Influence of the Dogon People on 20th Century Science

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of “The influence of the Dogon people on 20th century science” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on “Dogan people” and its relation with “the scientific notion”. The research is based on secondary research. It categorically depicts the background and scientific contribution of Dogon people.

In this study we try to explore the concept of “The influence of the Dagon people on 20th century science” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on “Dugan people” and its relation with “the scientific notion”. The research is based on secondary research. It categorically depicts the background and scientific contribution of Dagon people.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Discussion5

Their knowledge6

The Dogon had long been impressive astronomical knowledge:6

The "Petroforms"8

The acquisition of knowledge8

Cannabis10

Dogon Solar System11

Conclusion13

Introduction

The Dogon are an African people of Mali. This population of about 300,000 people occupies the region of the cliffs of Bandiagara in the south of the River Niger and some groups are allocated in the territories adjacent to Burkina Faso.

The Dogon are mainly cultivators of millet and have a special skill as blacksmiths and sculptors. They have contributed a lot to the modern science especially in the field of astronomy. The Dogon language has special features, many variations and many dialects. Each member of this population has four names: a name forbidden, secret another that is "current", which refers to a mother and the name of the class. To avoid problems with other commonly used words, these names are taken from other dialects of the Dogon tribe. Each name has a linguistic meaning. Their ancient animist religion is expressed in ceremonies and ritual dances, in which the masks are the most important symbol. After every sixty years a special event is celebrated called Sigui ceremony. It involves traveling from village to village, which is the loss of immortality by man through the commemoration of the death of the first ancestor Dyongu Seru, represented by a large mask which is carved into the shape of an snake and it is about 10 meters. This unique mask is then stored in a secret cave. The village is built according to human form: the head forms the Togu-na, the house of the word, a low roof where elders gather to discuss important issues in town. The trunk and limbs are occupied from mud houses with their barns having a characteristic cone-shaped thatched roof. The right arm is constituted by the house where the women reside during menstruation as unclean.

Discussion

This population came into contact with the western world after 1920 and in 1931. The French anthropologists Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen settled there for several years to study its culture and traditions. It was the old shaman to reveal the knowledge and the Dogon cosmogony. They spoke of Nommo, civilizing amphibious creatures from Sirius, and shown to have precise knowledge about the star Sirius. In 1950, ...