Looking under the hood

Yes... it's been a few days; but we are now back in Bamako safe and sound, and soon to be coming home.   Not to worry, but we weren't feeling very well the past few days.  Lots of sleep, antibiotics, and the care of the Missionary Sisters will fix just about anything but homesickness.  Enough about that.  Let's get back to our trip...

As is usually the case, all things and experiences can be perceived superficially.  Nothing wrong with that, but for me it's so much more satisfying to dig a little deeper.

Looking at the outside layer of Dogon Country, it is Beautiful, Cultural, and Challenging... and Hot, Dirty, and... Challenging !!  The effects of tourism are evident in this living museum.   You can drive to most of the villages now (not without difficulty and $$$) and this has created some change.  Cell phones are here (recharged on car batteries), the rare TV powered the same way, lodging (loosely termed), souvenirs, some begging and willful solicitation, in addition to religion.

The original inhabitants of these cliffs were called Tellum (we could go farther back but then it gets fuzzy).  These people were very small physically and lived in tiny dwellings within the cliff's caves and crevices in the 11th - 14th centuries.  Old cliff dwellings  They scaled these cliffs via ropes to live in safety from the abundance of wild animals that populated the now historical forest of the current plain.  The Tellum were Animists.  There are other words that we could use to describe their beliefs in God and worship, not to mention who taught them- but for now we'll just use this Dogon term Animism.  I suspect the Tellum were getting along OK when the Dogon people arrived, migrating from Egypt.  Amidst the turmoil that ensued the Dogon took over the area, learned the Animist beliefs, and often married the Tellum. 

The Dogon have been practising Animists for thousands and thousands of years, which is why I have called this place a Living Museum.  In recent times the Muslim and Christian religion has converted many, and now each village can be categorized as either Animist, or a mixture of all three... in which case each group is clustered around its Mosque, Church, or Temple.  Within the village there is harmony regardless of belief.  For those wondering, our guide Mamadou is an Animist despite his Muslim name.   He told us that even though so many have converted, many homes still maintain a small altar to Amma (their name for God).  It can't hurt to keep all your bases covered. 

So what do Animists believe ??... many books have been written on that topic! They have a strong tie to the stars, although it seems to this observer that only the elder men of the village are currently holding this knowledge of astrology. They believe in offering sacrifice to Amma for just about anything they need or desire. Usually this is in the form of blood, which is held to be very, very sacred to the Dogon. Currently this comes in the form of a prized chicken, or other animal. In the years and centuries past this blood offering has taken other forms. The idea of sacrifice is certainly not new. In today's western world we often call it a donation, tithe, or charity.

The Dogon also have many animals that are considered sacred, and each comes with it's own story. Most notably is the crocodile, fox, turtle, snake, and lizard. Their spiritual leader is called the Hogon.  The Hogon, Dogon Spiritual Leader  At this time there is only one in the entire region. To summarize, he is quite old (ideally well over 100 years), isolated in a village only on the Plateau (he NEVER descends to the plain), and he remains in contact with Amma at the Temple, holding the wisdom and sacred knowledge of the people. Sort of like a Dogon "Pope" with absolutely no finery or luxury to speak of.

The Dogon week is 5 days, and within their language those days are called 1,2,3,4 and 5. The week is based on Market day which is held every five days within each village. Market day is very special and quite social. Neighboring villagers travel quite a distance, carrying a lot to sell, usually on their heads. When anyone greets another in this land it takes approximatley 5 mins to complete the ritual. It's a magical thing to observe. The exchange actually sounds like a song.

Eating with the Dogon: It's simple. You are offered encampment food which is a choice of rice, couscous, or pasta. The topping is usually a stew of tomatoes and onions. Lunch and Dinner... same-same. A few times I was also given chicken, and once a plate of beans. The food is very filling and serves it's purpose. Here is a typical conversation: Mamadou: "what would you like for lunch?" Debra: "OH, what do they have?" Mamadou: "rice, couscous, or pasta" Debra: "well, we had rice for lunch, and couscous last night. How about Pasta ??"

Funny Quote:  When describing the Dogon's migration from Egypt, Mamadou said "Yeah, Egypt is an old town"  We all laughed so hard at this understatement.  Old indeed!!

Thoughts on Blending: 

• Who among you doesn't have a story about their family origins, and what you do or don't believe ?
• Who hasn't experienced that common denominator for life... Change ?
• And, what major metropolitan city doesn't have a Chinatown ?