-

 

Dogon Granary Door

Dogon granary doors are intricately carved, wooden doors that adorned granaries, serving both functional and symbolic purposes for the Dogon people of Mali. These doors, often depicting ancestor figures or spiritual beings, protected the food storage and represented the Dogon's connection to the spiritual world and the importance of fertility and agriculture.

Function and Symbolism:
Protection:

The doors, especially those with ancestor figures or Kanaga masks, were believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the stored grain from harm.

Status:

The complexity and elaborateness of a door's design often reflected the status of the family it protected.

Ancestral Connection:

The carved figures, particularly those representing ancestors, symbolized the Dogon's lineage and the importance of honoring their ancestors.

Fertility and Agriculture:

The presence of Kanaga masks and bird motifs, which are associated with fertility, highlighted the Dogon's deep connection to agriculture and their need to protect their food supply.

Cosmological Significance:

Dogon granary doors also reflected their cosmogony and spiritual beliefs, with figures and symbols representing the creation myth and the relationship between the divine and the human world.

Carving and Materials:

Dogon granary doors were traditionally carved from hard, durable wood, such as the toro tree. Blacksmiths often used a combination of carving, etching with heated tools, and charring techniques to create detailed designs. The finished doors were often treated with a solution from the seedpods of the bagana tree to preserve the carvings.


The Dogon People


The Dogon are an ethnic group in Mali, West Africa, known for their unique religious traditions, mask dances, wooden sculptures, and architecture, with a population estimated between 400,000 and 800,000. They are also known for their oral traditions, including a creation myth that includes knowledge of the star system Sirius and its binary companion Sirius B.

Location and History:

The Dogon live primarily in the Bandiagara region of Mali, on the Bandiagara escarpment, a rugged area with cliffs that provided natural protection. They are believed to have migrated to the area in waves between the 13th and 15th centuries, settling in the region and potentially intermixing with existing inhabitants. Their oral traditions suggest they may have come from the Niger River region, fleeing Islamic kingdoms. The Dogon are a patrilineal society, with family members belonging to their father's clan and sharing a common village surname.

Culture and Beliefs:

The Dogon have a complex and unique religious system, centered around the creator god Amma and ancestor worship. They believe in various spirits, both malevolent and benevolent, that inhabit the bush, trees, and uninhabited places. Their cosmology includes the belief that the universe began as a single, undifferentiated mass, which Amma then transformed into the celestial sphere, planets, and stars. The Dogon are known for their intricate mask dances and ceremonies, which are important for rituals, including death rituals like the dama ceremony that escorts the deceased to the spirit world. They also have a Hogon, a spiritual and political leader of the village, elected from among the oldest men of the dominant lineage. The Dogon are known for their Kanaga mask, which has two crossbars at the top and a long vertical bar in between, symbolizing the connection between the earth and the heavens. The Dogon also have a unique creation myth that includes the belief that the star system Sirius and its binary companion Sirius B were known to them through oral traditions, dating back thousands of years.

Social Structure and Economy:

Dogon villages are structured around occupation status, with farmers highly revered. They practice subsistence agriculture, growing millet, sorghum, rice, and other crops. Their social organization is based on kinship, with exogamous patrilineal lineages. They also have various endogamous labor castes, including iron, leather, and wood workers, oral historians, musicians, and farmers. Dogon buildings are made of mud and logs.

Dogon Caste System:

The Dogon maintain a kind of caste system based on occupation, with farmers at the top and blacksmiths and hunters lower on the scale.

Dogon Language:

The Dogon people of Mali and Burkina Faso primarily speak the Dogon language, which belongs to the Niger-Congo family. While French is the official language, many Dogon individuals, including those not familiar with French, use the Dogon language. The language is diverse, with over 15 dialects and numerous sub-dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible.

Videos:

The Dogon- In Search Of The Dark Star



The Sound Of Dogon Language

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Baule Monkey

-
Image
  The Baule  Monkey In Baule culture, "Mbra" monkey figures are powerful, secret sculptures used by diviners and men's associations for protection, often kept hidden in the bush and considered dangerous to women. These monkey-like sculptures, sometimes referred to as "Gbekre," are considered powerful figures used in rituals and divination. Purpose and Significance: They are used for divination and spiritual protection of families and larger social units. They are owned by trance diviners and certain families and kept hidden outside under a shelter. They are believed to be dangerous to women and are kept secret. They are associated with the bush and receive sacrificial offerings directly on the sculpture. Appearance: These sculptures are usually no more than two feet tall, with a square muzzle, pointed teeth, and cupped hands held in front of the body. Some even grasp a cup, and they are always male and typically wear a loincloth made of actual fabric. ...
Read more

Dogon Female Figure

-
Image
Dogon Female Figure Dogon art, particularly the standing male and female figures, often depicts primordial ancestors or ideal social units, with the male figure sometimes shown as a protector and the female as a nurturer, often with a child, reflecting their complementary roles in Dogon society. Primordial Ancestors: Male and female couples are a common theme, suggesting the primordial ancestors to whom all Dogon people trace their origins. Ideal Social Unit: The sculptures, particularly seated or standing couples, represent the culture's concept of an ideal social unit, with the male often shown as a protector and provider, and the female as a nurturer. Dogon Religion: The Dogon have a complex mythology and believe in a pantheon of spirits and supernatural beings, with sculptures serving as intermediaries between the world of the living and that of the spirits. Rituals and Ceremonies: These statues are frequently used in rituals and religious ceremonies. Dogon Mask...
Read more

Chameleon Mask

-
Image
Chameleon Mask  Bwa and Nuna Chameleon Mask   The Bwa and Nuna are distinct but related ethnic groups in Burkina Faso, known for their traditional masks and beliefs, particularly their connection to nature spirits and the use of masks in rituals and ceremonies. The chameleon, due to its capacity to physically mutate in nature and adapt to its surroundings, is an important symbol of wisdom. Among certain Voltaic ethnic groups, patterns of geometric lines colored red white and black, communicate important spiritual messages. Voltaic ethnic groups, also known as Gur, are a major cultural group in West Africa. Voltaic peoples are concentrated in Burkina Faso, with significant populations also in northern Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, and parts of Mali. Bwa and Nuna Map The Bwa People: Primarily live in the dry savannah land of central Burkina Faso. Traditional Masks: Known for their use of traditional tribal masks, including tall plank masks (nwantantay) made of wood. Southern...
Read more