufs, Yaloffs, Yolof On average, a village contains around 44 houses organized around the 'ginna', or head man's house. Although some Dogon accepted the new regime, many strongly opposed and resisted it for many years. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? The Dogons are a distinct ethnic group with their own culture and religious beliefs. Orientation Kin Groups and Descent. Corrections? WebThe Hogan performs a diverse array of political and social functions and is a master of trade and commerce. There are at least five distinct groups of dialects. Dogon insecurity in the face of these historical pressures caused them to locate their villages in defensible positions along the walls of the escarpment. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! In conjunction with the council of elders, he makes decisions concerning public affairs. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dogon. Subsistence and Commercial Activities. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. In traditional Dogon society, land was transmitted within the family group (ginna, or lineage), and was considered inalienable property. The principal ceremonies center around agriculture and death. 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. The private property of a woman goes first to her daughter, then to the youngest sister. Villages usually contain a single localized lineage whose dwellings are grouped around the "great house" (ginna ) of the head. A hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in Dogon religion. The Beast with an insatiable Hunger for Human Flesh, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort. The traditional dama consists of a masquerade intended to lead the souls of the departed to their final resting places, through a series of ritual dances and rites. . Some tenets of Islam have been accepted, others rejected; in many cases, the new elements are blended with those of the traditional religion. A hogon is a religious figure as well as a temporal authority;[1] the hogon may be hereditary or may be chosen from among the village elderscustom varies from place to place. At this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to the ancestors. 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. Organisation sociale des dogon (Soudan Franais). Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. Amsterdam: Time-Life Books B.V. Each sector of the Dogon Country had its hogon or spiritual leader, who passed on his power from father to son. This problem has been solved! 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. 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. Divorce is not uncommon; it occurs most often in polygynous households. Among the Dogon, several oral traditions have been recorded as to their origin. [6], According to legend, the first hogon, Lebe, was descended from a nommo. Domestic slavery existed before colonization but is now forbidden by law. Socialization. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a monument in Turkestan, a city in southern Kazakhstan. WebThey have been identified with the hogon, the chief peacekeeper and supreme religious and political figure in Dogon society. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. [citation needed][why?] On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. All initiated Dogon men participate in Awa, with the exception of some caste members. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? 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. 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. Dogon art consists primarily of sculptures. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. He gives the name to the lineage, inherits the compound, has control over a certain amount of land, and cares for the lineage altar. 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. This chief head is the oldest living son of the ancestor of the local branch of the family. Top image: Cliff of Bandiagara Source: Public Domain, Bolland, R. (1991). Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 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]. Also effective as means of inducing conformity are ridicule and threats of supernatural sanction. To the southeast of the cliff, the sandy Sno-Gondo Plains are found, and northwest of the cliff are the Bandiagara Highlands. The district headman is also head of his lineage and occupies the "great house" (ginna) of that kin group. 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". He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. He has an armband with a sacred pearl that symbolises his function. Women may leave their husbands early in their marriage, before the birth of their first child. 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. Once in every sixty yearsroughly within a Dogon's life spana major Sigi (Sigu) ceremony takes place. "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. 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. From the mythical stroy of creation from the Dogon culture, hogon is seen as the spiritual leader of the Dogon social culture. "Mythes et organisation sociale au Soudan franais". "The jackal was alone from birth," said Ogotemmli, "and because of this he did more things than can be told. Associated with regeneration Dogon people. 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. Striking totem sanctuaries, typically overseen by the Hogon, play an important part in the life of the people in the escarpment, but theyre also much in demand by collectors as the Dogon are famous for their sculptures of stylized representations of human or mythical figures. Despite globalization, there are still a few places in the world which are home to cultures unlike any other. ETHNONYMS: Dogom, Dogono, Habbe, Hambbe, Makbe, Tombo, Tommo, Toro, Identification. The blacksmith performs the circumcision. . Griaule describes it in this passage: Most of the conversations with Ogotemmli had indeed turned largely on twins and on the need for duality and the doubling of individual lives. They make music on a special instrument that is made of a rod of wood and calabashes that makes the sound of a rattle. In the shadowy world of ancient warfare, one weapon stood out as a true marvel: Greek fire. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dogon, Beierle, John "Dogon Griaule, Marcel (1938). A hogon is a religious figure as well as a temporal authority; the hogon may be hereditary or may be chosen from among the village elderscustom varies from place to place. Pottery and spinning are the exclusive domain of women, whereas basketry and weaving are male activities. 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). 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. He is responsible for the creation of three other subordinate beings, the worship of which is the basis of several totemic cults. During the yincomoli ceremony, a gourd is smashed over the deceased's wooden bowl, hoe, and bundukamba (burial blanket). In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. According to Shawn R. Davis, this particular ritual incorporates the elements of the yingim and the danyim. "[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. Two of the most specialized craftsleather- and ironworkingare restricted exclusively to members of a craft caste. 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. Boys are circumcised in age groups of three years, counting for example all boys between 9 and 12 years old. [41] They reported that the Dogon believe that the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (Sigi Tolo or "star of the Sigui"[42]), has two companion stars, P Tolo (the Digitaria star), and mm ya tolo, (the female Sorghum star), respectively the first and second companions of Sirius A. "[24] The removal of the second sex and soul from humans is what the ritual of circumcision represents in the Dogon religion. Circumcision and excision are once again the remedy."[27]. Often the buildings are so close to one another that the floors of some houses begin where the roofs of adjacent ones end. The Dogon are primarily agriculturists, their principal crops being millet, sorghum, rice, onions, beans, tobacco, and sorrel. During this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to their ancestors. ETHNONYMS: Kareang, Kariang, Kayin, Pwo, Sgaw, Yang Of the native fauna in the region, large carnivores and ruminants have become rare, with only a few medium-sized mammals being found in the cliffs. 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. There are three principal One relates to their coming from Mande, located to the southwest of the Bandiagara escarpment near Bamako. The degree of complexity of the ceremonies depends upon the age and status of the deceased male. Some of the most beautiful sights to see in China are the classical Suzhou gardens. [22] They were primarily symbolized by the sun, which was a female symbol in the religion. Although Temple fails to prove its antiquity, the evidence for the recent acquisition of the information is still entirely circumstantial. African religions: Ritual and religious specialists. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. [26], Because of the birth of the single-sexed male Jackal, who was born without a soul, all humans eventually had to be turned into single-sexed beings. An enlarged family can count up to a hundred persons and is called guinna. In 1912 a school was established for them in Sanga, followed by a Christian mission in the 1930s, and later a medical dispensary. Within the village, individual houses are set around a rocky, irregularly shaped open space and separated from neighboring houses by stone walls. 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. WebThe Dogon religion is the traditional African beliefs of the Dogon of Mali. Dogon damas include the use of many masks, which they wore by securing them in their teeth, and statuettes. Palau Marti, Montserrat (1957). 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. 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. [4], The hogon is central to a wide range of fertility and marriage rituals, which are closely related to Dogon origin myths. & Hollyman, Stephenie (photographs) & Walter E.A. [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. 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. Whether on the high plateau, the cliff-faces, or on the plain, the Dogon have exploited all the elements available to build their villages that reflect their ingenuity and their philosophy of life and death. In certain cultural areas, the Dogon villages comprise numerous granaries, for the most part square with a thatched tapering roof. Ogotemmli classified the Nummo as hermaphrodites. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. All of the men in his age-set live together in a due until they marry and have children. Elaborate ceremonial stools of this kind were owned by the hogon, the supreme religious and political leader in each The wet season begins in June and continues through October, with cool and hot dry seasons the remainder of the year. Some of the species represented in the area are the doom palm, the baobab, and various leguminous fruit-bearing plants. Trade. Since the late 20th century, the Dogon have developed peaceful trading relationships with other societies and have thereby increased variety in their diets. This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 14:24. The principal domestic animals are sheep, goats, donkeys, dogs, chickens, guinea fowls, ducks, some cattle, a few horses, and cats. It was first inhabited by the Tellem, Stone Age hunters, at least 10,000 years ago. This enigmatic figure is an ancestor figure from the Dogon people of Mali. 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. This marks the end of their youth, and they are initiated. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! Dogon CultureProfane and Arcane . Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. Medicine. Kanaga mask in three pieces; 20th century; 108 x 59.1 x 22.9cm (42.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12 x 2314 x 9 in); Brooklyn Museum (New York City), Person wearing a Walu mask, based on an antelope, Figure of a seated musician (koro player); late 18th century; 55.8 x 17.7 x 10.8cm (22 x 7 x 414 in. One example: 'If a Sirius-C is ever discovered and found to be a red dwarf, I will conclude that the Dogon information has been fully validated. After his election, he has to follow a six-month initiation period, during which he is not allowed to shave or wash. The escarpment, because of its geology, provided a natural stronghold for several societies. Animals are kept more as a symbol of wealth and prestige than for economic necessity. WebDogon or Tellem peoples (?) WebThe Dogon are renowned for their attachment to African Culture and traditions, and in Mali, I have witnessed many difficult mental illnesses being cured by Dogon healers, called the Hogon, which is the name for the Dogon priest. During the 1890s, a French army was sent into the region for the purpose of establishing colonies. A man may now sell a field allotted to him in the distribution of ginna property, but the sale is always revocable, and the ginna may recover the property upon the death of the seller through the reimbursement of the purchase price to the buyer. The orbit cycle takes 50 years. Paulme, Denise (1940). The most ancient dialects are dyamsay and tombo, the former being most frequently used for traditional prayers and ritual chants. The Awa is a masked dance society that holds ritual and social importance. The Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. Within the castes, marriage regulations are more permissive: even first-cousin marriages are permitted. The spread of Islam throughout Africa has brought about some degree of change in the basic religious orientation of the Dogon. The Dogon are best identified for their religious traditions, the mask dances, wooden He is elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage of the village. Demography. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? Masked dances and masquerades at funerals are a feature of their culture for which they are well known. In addition to agriculture, the women gather wild fruits, tubers, nuts, and honey in the bush outside of village borders. ETHNONYM: Panjabi (2008). The problem of "twin births" versus "single births", or androgyny versus single-sexed beings, was said to contribute to a disorder at the beginning of time. Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. Other crops include sesame, maize, peanuts, yams, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, okra, watermelons, papayas, some figs, gourds, and cotton. The Dogon primarily sell agricultural commodities: onions, grain, cotton, and tobacco. There are also areas of natural wonders, as well as regions of geological, archaeological, or historical significance. [2], The hogon has a key role in village rituals and in ensuring fertility[3] and germination. The circumcision is celebrated and the initiated boys go around and receive presents. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Identification. Paris: Institut d'Ethnologie. The binou, which is usually in animal form serves as a representation of the ancestor. (February 23, 2023). 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. Kado), a Fulbe word meaning "stranger" or "pagan.". The Kanaga masqueraders, at one point, dance and sit next to the bundkamba, which represents the deceased. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Each village celebrates for around a year before the 'sigi' moves to the next village. 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. Each village is composed of one main lineage (occasionally, multiple lineages make up a single village) traced through the male line. 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. 15th19th century. A secret language known as sigi so is used by members of the men's society (awa ) in connection with religious rites. Unlike norms for the rest of society, parallel-cousin marriage is allowed within castes. The Another example is the custom of elaborate greetings whenever one Dogon meets another. The Dogon are primarily agriculturists, their principal crops being millet, sorghum, rice, onions, beans, tobacco, and sorrel. The Dogon are primarily agriculturalists and cultivate millet, sorghum and rice, as well as onions, tobacco, peanuts, and some other vegetables. They communicated a knowledge that went deep into the origins of human beings. Ciarcia, Gaetano "Dogons et Dogon. She returns to her home at night. 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. 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