Advertisement
Published: April 15th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Granaries in Begnimato
The fella climbing towards me was a hunter who tryed to sell me some great big rats he had shot that morning. No thanks I'll stick to weetabix. If I pass someone I know on the street, I might say "hello", "ay-up" or "alright?", the person would probably reply with the same, then we would either stop for a chat or keep walking. In Dogon Country it is a little different. A quick greeting between the Dogon goes like this:
aga po (good morning)
oh (yes)
oh sewa (how are you?)
sewa (fine)
oh mano sewa (how are the family?)
sewa (fine)
oh gari sewa (how is your house?)
sewa (fine)
oh le be rally (congratulations)
oh aah (welcome)
You could also squeeze in "how is your mother?", how is the harvest?", or anything else you can think of. The roles are then reversed and the whole process starts again. Only then can you go your seperate ways or move matters on to the weather or football. It takes so long that they often have to shout the last few exchanges seeing as so much distance has passed between them since the greeting started.
The Dogon live on around the Bandiagara Escarpment, a high sandstone cliff stretching about 150km. They used to live high up on the cliff as this offered the greatest protection from
Bandiagara Escarpment and a Baobab Tree
An ox cart seemed a very appropriate way to travel around Dogon Country. warring tribes, slave raiders and colonial armies. Recently they have moved to the plains above or below the escarpment to be closer to their crops.
Even higher up the cliffs are small cave dwellings where the Tellem used to live. The Tellem were a pygmy people that inhabited the escarpment before the Dogon came along in the 13th century. The caves are unfeasibly high and seemingly inaccessable, hence the Dogon believed that the Tellem could fly. A recent theory suggests the climate used to be wetter and the rocks were covered in vines providing natural ladders.
Despite many Dogon adopting Islam or Christianity, most still retain animist beliefs, and their own religions and ways are fascinating. The Dogon believe that the earth, moon and sun were created by Amma, a divine male being. The earth was formed in the shape of a woman, and by her, Amma fathered twin snake-like creatures called Nommo, which Dogon believe are present in streams and pools. Later, Amma made two humans - a man and a woman. When this couple first got it on, the offspring was a hyena. Apparently this was due to the obstructive clitoris so it was removed by
Dogon Village of Teli
It was ag reat view from up on the escarpment of the witches hat granaries and porcupine like mosque. the Nommo, thus justifying female circumcision today. Obviously mutilated girls are more preferable to a load of hyenas running around. Anyway, the circumsion worked because she then gave birth to eight children, who are regarded as the ancestors of all Dogon. The fact that those eight children also later turned into animals did not warrant further surgical intervention.
The Dogon are most well known for their masks and their granaries. The masks are carved wooden affairs, usually animals, that can be a few metres tall. It is one of the few places I have actually bought souvenirs I liked them so much. The little granaries constructed of red earth with thatched tops looking like a witches hat, are a measurement of wealth. The bigger your granary, the better off you'll be during lean times of drought. On the subject of buildings, each village has a very well thought out palabre. This is where the elders meet to make decisions on village matters. Inside, the ceiling is never more than a metre from the ground, therefore, no one can get aggresive seeing as you cannot stand up. We should introduce that design to our Parliament. It would be much more
Old Village of Teli
The old village lies halfway up the escarpment beneath a massive overhang. The Dogon have moved down onto the plain since there is no longer a threat of invasion from other tribes or colonialists. interesting watching them bang their heads as they stood up to jeer.
In the three days that I spent trekking between villages in Dogon country, I only saw one other group of tourists. However, in the high season they say it is packed. The reason for the lack of tourists is because it is currently the hottest time of year, in one of the hottest countries in the world. I put my thermometer out in the sun for ten minutes then I brought it back into the shade because I was worried it would blow up. The temperature measured 58 Degrees Celcius (136 Fahrenheit) and it was still rising. I was drinking seven litres of water a day and still weeing green.
I decided at the beginning of this trip that I would limit myself (and spare everyone else) to one blog per country. This means I cannot tell you about Timbuktu. It was mind blowing to visit such a historically magical place, especially to stay with the Tuareg, but I can't tell you about it. There is even a story I won't tell of how a camel saddle broke and left me dangling by the
Circumcised lads on the way to Dourou
Circumcision is done on a particular day each year. Then all the snipped boys have a sing song and a clap to get gifts from the villagers. testicles from a wooden spike.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.066s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 13; qc: 27; dbt: 0.0272s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb