HOLLY VILLAGE DOGON

Currently, the Dogon tribe lives in the west of North Africa - in the Republic of Mali, near its border with Burkina Faso. But once they have lived in the upper reaches of the River Niger, in the Manda - the heart of the ancient empire Mandingo. Then Dogons mixed with other tribes and eventually the end of the XIII century, migrated to the Bandiagara Escarpment plateau region, displacing the tribe Tell.

First, the city Bandiagara Escarpment, as many cities on earth, was the village, but the village, so to speak, the Capital. It was the residence of the leader of one of the local tribes, who lived next door to catch up. Someone from the past leaders of the tribe of Bandiagara Escarpment lose one′s attraction, and he in 1887 moved his residence to the village Hamdaley - 30 kilometers from the former capital. Six years later, when the Bandiagara Escarpment was captured by the French, Colonel Arshinar held three events in life. First of all, he destroyed the walls, completely encircling the capital village, named "king" of the local old man from the tribe Toucouleur and to raise the prestige of the new government has built his adobe palace.

Currently Bandiagara Escarpment is the center of the district, but the place is quiet. Almost deserted streets, on both sides of which stretched gray duvaly and one-story mud houses with eaves, call it from the winds and rains . . . Small trees are carefully covered with caps of prickly branches, standing out on a gray background, immediately catch the eye rare palms and mango trees. Somewhere over the clay fences are seen conical thatched roof huts. Roofs are made from millet straw. Sheaves establish cone, twist same straw plaits, tie top, raised on the mud walls . . . and the roof is crowned them as a hat. In the heat of the roof keeps cool, and protects from rain water that flows down, not touching the clay walls. And around the hut - the ring shadow, which is nice to sit, as on the terrace.

The same roof - only very large - based on wooden poles. Then it is not just a house, a "man′s house" - "in a toga.

Photo — «Holly Village Dogon»

" The posts are decorated with carvings depicting the heroes dogonskoy mythology and ancestors. In the "cloak of" where and cool in the heat, going only by men of all ages, to discuss rural issues, make decisions. Spoken like a woman, suspecting that there is no problem discussing men, but simply idle, decided to get into the men′s house and overheard. But at the same time came the pillars themselves, the roof was tipped and nearly crushed violators of the ban. Since dogonki firmly believes that their fathers, husbands and sons are engaged in a toga on "important matters.

For a long time in the west African Studies prevailing view that the peoples of Africa have their own history, lack of creativity and therefore could not establish an independent art. Refused even to this day denied the African origin of the ruins of Zimbabwe, some researchers could not reconcile with the idea of the African origin of the sculpture of Ife. The prevailing in the era of colonial wars, the image of the primitive Africans found even in the writings of eminent scholars.

Dogon Tribe is very interesting from all points of view: the history of customs, religion. Even in the era of resettlement Dogons divided into four tribes (Djoni, APV it and blast furnaces). Each tribe got to Bandiagara Escarpment independently, so each and selilos separately from others - in their own area. Now, of course, much has changed, and the Bandiagara Escarpment live together representatives of different tribes, although the former isolation of the partly preserved. Communication hinders the language barrier, because the spoken language of the Dogon is divided into many dialects, sometimes very different from each other. A common ritual is only a language understood by now only to the initiated. This language healers and sorcerers, the language of the priests of the ancient religion and language of Pale Fox "- the little red-headed animal, which the Dogon people believe their ancestors. Pale Fox "in his time knew how to speak the language of the Dogon and told them their myths, legends and traditions.

Photo — «Holly Village Dogon»

Although the Dogon more than 500 years ago were part of zapadnosudanskih States, they retained distinct identities and characteristics of their culture. They own astronomy, they have a calendar and expense, extensive information about anatomy and human psychology . . . while no written language. Myths are transmitted by oral tradition from generation to generation, and building on existing tribe ideograms - a system of drawings and signs.

God began the creation of the world that the recorded mark all that will be created and that this created when whatever happens. Everything is predetermined, and there is no room for chance - new signs to create a person can not, because the creation of a new sign - it is an act of creation, and a man not given to the function of the Creator.

Very interesting from the Dogon "theory of the universe": in any religion is not just the original version of the origin of the world, as they have. According to their myths, the original land already inhabited by people who were close to the star Sirius. But since Sirius preparing an explosion, then God is captive Amma Earth is closer to another star - the Sun.

First there was only Amma - God in the form of round balls, which rested on anything. It consisted of four oval-shaped, fused with each other parts. In addition, there was nothing.

In each of its parts Amma kept the four elements (water, air, fire and earth), and in every part of it caused an explosion, "and that was the reason for existence. "

In Pale Lice "describes several" space, travel, catch up. First describes the journey to Earth Wow - there is very restless. He was the approximate god Amma, but mastered the part of the divine knowledge and rebelled against him. Without waiting for the completion of the universe, Oh hastily built "the ark, and it cast it into space", meaning "to look at the world. " This has contributed to the world of disorder and disrupted the plans of the god Amma, so ho returned, but then again he twice went on a journey, and eventually came down to Earth.

Photo — «Holly Village Dogon»

Other "space odyssey" in dogonskih myths was traveling Nommo, which God Amma instructed to populate the earth.

To this end, two-decked ship was built with a round bottom. The ship was divided into 60 sections, containing "all earthly creatures, and ways of life: peace, sky, land, village and house of assembly, a female house, livestock, trees and birds, cultivated field, cowrie shells, fire, and the word, dance and work travel, death, funerals, . 1

Ship Nammo hung on a copper chain, and then the signal Amma, he launched into the sky done in the hole. Approaching the Earth, spacecraft eight periods "circled in the sky, taking it like a giant rainbow - from horizon to horizon. At the moment of landing, "ship" slipped in the mud, and pit, formed from the impact of the ship on the ground, then filled with water and became a lake Debo.

Actually, Lake Debo is simply a large cavity, which during the floods in Niger is filled with water. At one of the islands of the lake is a picture of the ark among the stars: the Ark is a massive stone slab, and the stars - the individual stones, resting on the dais.

Leaving the ship, Nammo first put on the ground his left foot in a sign that he takes the land in his possession. For him to turn the ship left its other inhabitants. When the ship was empty, Amma pulled into the sky chain, which sustained him, and the sky was closed. And life began on Earth . . .

Nammo himself plunged into the waters of Lake Debo, from watching people: it first arrived on Earth Oh, to stop people . . .

According dogonskim myths in the world, first there was no death. She first came to the people in the holy village yuga Догору, located on a rocky ridge bordering the valley of hay.

Culture Dogon have long attracted the attention of scientists. In the early 1930′s their life and beliefs studied by French scientists Griol M. and J. Dieterle, and in 1950 they published in the Journal of the Society Africanists "article, which immediately drew the attention of scientists at the unusual presentation of the Dogon of Sirius - the finest star in our sky.

Photo — «Holly Village Dogon»

This star, which the Dogon call "Sigi Tolo" is regarded by them triple. The visible star to us - this is only part of the stellar system. A form a system of primary star (Sirius A), invisible to the naked eye white dwarf "Sirius B" ( "On tolo) and one invisible star - Emma da tolo", and revolve around the last two satellites - " Ara tolo "and" dy tolo.

While Sirius is one of the closest stars to Earth, his companion, Sirius B "was opened only in 1862. As for the "Sirius C", then its very existence still causes heated debate among astronomers. But the most surprising is that in dogonskih myths characteristic "On tolo" practically does not differ from the characteristics of the white dwarf "Sirius B". With the huge weight and density of this star is small: "It is the smallest and heaviest of all stars. " It consists mainly of "Saga" - a metal "more brilliant than iron, and such heavy that all earthly beings, united, could not raise and particles. Period "by tolo" around "Sigi Tolo" - 50 years (current data - 49, 9 years).

Myths in Dogon can tell only on the members of the Awa society - a society of masks olubaru specially trained and know the special language "of whitefish. But the Dogon people appreciate the sincere interest M. Griolya, and the decision of the council of elders, he was admitted to the initiation of secret knowledge. However, when the French ethnographer asked Dogon, where they have such unusual knowledge, they were told that all space objects from the group Sirius they watched from the Great Cave. Where is the cave - it is the strictest secrecy, to open that white people flatly refused to priests, saying only that it in large quantities are collected "evidence".

Perhaps it is in the Dogon cliffs that begin west of the Bani, a tributary of the Niger, and stretch for 250 kilometers? Here, on the border of Mali and Upper Volta, in the middle of XX century, scientists discovered the remains of a completely unique civilization Telem.

Photo — «Holly Village Dogon»

Rocks Dogon - a sheer wall of sandstone up to 400 meters with a lot of strongly exposed eaves: the vertical surface of a giant impenetrable wall balconies are visible, like a chapel, and holes of varying depth, which you can see all kinds of towers. Now at the foot of the wall live Dogon, strong and smart people who can easily climb to the top of many rocks, but even they cave unavailable.

Trying to unravel the mystery of these caves, Dr. Gan from Rotterdam organized in the area several expeditions. When using modern technology, but also after many obstacles, scientists managed to step on protected areas, in front of them opened a wonderful picture. The spacious caves located numerous buildings, some up to 30. These unusual structures have the form of a cone or cylinder with a diameter at the base to 1, 5-2 meters, and their height reaches 4, 5 meters. Instead of windows and doors in these buildings - round or oval openings. The towers built from clay, and their walls are visible are not solved so far the signs.

Almost in each of the buildings, scientists have found many well-preserved skeletons. Then, perhaps, is the necropolis? But oval bowls, carved in stone, and worn stages suggests that the caves were a place of burial. If people do not live here and then held in the caves a lot of time, since the wall at the entrance to the cave always polished.

In the caves, settlements, scientists discovered a pottery, which were polished quartz rods and other items showing perfect technique of processing. At an altitude of 100 to 150 meters in the wall located a number of caves in which the buildings were already built of baked bricks. Windows and doors in these "buildings" is already closed. The researchers found the remains of these doors, and ladders from the branches and twigs, with which the people rose to their settlements. How did they manage? What are the powerful forces that compelled people to live in inaccessible cliffs? What do the inscriptions on the walls? All these questions science has yet to be answered. As to the question about the amazing tune some ideas Dogon and modern scientific knowledge .

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