Ceremonies. 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. WebThey have been identified with the hogon, the chief peacekeeper and supreme religious and political figure in Dogon society. [37] Women have no right to learn Sigui So. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. Each isolated village or district (canton) in the region has a headman or chief (hogon) who has both religious and judicial responsibilities. Orientation 5 (December 1991), pp. 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). In Dogon thought, males and females are born with both sexual components. 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). 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. 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. 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. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. Their bodies are treated However, even in polygynous marriages, it is rare for a man to have more than two wives. (2003), Wanono, Nadine & Renaudeau, Michel (1996), Hochstetler, J. Lee, Durieux, J. This was to prevent a being like the Jackal from ever being born on Earth again. At present I am a Read More. 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). Succession to office is patrilineal (by younger brother). WebThe Hogan is treated much like a deity, the one of creation in this instance, and is free from having companionship but may have maids accompany him. Their eyes were red, their tongues forked, and their arms flexible and unjointed.[21]. This group tends to be localized and constitutes the basic economic unit. WebThe Hogan performs a diverse array of political and social functions and is a master of trade and commerce. 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. The Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. Orientation It is advisable to hire a guide with a car as the area is remote. In a polygynous marriage, the wives reside in separate houses within the husband's compound. Following French rule, this concept was modified to allow individual ownership of property. [6], According to legend, the first hogon, Lebe, was descended from a nommo. After his election, he has to follow a six-month initiation period, during which he is not allowed to shave or wash. Marriage. For the ethnic group of the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north of Ghana, see. During this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to their ancestors. Each district had its own recognized war leaders. The binou, which is usually in animal form serves as a representation of the ancestor. 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. Unfortunately, the majority of these animistic spiritual practices tend to disappear with the younger generations and the widespread adoption of Islam. The blind Dogon elder Ogotemmeli taught the main symbols of the Dogon religion to French anthropologist Marcel Griaule in October 1946. The Kanaga masqueraders, at one point, dance and sit next to the bundkamba, which represents the deceased. The escarpment is rich in archaeological discoveries both from the Dogon and the earlier Tellem society. The development of tourism in the Dogon Country and the Hombori Mountains (Mali) . [23] They were symbolized by the colour red, a female symbol. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. 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. . Interest in other seemingly falsifiable claims, namely concerning a red dwarf star orbiting around Sirius (not hypothesized until the 1950s), led him to entertain a previous challenge by Temple, asserting that "Temple offered another line of reasoning. Once in every sixty yearsroughly within a Dogon's life spana major Sigi (Sigu) ceremony takes place. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. The horse, symbolizing power and wealth, is Ritual dance of Dogon County (Gleeson, G / CC BY 2.0 ). Although some Dogon accepted the new regime, many strongly opposed and resisted it for many years. 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. 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). Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. Wood, covered with sacrifical materials, Seated Couple, Dogon, Mali. [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. [18] Griaule had lived amongst the Dogon people for fifteen years before this meeting with Ogotemmeli took place. [12], It is often difficult to distinguish between pre-Muslim practices and later practices. Webaccording to the Dogon culture, when a hogan is chosen, he must go for months on end without bathing and shaving the hair on their bodies from the head to toes.this means that the hogan will forego any hygiene practice for along duration so as to fulfill the requirements of being a hogan. Each large district has a hogon, or spiritual leader, and there is a supreme hogon for the whole country. Religious Practitioners. 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. . Dogon CultureProfane and Arcane . ); Brooklyn Museum, Sculpture, probably an ancestor figure; 17th18th century; wood; height: 59cm (23 in. "The dual soul is a danger; a man should be male, and a woman female. About 10 percent of the Dogon are Christians. Themes found throughout Dogon sculpture consist of figures with raised arms, superimposed bearded figures, horsemen, stools with caryatids, women with children, figures covering their faces, women grinding pearl millet, women bearing vessels on their heads, donkeys bearing cups, musicians, dogs, quadruped-shaped troughs or benches, figures bending from the waist, mirror-images, aproned figures, and standing figures (Laude, 4652). Caste boys do not get circumcised.[31]. Medicine. Monogamy is the major form of marriage, although nonsororal polygyny with a limit of two wives is permitted. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? Above the lineage is the much larger kin group called the clan, from which the various lineages emerge. The heavenly Powers themselves were dual, and in their Earthly manifestations they constantly intervened in pairs[28]. In a recent overview of the NigerCongo family, Dogon is treated as an independent branch.[3]. Of the many fascinating fossil sites in Africa, an important one is the Cradle of Humankind outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (2008). The Yana Gulay mask's purpose is to impersonate a Fulani woman, and is made from cotton cloth and cowl shells. Another 10% practices Christianity. Historically, Dogon villages were established in the Bandiagara area a thousand years ago because the people collectively refused to convert to Islam and retreated from areas controlled by Muslims.[5]. 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. Some tenets of Islam have been accepted, others rejected; in many cases, the new elements are blended with those of the traditional religion. Those who follow this spiritual path believe in one Supreme Creator, Amma (or Ama [9] ), [10] the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Creator. Dieterlen, G., 1955. 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. Nobody should touch the hogon. "Mythes et organisation sociale au Soudan franais". Dogon art consists primarily of sculptures. "[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. The Dogon believes that the sacred serpent Lebe comes during the night to purify him and communicate wisdom to him. Once a boy is circumcised, he transitions into young adulthood and moves out of his father's house. 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. 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. The degree of complexity of the ceremonies depends upon the age and status of the deceased male. 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. They make music on a special instrument that is made of a rod of wood and calabashes that makes the sound of a rattle. 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. van Beek (text) (2001). Also regional and dialect group names: Chinbok, Chinbon, Dai, Kuku, Lai (s, Karen [32]) Rites of circumcision enable each sex to assume its proper physical identity. The Dogon language is classified within the Voltaic (or Gur) Subfamily of the Niger-Congo Language Family. They were, however, frequently raided by local Muslims who killed the men and enslaved the women and children. 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