hogon within the dogon culture

Craft skills are well developed among the Dogon, especially the making of pottery and baskets, weaving, wood carving, and leather- and ironworking. [44] They also claimed that the Dogon appeared to know of the rings of Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter. 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 traditional Dogon society, land was transmitted within the family group (ginna, or lineage), and was considered inalienable property. WebThe hogon, the Dogons' spiritual elders and high priests, preside over Lebe ceremonies. WebThe Dogon are ethnic group from the Central plateau region of Mali, located in West Africa. Another indication of this is the subjectobjectverb basic word order, which Dogon shares with such early NigerCongo branches as Ijoid and Mande. The increase in the number of visitors to the area in recent years has done wonders for tourism, but has sadly damaged the environment and this special cultural landscape. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. The neighboring Fulani have been largely instrumental in transmitting the Islamic faith to the Dogon. 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. He is elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage of the village. Expert Answer Introduction. Masked Dancers of West Africa: The Dogon. The Dogon are best identified for their religious traditions, the mask dances, wooden Women are forbidden from joining and prohibited from learning sigi so. 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. Nobody should touch the hogon. In the shadowy world of ancient warfare, one weapon stood out as a true marvel: Greek fire. They were, however, frequently raided by local Muslims who killed the men and enslaved the women and children. Dogon door with stylized figures (Wegmann, M/ CC BY 3.0 ). But Islamic law classified the Dogon and many other ethnicities of the region (Mossi, Gurma, Bobo, Busa and the Yoruba) as being within the non-canon dar al-harb and consequently fair game for slave raids organized by merchants. 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. They were one of the last people in West Africa to lose their independence and come under French rule.[18]. This enigmatic figure is an ancestor figure from the Dogon people of Mali. The appealing factor lies in many raw, visual, fetishized pursuits and compelling cultural narratives. 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". 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. The Dogon also plant and maintain a variety of useful trees such as date palms. The Hogon is the spiritual and political leader of the village. All initiated Dogon men participate in Awa, with the exception of some caste members. 'Sigi' is a society-wide ritual to honor and recognize the first ancestors. Some young men will hunt for small game, but wild animals are relatively scarce near villages. Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. How the Dogon Preserved Their Unique Culture Along The Cliff 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. Work activities are clearly differentiated. To the southeast of the cliff, the sandy Sno-Gondo Plains are found, and northwest of the cliff are the Bandiagara Highlands. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In conjunction with the council of elders, he makes decisions concerning public affairs. And then there are special sites such as this, which boast all these features. 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. Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. Because the word sewa is so commonly repeated throughout a Dogon village, neighboring peoples have dubbed the Dogon the sewa people. [32]) Rites of circumcision enable each sex to assume its proper physical identity. The importance of secrecy is due to the symbolic meaning behind the pieces and the process by which they are made. In another case of natures wrath rearing its head, flash floods have struck the iconic world heritage site at Petra, Jordan, forcing the evacuation of 1,700 tourists . 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. 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. The hogon is assisted in office by a sacrificial totem priest (yebene ), three bodyguards or policemen, a public crier or herald, and an ambassador who deals with other districts. Demography. At present I am a Read More. 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. 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). The spread of Islam throughout Africa has brought about some degree of change in the basic religious orientation of the Dogon. They have been linked to the Mande subfamily but also to Gur. The yingim and the danyim rituals each last a few days. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Minor regional dialectal differences exist. [19] What makes the record so important from a historical perspective is that the Dogon people were still living in their oral culture at the time their religion was recorded. Associated with regeneration It has a strict code of etiquette, obligations, interdicts, and a secret language (sigi so). 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. Villages usually contain a single localized lineage whose dwellings are grouped around the "great house" (ginna ) of the head. 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 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). ); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City). 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). 16-19th century. This was to prevent a being like the Jackal from ever being born on Earth again. Each Dogon village, or enlarged family, is headed by one male elder. In referring to relatives, linguistic usage distinguishes between the forms of address and the specific relationship. ETHNONYMS: Chelofes, Galofes, Guiolof, Gyloffes, Ialofes, Iolof, Jalof, Jolof, Olof, Ouoloff, Valaf, Volof, Wollufs, Yaloffs, Yolof 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). 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. 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. 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. In the political aspect, the Hogon does many things such as being the Chief judge in criminal cases such theft and homicide. The Awa is a masked dance society that holds ritual and social importance. "The dual soul is a danger; a man should be male, and a woman female. 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. Their images or figures appeared on the female side of the Dogon sanctuary. [citation needed] After a couple has had children together, divorce is a rare and serious matter, and it requires the participation of the whole village. [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. Omissions? 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. WebIn this short article, the authors present a brief and clear-cut account of the relationship between the Dogon cosmogony and their social organization in terms of a discussion of It seems likely that the Dogon people are an amalgamation of several groups who resisted Islamization. A virgin who has not yet had her period takes care of him, cleans his house, and prepares his meals. She returns to her home at night. Dogon art consists primarily of sculptures. Beierle, John "Dogon Every four days, Dogon people participate in markets with neighboring tribes, such as the Fulani and the Dyula. 16th-20th Century. "[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". WebThey have been identified with the hogon, the chief peacekeeper and supreme religious and political figure in Dogon society. 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 Dogons are a distinct ethnic group with their own culture and religious beliefs. WebThe Hogon must live alone in his house. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire, New Moai Statue Found on Chiles Easter Island Excites Researchers, Curious Mussel Shell Arrowheads in Norways Mountains Confound Archaeologists, 2,000-Year-Old Roman Phallus Could Be Oldest Known Sex Toy, Huge Wari Empire Temple from 800 AD Unearthed in the Highlands of Peru, What is Shambhala? In a polygynous marriage, the wives reside in separate houses within the husband's compound. [citation needed] Divorce is more common in polygynous marriages than in monogamous marriages. Descended from the founding ancestor Dyon, the hogon The yingim consists of both the sacrifice of cows, or other valuable animals, and mock combat. The Iraqi city of Erbil is truly magnificent - and in many ways. A. Religious Practitioners. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! ." On average, a village contains around 44 houses organized around the 'ginna', or head man's house. 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. In Dogon thought, males and females are born with both sexual components. Paris: ditions Domat-Montchrestien, F. Loviton. Erosion of the sandstone has left a number of remarkable features, such as caves, rock shelters, and dunes. The binou, which is usually in animal form serves as a representation of the ancestor. Each district had its own recognized war leaders. 23 Feb. 2023 . The district headman is also head of his lineage and occupies the "great house" (ginna) of that kin group. Some of the most beautiful sights to see in China are the classical Suzhou gardens. WebAlthough 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 "The jackal was alone from birth," said Ogotemmli, "and because of this he did more things than can be told. It contained only about a quarter of the full vocabulary of "Dogo so", the Dogon language. Each isolated village or district (canton) in the region has a headman or chief (hogon) who has both religious and judicial responsibilities. Formally, wives join their husband's household only after the birth of their first child. There are at least five distinct groups of dialects. (February 23, 2023). 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. There are three principal Nearby is a cave where music instruments are stored. Their eyes were red, their tongues forked, and their arms flexible and unjointed.[21]. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Dogon moved into the region of the Bandiagara escarpment in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, probably as a result of the breakup of the Mali Empire at the beginning of the fifteenth century. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. His saliva is the source of the life-giving humidity, and his foot must not touch the earth directly or the ground will dry up. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. 575577, Index of African mythology and creation narratives, List of African deities and mythical figures, Traditional African religion and other religions, "Population dynamics and Paleoclimate over the past 3000 years in the Dogon Country, Mali", "Did the Dogon of Mali know about Sirius B? [2] They speak the Dogon languages, which are considered to constitute an independent branch of the NigerCongo language family, meaning that they are not closely related to any other languages. During the danyim, masqueraders perform dances every morning and evening for any period up to six days, depending on that village's practice. 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. 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. Medicine. Dogon CultureProfane and Arcane . The colour white was a symbol of males. Updates? Encyclopedia.com. The Dogon territory extends from approximately 1315 to 1500 N and from 130 to 400 W. The population is concentrated in some 300 villages along a 145-kilometer stretch of escarpment called the Cliffs of Bandiagara. Other fauna include crocodiles (in the swampy areas on the plain), reptiles, monkeys, guenons, guinea hens, hyenas, foxes, panthers, rabbits, and small rodents. The hogon is always a man. 150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time? The development of tourism in the Dogon Country and the Hombori Mountains (Mali) . Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? [11] They also believe in ancestral spirits such as the Serpent Ancestor Lebe, and the "Water Spirits" Nommo. Succession to office is patrilineal (by younger brother). Starting in the northeastern part of Dogon territory, each village takes turns celebrating and hosting elaborate feasts, ceremonies, and festivities. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. This problem has been solved! 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. The Dogon dialects are highly distinct from one another and many varieties are not mutually intelligible, actually amounting to some 12 dialects and 50 sub-dialects. The Dogon migrated after the empire's collapse to the cliffs of the Bandiagara plateau. 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. Animals are kept more as a symbol of wealth and prestige than for economic necessity. The smiths have important ritual powers and are characteristically poor. Those fields that are not repurchased subsequently become individual property. Each village is composed of one main lineage (occasionally, multiple lineages make up a single village) traced through the male line. The principal ceremonies center around agriculture and death. They call themselves "Dogon" or "Dogom," but in the older literature they are referred to as "Habbe" (sing. 5 (December 1991), pp. Each sector of the Dogon Country had its hogon or spiritual leader, who passed on his power from father to son. The escarpment is rich in archaeological discoveries both from the Dogon and the earlier Tellem society. They speak the Dogon languages, which are considered to constitute an independent branch of the WebDogon Female Ancestor Sculpture. Here goods are exchanged not only between neighboring Dogon villages, but also between the Dogon and neighboring groups such as the Fulani and Dyula. Paulme, Denise (1940). 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. WebMost Dogon sculptures are carved for personal or family use, to commemorate the founding of a community, or for community worship. [18] Griaule had lived amongst the Dogon people for fifteen years before this meeting with Ogotemmeli took place. Top image: Cliff of Bandiagara Source: Public Domain, Bolland, R. (1991). 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. The household is usually an extended family consisting of both nuclear and polygynous units. 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. Craft specialization is determined by gender and caste. Within Dogon culture, an individuals status is determined by position within a family group according to rules of descent and age. In China: out of Place in Time throughout Africa has brought about some degree of in! 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