Page 25 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 4
P. 25
TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE
DOGON TRIBE
of MALI ANCIENT AFRIKAN ASTRONOMERS
The Dogon are an agrarian, patrilineal peo- Society
ple group who live in present day Mali. The Dogon have a spiritual leader
called the Hogon, who is usually
Forced into their current location due to the oldest and most respected
attacks faced from another community, they male. He provides guidance and
settled and built against the natural fortifica- wisdom from the ages, which has
tions of the Bandiagara escarpment, while been passed down from genera-
enjoying access to fresh, clean water from a tion to generation.
source nearby. As they grew in number, they
ran out of space to build on the escarpment The Dogon live aware that there is
and expanded to the plains below. both good and bad in everything
and everyone, so they watch all Dogon symbol of
Way of life things closely to ensure that the meditation. The spiral.
The Dogon mainly practice agriculture, bad does not overbalance. Words
farming mainly millet and trading with their are carefully measured, accusing
neighbors around them, such as the Fulani. one's neighbor falsely is taken very
They grow other crops and also hunt, work seriously. The men gather togeth-
with leather, wood and metal. They lived er in a Toguna to discuss matters
and continue to live in relative isolation to pertaining to the society. This is a
the rest of the communities around them. hut that has a roof that is too low
Resisting the influences of Islam and Chris- for one to stand up straight in, to
tianity and - for the most part - holding on discourage violence if a disagree-
firmly to their own traditional practices for ment breaks out. Women are not
the most part. allowed to participate in spiritual or
political activities.
Family life
Many of the Dogon huts built
The Dogon have a very structured soci-
almost flush against the Bandiag-
ety that is carefully delineated along the
ara escarpment, designed to allow
lines of gender, spiritual roles and societal
them live in harmony with their
transitions. They are a patriarchal, polyg-
amous culture with wives of Dogon men environment, color and design
blending in with the background, Carved Dogon door with
only moving into their marital homes after
flat rooftops offering cool sleeping ancient symbols.
they produce a child which marks them as
in the hot season and harvests
being 'officially' married. The Dogon are
protected from the elements under
said to leave a child behind when they leave
to 'make up for' their departure. And also their thatched roof granaries.
to give away children to those who do not
It is said that the arrangement of
have, saying that children always belong to
their houses in their villages is
them anyway.
meant to represent a human body
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