TheDogon religion is thetraditional religious orspiritual beliefs of theDogon people ofMali. Dogons who adhere to the Dogon religion believe in one SupremeCreator calledAmma (or Ama).[1][2] They also believe in ancestral spirits known as theNommo also referred to as "Water Spirits".[3]Veneration of the dead is an important element in their spiritual belief. They hold ritualmask dances immediately after the death of a person and sometimes long after they have passed on to thenext life.[4] Twins, "the need for duality and the doubling of individual lives" (masculine and feminine principles) is a fundamental element in their belief system. Like othertraditional African religions, balance, and reverence for nature are also key elements.[5]
The Dogon religion is an ancient religion or spiritual system.[6][7]
The Dogon religion,cosmogony, cosmology andastronomy have been subjects of intense study byethnologists andanthropologists since the 1930s. One of the first Western writers to document Dogon's religious beliefs was the French ethnologistMarcel Griaule—who interviewed theDogon high priest and elderOgotommeli back in the early 1930s. In a thirty-three-day interview, Ogotommeli disclosed to Griaule the Dogon's belief system resulting in his famous bookDieu D'eau orConversations With Ogotemmeli, originally published in 1948 asDieu D'eau. That book by Griaule has been the go–to reference book for subsequent generations of ethnologists and anthropologists writing about Dogon religion, cosmogony,cosmology, and astronomy.[8][9][10][11]
Dogon cosmology and astronomy are broad and complex. Like some of the otherAfrican groups in theUpper Niger, and other parts ofthe continent, they have a huge repertoire of "system of signs" which are religious in nature. This, according to Griaule and his former studentGermaine Dieterlen, includes "their own systems of astronomy and calendrical measurements, methods of calculation and extensive anatomical and physiological knowledge, as well as a systematicpharmacopoeia".[11][12][13]
The Dogon religion teaches that, it was through Amma's powers which brought forth the creation of the universe,matter, and thebiological processes ofreproduction.[10] With such a complex belief system, Amma, theSky God, is the head of the Dogontriumvirate; the others being the Water God –Nommo; and the Earth God – Lewe or Lebe.[1]
Amma is genderless, and maybe regarded ashe,she, orit, depending on which aspect of its principles one is trying to appease. The Deity symbolizes both themasculine andfeminine principles. As such, it is genderless or being of dual gender, which invokes balance, duality and pairing of opposites. The cosmological concepts of balance, duality and opposites are found in all facets of Dogon spirituality and culture.[15] This is "consistent with the male and female aspects of biological reproduction that Amma symbolizes."[15]
Religious sacrifice (Bulo, a word forsacrifice intheir language[16]) and rituals are directed to Amma.Carved figurines which act as "representations of the living" are also produced. These figurines are not a physical representation of the Divine, but merely serve as mediators orinterceders between the living world and the Divine.[17][1][18]
A grasp ofDogon's mask culture and their concept ofnyama are important for a greater understanding Dogon's concept of death and the afterlife. King describesnyama in the following terms:
During the 1960s, nommo was defined by black cultural scholars andAfricanists as the spiritual-physical energy of "the word" that conjures being through naming. It is the seed of word, water, and life in one that brings to the body its vital human force called the nyama. Nommo controls the nyama by naming and unnaming it—calling it forth. A "body" existence without the liberated life force of the nyama (what I call the "flesh") is worse than dead. It is dehumanized.[19]
The Dogon attributes the origins of masks to beings they refer to asAndoumboulou. The first masks were made of fiber. Although women eventually acquired them, and later men, their function was not apparent to the Dogon until the ancestors started dying. The first ancestor to suffer death did so in the form of asnake. As common in otherAfrican beliefs and cosmogonies such as in theSerer myth, a serpent death represents the process of transforming into spirit form. When people realized the negative effects of thenyama released by death, the ancestors decided to carve a mask so that it serves as a support for thenyama. The mask was carved in the form of a snake, symbolizing the dead ancestor. That initial mask, called "imina na" in theDogon languages ("great mask" or "mother of masks") is the style of mask used in theSigi ceremony in order to commemorate this mythic event every sixty years.[20]
Although the face of the mask is in snake form, it is never worn. Instead, the Dogon would display it in a stationary position or while carrying it.Every sixty years during the Sigi ceremony, each Dogon village will make a new "great mask". Following the initial death which prompted the production of the "great mask", other deaths followed, and soon after, the Dogon had to seek other measures to deal with the releasednyama. Initially, the Dogon erected altars for the ancestors while wood figures served as repository for the spiritual forces. As deaths increased, that became insufficient and masks were then made fordama rituals. Thedama is a ritual where the souls of the dead are escorted out of the village and sent to the afterlife permanently. The Dogon have many rituals about death which are important elements of their mask culture.[20]
A four set of masks calledbede, and a carved wooden mask calledsirige are usually put on for thebaga bundo ritual—which is a type of dance held two days after the burial of a man who had participated in a Sigi ceremony. After several years since the passing of the deceased, thedama ritual is performed. Thedama last for six days. Its purpose is to raise the prestige and reputation of the deceased and that of his descendants. A lot of time and resources goes towards the preparation of thedama. It is a very elaborate and costly ritual. During thedama ritual, the Mask Society (theAwa Society) performs in the village plaza, at the deceased's house and in theHogon's sacred fields.[20]
The soul of the dead, which had been localized in the handle of his hoe and in a container of millet beer is then removed from the village—throwned into the bush. Where thedama ritual is performed for a deceased woman, it is not accompanied by mask dancing unless the deceased female was ayasigine—the sole member of the Mask Society.[20]
There are many different types of Dogon masks, some of which represent mammals, reptiles, birds, humans, objects, and abstract concepts. Masks "may be seen as a summary of the people, animal, and things that constitute the Dogon world, a visual accounting of the return to order in the universe following the disruption caused by death."[20]
Like many traditional African religions, the Abrahamic religious concept ofheaven andhell does not exist in Dogon religion. Ancestor veneration is however an important element.Sculptures and masks are normally made by Dogonblacksmiths, who also workiron. There are two types of smiths in Dogon society: thejemo who lives on the plains, and theiru who live on the plateau.[20][21][22]
As with otherWest African ethnic groups, blacksmiths' mastery of earth, air, and fire, and their expertise in making iron tools—which the Dogon people depend on for farming—accords them a privileged position within Dogon society. Both thejemo andiru serve asintermediaries and peacemakers between other Dogons, between the living and the ancestors, and between mankind and Amma, especially on rituals surroundingrainmaking. The respect accorded to blacksmiths derives from their role in the creation myth, in which the first blacksmith is said to have descended from theEmpyrean Heaven in order to bring mankind fire, iron, and seeds for cultivation.[18][23]
As with their rites associated withprocreation duringlife, the image of humanity developing in itsplacenta is also present in theirfuneral rites. When a person dies, their mouth is covered with a muzzle. This ritual symbolizes the wattles of fish. The dead's head is covered with a white band circling the top of his skull. This symbolizes the top of the fish's head. As they send the deceased to the next life, women and girls perform ritual dances mimicking a fish—with their arms and hands stretched out in front of them—symbolizing the swimming of fish. These movements are done very subtly. "The assimilations go on because a dead person who continues to preserve his spiritual elements (that is, his basic elements) until the afterlife is said to be like "a fish of heaven."[24]
The Nommo areancestral spirits (sometimes referred to as deities) venerated by the Dogon. The word Nommos is derived from theDogon language meaning "to make one drink." The Nommos are usually described as amphibious,hermaphroditic, fish-like creatures. Folk art depictions of the Nommos show creatures withhumanoid upper torsos, legs/feet, and a fish-like lower torso and tail. The Nommos are also referred to as “Masters of the Water”, “the Monitors”, and "The Teachers”. According to Dogon cosmogony, in primodial time, the Nommo "could not live entirely on land and on their arrival they made a reservoir of water and dived into it."[25]
The Dogon's spiritual leader is calledhogon. According to Dogon cosmogony, there were four pairs of twins, four females and four males. They were ancestors of humans. Of these, Griaule M. (1970, p. 223) refer to the seventh as "The Master of Speech"—alluding to its "masculine" characteristics. In the Dogon tradition, the seventh ancestor's gift to humankind included weaving, music, dress and language.[26]
According toOgotommeli's narrations, "there were no male priests allowed to service in the ancient religion built around the Supreme Being Amma".[7]
The Dogon are known for their masks and dance festivals—which are spiritual in nature although sometimes made for tourists. Theirdances andmasquerades attracts a large number of tourists toDogon country. However, some Dogons are wary of the over-commercialization of their spiritual art form.[27] There are many Dogon festivals some of which are listed below. All these festivals occurs within precise temporal cycles and are occasions for young Dogon men to complete theirinitiation rites and receive knowledge from their father, grandfather, or head of family (ginna bana).[28]
Bulo : Like theXooy divination ceremony of theSerer people ofSenegambia, the Bulo is aNew Year festival celebrated between May and June in Dogon country. It is anagrarian festival marking the beginning of therainy season andmillet cultivation. Unlike the Xooy however—which is presided over by theSaltigue (the Serer priestly class), the Bulo festival is characterized by masked dances and overflowing canaries of millet beer.[29] The Bulo festival signals the start of thesowing season. It takes place during theestival solstice.[28][30]
Sigi : The Sigi (or Sigui) festival pays homage to Dogon's primordial time, and it's a way of atonement and transmitting secret and ancient knowledge to the younger generation. It is mainly about communicating the revelation of speech to men, a ceremony of atonement and initiation, and a way of demanding pardon for the death of an ancestor after the folly and forgetfulness of some young men. It is a long procession that starts and ends in the village ofYouga Dogorou. The Sigi festival is one of the most well known and anticipated Dogon festivals, and perhaps the most important of all the Dogon rituals. The Sigi occurs once every sixty years in the Dogon calendar—determined by the position of the starSirius in thenight sky. A person may only live to witness one Sigi festival, or two if they are lucky to live long enough. The 60-year interval is so precise it has baffled some scholars such as anthropologist and filmmakerJean Rouch—many ofwhose works are about the subject. The 60-years interval also corresponds to the life span of the mystic Dogon ancestor. Every five days, the Dogon would tie a knot on a rope. This constitutes the Dogon week. In so doing, they are able to celebrate the Sigi with such precision. The last 4 Sigi celebrations occurred in 1787, 1847, 1907, and 1967. The next one will be in the year 2027 (as of 2020).[28][24] The Sigi ritual and rituals of its sort which occurs within precise temporal cycles are a way of transmitting knowledge among the Dogon.[28] "Many Dogon rituals use the image of humanity in formation in the placenta of the regeneration universe." The night before the sixtieth anniversary celebration, the male participants enter a bush in an isolated cave and go intofasting—abstaining from food and drink. In the morning of the ceremony, they shave their heads—symbolizing rebirth, an act which endeavours to assimilate them to newborn children. They then put on the Sigi costume and dressed to look likefish. A white cap that represents the head of acatfish is put on. A wide pair of black trousers gathered at the ankles with its tail bifurcated is also put on. The colourblack symbolizes the waters of thewomb. On their chests, they wear some type of crossbelt adonned withcowries which symbolizes the fish's eggs. On their right hands, they hold a crooked staff. This staff, symbolizes the sexual organ ofNommo—the mythical ancestor ofhumans. Along with the staff, they also hold a halfcalabash that they will use to drink the Sigi beer. This imagery symbolizes "Amma's womb" in which the gestation of the universe took place according to Dogon cosmogony.[24] The Sigi runs for several years. The last one ran from 1967 to 1973.
Dama : The Dama ceremony marks the end of bereavement.[30]
Bado : The Bado festival is a festival of the elders which occurs in spring.[28]
^*Griaule, Marcel (1970, (original 1965)),Conversations With Ogotemmêli: an Introduction To Dogon Religious Ideas, p. 97,ISBN978-0-19-519821-8
^Davis, Shawn R.,Dogon Funerals [in]African Art, vol. 35, Issue 2,JSTOR (Organization),University of California, Los Angeles. African Studies Center, African Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles (2002), p. 68
^Andreozzi, Matteo; Massaro, Alma;Stallwood, Kim; and Tonutti, Sabrina;Relations 1.2 - November 2013: Inside the Emotional Lives of Non-human Animals: Part II, LED Edizioni Universitarie (2013), p. 14,ISBN9788879166560 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[3]
^Santillana, Giorgio De; Dechend, Hertha von;Hamlet's Mill: An Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time,David R. Godine Publisher (1977), p. 353,ISBN9780879232153 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[5]
^Griaule, Marcel (1970, (original 1965)),Conversations With Ogotemmêli: an Introduction To Dogon Religious Ideas, p. ix [in] Ogunmodede, Francis Ishola,African Philosophy Down the Ages: 10,000 BC to the Present, Hope Publications (2004),ISBN9789788080114
^Ezra, Kate,Art of the Dogon: Selections from the Lester Wunderman Collection. Volume 21, Issue 4 of African arts. Metropolitan Museum of Art (1988), p. 48[7]
^Paulme, Denise .Organisation sociale des Dogon (Soudan français), F. Loviton (1940), pp. 182—88
^Dieterlen, Germaine; Ganay, Solange de,Le génie des eaux chez les Dogons. Issue 5 of Miscellanea Africana Lebaudy,ISSN1775-3236, P. Geuthner (1942), pp. 6-8
^Griaule, Marcel,Masques Dogons, Volume 33, Institut d'Ethnologie (1938), pp. 48—51
^abcEditor: Bonnefoy, Yves; (translated by: Doniger, Wendy; compiled by: Bonnefoy, Yves),American, African, and Old European Mythologies, University of Chicago Press (1993), p. 124,ISBN9780226064574 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[10]
^Griaule, M.,Conversations with Ogotemmêli (1970, p. 223) [in] Tally, Justine,Toni Morrison's 'Beloved': Origins,Routledge (2008), p. 122,ISBN9781134361311 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[11]
^Bruijn, Mirjam de; & Dijk, Rijk van;The Social Life of Connectivity in Africa,Palgrave Macmillan (2012), pp. 250, 264,ISBN9781137278012 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[12]
Calame-Griaule, Geneviève,Words and the Dogon World, Institute for the Study of Human Issues (1986), p. 301,ISBN9780915980956
Curry, Patrick,Divination: Perspectives for a New Millennium,Routledge (2016), p. 30,ISBN9781317149026 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[19]
Peck, Philip M., '"Recasting Divination Research'" [in]John Pemberton III (ed.),Insight and Artistry in African Divination (Washington, DC and London:Smithsonian Institution Press (2002), pp. 25–33
Imperato, Pascal James,Dogon Cliff Dwellers: The Art of Mali's Mountain People, L. Kahan Gallery/African Arts, (1978), p. 8
Tally, Justine,Toni Morrison's 'Beloved': Origins,Routledge (2008), p. 122,ISBN9781134361311 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[21]
Petit, Véronique,Population Studies and Development from Theory to Fieldwork,Springer (2017), p. 33,ISBN9783319617749 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[22]
Bruijn, Mirjam de; & Dijk, Rijk van;The Social Life of Connectivity in Africa,Palgrave Macmillan (2012), pp. 250, 264,ISBN9781137278012 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[23]
Indian Council for Africa, Indian Centre for Africa;Africa Quarterly, Volumes 45-46, Indian Centre for Africa (2006), p. 51
Griaule, Marcel (1970, (original 1965)),Conversations With Ogotemmêli: an Introduction To Dogon Religious Ideas, p. 97,ISBN978-0-19-519821-8
Santillana, Giorgio De; Dechend, Hertha von;Hamlet's Mill: An Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time,David R. Godine Publisher (1977), p. 353,ISBN9780879232153 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[25]
Ogunmodede, Francis Ishola,African Philosophy Down the Ages: 10,000 BC to the Present, Hope Publications (2004),ISBN9789788080114
Davis, Shawn R.,Dogon Funerals [in] African Art, vol. 35, Issue 2,JSTOR (Organization),University of California, Los Angeles. African Studies Center, African Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles (2002), p. 68
Andian Council for Africa, Indian Centre for Africa;Africa Quarterly, Volumes 45-46, Indian Centre for Africa (2006), p. 51
Andreozzi, Matteo; Massaro, Alma;Stallwood, Kim; and Tonutti, Sabrina;Relations 1.2 - November 2013: Inside the Emotional Lives of Non-human Animals: Part II, LED Edizioni Universitarie (2013), p. 14,ISBN9788879166560 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[28]
Paulme, Denise .Organisation sociale des Dogon (Soudan français), F. Loviton (1940), pp. 182–88
Dieterlen, Germaine; Ganay, Solange de,Le génie des eaux chez les Dogons. Issue 5 of Miscellanea Africana Lebaudy,ISSN1775-3236, P. Geuthner (1942), pp. 6–8
Griaule, Marcel,Masques Dogons, Volume 33, Institut d'Ethnologie (1938), pp. 48–51
Editor: Bonnefoy, Yves; (translated by: Doniger, Wendy; compiled by: Bonnefoy, Yves),American, African, and Old European Mythologies, University of Chicago Press (1993), p. 124,ISBN9780226064574 (retrieved March 3, 2020)[30]
