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The Dogon are inhabitants of Mali. They depend mainly on the cultivation of grain crops such as millet for their livelihood. Traditionally they lived in inaccessible villages on steep hill-sides - exhibiting famed skill as mountaineers and climbers, and this isolation encouraged the development of their remarkably intricate cosmology and mythology and more than thirty language dialects. To the Dogon, myths and symbolism are as real as the material form of things, and every aspect of social life reflects the working of the universe.
Dogon villages, for instance, are laid out in such a way as to symbolize the world egg out of which all life is believed to originate. Each district has its own spiritual leader, or hogon; nevertheless, the knowledge of myths and symbols is not confined to a priest-caste but is open to anyone who has the patience and intelligence to learn. The Dogon houses are called a ginna and are made in the shape of a human body. Each Dogon village also has a togu na or man's shelter where the men and village elders loaf around, talk and smoke, and women are barred.
 Research Dogon
Ireli is a Dogon village in Mali.
Research Ireli
The Republic of Mali is a country in north west Africa. It has a total area of 1,240,000 km2. The climate is subtropical to arid; hot and dry from February to June and rainy, humid, and mild from June to November; and cool and dry from November to February. The terrain is mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savannah in the south, and rugged hills in the north-east Natural resources are gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited. The religion is mainly animist with some followers of Islam and some christians. The official language is French with Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population and numerous Dogon dialects also being spoken.
From the 4th until the 11th centuries, the area that is now Mali was part of the kingdom of Ghana, and from the 7th to the 15th centuries part of the Muslim Mali Empire. In 1591 Mali was invaded by Morocco and divided into small kingdoms. In 1895 Mali became part of the French colony of Sudan, in 1959 forming the Federation of Mali with senegal and in 1960 when Senegal left the federation Mali became an independent republic.
Research Mali
Pegue is a Dogon village in Mali.
Research Pegue
Teli is a Dogon village in Mali.
Research Teli
A togu na is a Dogon village 'men's house' where village males of any age may sit in the shade, talk, smoke and socialise away from all women. Togu na are round in shape, and consist of a millet-stalk gently curved thatched roof supported on pillars carved to look somewhat like human beings, the arms and head supporting the roof and the trunk extending down to the stone floor.
Research Togu Na
Bangeri Me is a Dogon language spoken in Mali.
Research Bangeri Me
Bondum Dom is a Dogon language spoken in Mali.
Research Bondum Dom
Dogon is a language spoken in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Research Dogon
Dogul Dom is a Dogon language spoken in Mali.
Research Dogul Dom
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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