A Hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who play an important role in Dogon religion . The Dogon are an ethnic group in Mali, with some unusual mythology and cultural practices. [24] (Originally, for the Dogon, man was endowed with a dual soul. 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). Elaborate ceremonial stools of this kind were owned by the hogon, the supreme religious and political leader in each 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). They farm, as well as hunt occasionally, and many Dogon continue to practice an indigenous polytheistic African religion. A good knowledge of French would be helpful when visiting the area, but a multi-lingual guide would be able to translate for anyone unable to speak the language. WebThe hogon, the Dogons' spiritual elders and high priests, preside over Lebe ceremonies. 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). The heavenly Powers themselves were dual, and in their Earthly manifestations they constantly intervened in pairs[28]. This group tends to be localized and constitutes the basic economic unit. All the rites and ceremonies involve, in varying degrees of complexity, offerings and sacrifices, mock battles, and the prominent display of the carved masks (generally through their use in the elaborate dances of the masked society). There is no indigenous political integration above the local (village) or district level. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. 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. However, the gender is deliberately ambiguous, and it may be intended to represent a nommo a mythological hermaphroditic ancestor. 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. Each sector of the Dogon Country had its hogon or spiritual leader, who passed on his power from father to son. For the ethnic group of the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north of Ghana, see. Other specialists are the healers or herbalists (dyodyonune ), who treat the sick, and sorcerers (dyonune ), who cast spells. Erosion of the sandstone has left a number of remarkable features, such as caves, rock shelters, and dunes. These caste groups live apart from the general population. The blind Dogon elder Ogotemmeli taught the main symbols of the Dogon religion to French anthropologist Marcel Griaule in October 1946. Each district had its own recognized war leaders. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The Kanaga masqueraders, at one point, dance and sit next to the bundkamba, which represents the deceased. The Dogon are primarily agriculturalists and cultivate millet, sorghum and rice, as well as onions, tobacco, peanuts, and some other vegetables. This enigmatic figure is an ancestor figure from the Dogon people of Mali. There are at least five distinct groups of dialects. [44] They also claimed that the Dogon appeared to know of the rings of Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter. 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. I View the full answer Previous question Next question Marriage. 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. 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. Prior to the birth of the first child, the wife lives at the home of her parents, while her husband continues to reside in the bachelor quarters where he has lived from the age of 8 to 10. During the colonization of Mali by the French, the inhabitants of the escarpment were able to use caves and tunnels to avoid the Europeans and were able to preserve their way of life. [12] Its head, called the ginna bana, is the oldest living male member of his generation. Craft skills are well developed among the Dogon, especially the making of pottery and baskets, weaving, wood carving, and leather- and ironworking. [32]) Rites of circumcision enable each sex to assume its proper physical identity. The human story begins in Africa. The Dogon numbered 500,000 on the eve of Malis independence on Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Dieterlen, G., 1955. [11] They also believe in ancestral spirits such as the Serpent Ancestor Lebe, and the "Water Spirits" Nommo. Marriages are endogamous in that the people are limited to marry only persons within their clan and within their caste.[29]. [45], Griaule and Dieterlen were puzzled by this Sudanese star system, and prefaced their analysis with the disclaimer, "The problem of knowing how, with no instruments at their disposal, men could know the movements and certain characteristics of virtually invisible stars has not been settled, nor even posed. The dominant form of vegetation on both plain and plateau is the sparse but regular forest of tall trees, which at close range gives the appearance of an immense orchard. ); from Mali, Figure of a kneeling woman; circa 1500; wood; height: 35.2cm (1378 in. 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. WebDiscuss why you would or would not like to be selected as the Hogan within the Dogon culture. But after this generation, human beings were usually born single. [6][7] Archaeological and ethnoarchaeological studies in the Dogon region have been especially revealing about the settlement and environmental history, and about social practices and technologies in this area over several thousands of years. 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. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 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 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. She returns to her home at night. Since the late 20th century, the Dogon have developed peaceful trading relationships with other societies and have thereby increased variety in their diets. Both sexes market, fish, and gather wild foods. The Work activities are clearly differentiated. Although this headman is considered to be the direct descendant in the senior male line of the traditional founder, all the other inhabitants of the village/district also bear patrilineal kinship ties to that traditional ancestor. Orientation Due to the expense, the second traditional funeral rituals, or "damas", are becoming very rare. 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. Hogon live alone and should be celibate, but a village girl may act as a maid. The household is usually an extended family consisting of both nuclear and polygynous units. ); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City). The first wife, or ya biru, holds a higher position in the family relative to any wives from later marriages. The escarpment, because of its geology, provided a natural stronghold for several societies. A hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in Dogon religion. 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. A few villages also keep bees. 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. There are two endogamous castes in Dogon society: the smiths and the leather-workers. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! Another indication of this is the subjectobjectverb basic word order, which Dogon shares with such early NigerCongo branches as Ijoid and Mande. Afterwards, the boys stay for a few days in a hut separated from the rest of the village people, until the wounds have healed. They purchase sugar, salt, European merchandise, and many animal products, such as milk, butter, and dried fish. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. In Dogon thought, males and females are born with both sexual components. Each large district has a hogon, or spiritual leader, and there is a supreme hogon for the whole country. [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. The 'Awa' is characterized by the intricate masks worn by members during rituals. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. "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. After initiation, he wears a red cap, and a pearl bracelet. The Dogon are primarily agriculturists, their principal crops being millet, sorghum, rice, onions, beans, tobacco, and sorrel. Often the buildings are so close to one another that the floors of some houses begin where the roofs of adjacent ones end. Some of the most beautiful sights to see in China are the classical Suzhou gardens. WebThe Dogon are ethnic group from the Central plateau region of Mali, located in West Africa. 23 Feb. 2023 . "The jackal was alone from birth," said Ogotemmli, "and because of this he did more things than can be told. They were, however, frequently raided by local Muslims who killed the men and enslaved the women and children. It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. Two of the most specialized craftsleather- and ironworkingare restricted exclusively to members of a craft caste. The answer is sewa, which means that everything is fine. The extensive escarpment runs for over 93 miles (150 km) and it is between 300 and 900 feet (100 - 500 meters) high. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dogon, Beierle, John "Dogon The authority of the household unit is vested in the father, who controls both the economic and ceremonial functions of the family and demands unquestioning obedience from his offspring. 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 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. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. This practice has been passed down for generations and is always followed, even during winter. The village of Songho has a circumcision cave ornamented with red and white rock paintings of animals and plants. The funerary ceremonies of the Dogon consist of two parts: the initial rites, which take place immediately following death and continue for about a week, and the more elaborate dama rites that terminate the mourning period after an indeterminate period of time. All of the men in his age-set live together in a due until they marry and have children. Succession to office is patrilineal (by younger brother). African art and culture had been a driving inspiration to European modern artists like Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, and Amedeo Modigliani, among others. Today, at least 35% of the Dogon practice Islam. Ciarcia, Gaetano "Dogons et Dogon. Kinship Terminology. It was first inhabited by the Tellem, Stone Age hunters, at least 10,000 years ago. Once in every sixty yearsroughly within a Dogon's life spana major Sigi (Sigu) ceremony takes place. Masques dogons. [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. Circumcision is believed to eliminate the superfluous one. ', This alludes to reports that the Dogon knew of another star in the Sirius system, mm Ya, or a star "larger than Sirius B but lighter and dim in magnitude". Conflict. 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). 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. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Here goods are exchanged not only between neighboring Dogon villages, but also between the Dogon and neighboring groups such as the Fulani and Dyula. Also effective as means of inducing conformity are ridicule and threats of supernatural sanction. [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. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Dogon village along the Bandiagara escarpment. He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. Their images or figures appeared on the female side of the Dogon sanctuary. Villages usually contain a single localized lineage whose dwellings are grouped around the "great house" (ginna ) of the head. He wears white clothes and nobody is allowed to touch him. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. 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. Palau Marti, Montserrat (1957). WebDogon or Tellem peoples (?) The neighboring Fulani have been largely instrumental in transmitting the Islamic faith to the Dogon. The other factor influencing their choice of settlement location was access to water. Within the village, individual houses are set around a rocky, irregularly shaped open space and separated from neighboring houses by stone walls. 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. The hogon is always a man. WebStudy with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Sculpture Tellem, Mali. Griaule, Marcel (1938). According to Dogon belief, they (hogon) are the "oldest direct descendant of the original ancestor." Paris: Institut d'Ethnologie. Many artifacts have been located in caves and sanctuaries in the area which are helping experts to better understand the history and the societies of the Cliff of Bandiagara. 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. Dogon funeral rituals come in two parts. 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. The yingim and the danyim rituals each last a few days. ETHNONYMS: Kareang, Kariang, Kayin, Pwo, Sgaw, Yang Of the many fascinating fossil sites in Africa, an important one is the Cradle of Humankind outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Signs of other contacts and origins are evident in Dogon art. It has a strict code of etiquette, obligations, interdicts, and a secret language (sigi so). Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. The economy of the Sangha region has doubled since then, and its onions are sold as far as the market of Bamako and those of the Ivory Coast. 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. During this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to their ancestors. van Beek (text) (2001). However, even in polygynous marriages, it is rare for a man to have more than two wives. At this time, new masks are carved and dedicated to the ancestors. Linguistic Affiliation. Dogon society is organized by a patrilineal kinship system. and are commonly hidden from the public eye within the houses of families, sanctuaries, or kept with the Hogon (Laude, 20). Thought to have originated as a method to unite and keep peace among Dogon villages, the 'sigi' involves all members of the Dogon people. This chief head is the oldest living son of the ancestor of the local branch of the family. Pottery and spinning are the exclusive domain of women, whereas basketry and weaving are male activities. 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. "Mythes et organisation sociale au Soudan franais". Their eyes were red, their tongues forked, and their arms flexible and unjointed.[21]. The mausoleum was built during the reign of Timur, the ruler of the Timurid Empire. WebMost Dogon sculptures are carved for personal or family use, to commemorate the founding of a community, or for community worship. 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. 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. Another 10% practices Christianity. The spread of Islam throughout Africa has brought about some degree of change in the basic religious orientation of the Dogon. During the yincomoli ceremony, a gourd is smashed over the deceased's wooden bowl, hoe, and bundukamba (burial blanket). 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). Socialization. The cliff is not far from the city of Bandiagara in western Mali. 1000-1500 AD, Dogon Sculpture, Mali. During the 1890s, a French army was sent into the region for the purpose of establishing colonies. The ritual language, "Sigi so" or "language of the Sigui", which was taught to male dignitaries of the Society of the Masks ("awa"), was considered a poor language. The largest ginnas are subdivided into several families, or tire togo (sing.). [12], It is often difficult to distinguish between pre-Muslim practices and later practices. 5 (December 1991), pp. All initiated Dogon men participate in Awa, with the exception of some caste members. Each village is composed of one main lineage (occasionally, multiple lineages make up a single village) traced through the male line. 'We have in the Dogon information a predictive mechanism which it is our duty to test, regardless of our preconceptions.' Another 10% practices Christianity. Paris: ditions Domat-Montchrestien, F. Loviton. 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