Early history is informed by oral traditions, which claim that the Dogon originated from the west bank of the Niger River (10th to 13th centuries) . They emigrated west to northern Burkina Faso, where local histories describe them as kibsi.
When did the Dogon tribe start?
In Mali, West Africa, lives a tribe of people called the Dogon. The Dogon are believed to be of Egyptian decent and their astronomical lore goes back thousands of years to 3200 BC .
Where do the Dogon originally come from?
The ancestors of the Dogon came from Mande, an area in southwest Mali and northeast Guinea that was home to the thirteenth-century Mali empire. The Dogon migrated after the empire's collapse to the cliffs of the Bandiagara plateau.
Did the Dogon tribe come from Egypt?
The Dogon people of Mali are believed to have originated in ancient Egypt , though they have stories of traveling from the Mande kingdom. What is known for sure is that they settled along the sandstone cliffs by the Bandiagara Escarpment probably during the 15 th or 16 th century.
How many people are in the Dogon tribe?
The Dogon number about 600,000 , and the majority of them live in the rocky hills, mountains, and plateaus of the Bandiagara Escarpment. They are mainly an agricultural people; their few craftsmen, largely metalworkers and leatherworkers, form distinct castes.
What language do Dogon people speak?
Dogon language, language of the Niger-Congo language family spoken by some 600,000 Dogon people in northeastern Mali to the east of Mopti and along the border between Mali and Burkina Faso.
What Dogon means?
1 : a member of a people of Mali noted for their sculpture .
What are Dogon masks made out of?
Following a death, Dogon peoples bury the dead immediately. They dance emina, masks carved from wood and woven from hibiscus fiber , as part of a sequence of rites that are conducted for men long after they are buried.
What were Dogon sculptures traditionally made from?
Made by the complex traditional lost-wax process, these are all small enough to be cast solid. The Dogon used metal for their most important ritual objects as well as everyday objects, farming implements and weapons.
What are Dogon houses made of?
Earth buildings are common in Dogon Country, but the main construction material in Dogon Country is stone , especially on the plateau. Building with stones is more expensive than building with earth, but clay is hard to find in the rocky landscape and stone houses last longer.
Does the Dogon tribe still exist?
Of the 700 Dogon settlements, most have fewer than 500 inhabitants; only six have more than 2,000. The Dogon population has quadrupled over the last 60 years to 300,000 with many Dogon living away from the traditional protection of the cliffs.
What do Dogon people wear?
Dogon masks , such as this one called kanaga, are worn primarily at dama, a collective funerary rite for Dogon men. The ritual's goal is to ensure the safe passage of the spirits of the deceased to the world of the ancestors.
Is Mali a language?
French Language In Mali
The French language used in Mali was introduced by the French colonialists. It was retained as an official language when Mali attained its independence in 1960 . French is the language used in government and in teaching the school curriculum in the education sector.
What is Dogon cosmology?
The Dogon are best known for their religious traditions , their mask dances, wooden sculpture, and their architecture.
Where is Mali in Africa?
Mali, landlocked country of western Africa , mostly in the Saharan and Sahelian regions. Mali is largely flat and arid. The Niger River flows through its interior, functioning as the main trading and transport artery in the country.
Is Dogon a word?
noun, plural Do·gons, (especially collectively) Do·gon for 1. a member of a group of Indigenous people of the mountains of central Mali. the Gur language of the Dogon.
