abortive attempt created only a single being—the
jackal, which became a Dogon symbol of the con-
cept of disorder and of the difficulties of Amma.
Later, Amma overcame the difficulty and was
successful in fertilizing the Earth. The products of
this successful conception were the twin Nummo.
Laird ScrantonSeealsoBamana; Cosmology
Further Readings
Best, E. (1924).Maori Religion and Mythology.
Wellington, New Zealand: W. A. G. Skinner,
Government Printer.
Budge, E. A. W. (1978).An Egyptian Hieroglyphic
Dictionary. New York: Dover.
Calame-Griaule, G. (1968).Dictionnaire Dogon. Paris:
Librarie C. Klincksieck.
Clark, R. T. R. (1995).Myth and Symbol in Ancient
Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson.
Forde, D. (1954).African Worlds. London: Oxford
University Press. (Reprinted 1999 by James Currey
Publishers and LIT Verlag for the International African
Institute, with a new introduction by Wendy James)
Griaule, M. (1970).Conversations With Ogotemmeli.
London: Oxford University Press.
Griaule, M., & Dieterlen, G. (1986).The Pale Fox.
Durham, NC: Continuum Foundation. (Originally
published in French asLe renard paleby l’Intitut
d’Ethnologie, Paris, 1965)
Griaule, M., & Germaine, D. (1954).The Dogon,an
Essay From African Worlds:Studies in the
Cosmological Ideas and Social Values of African
Peoples. London: Oxford University Press.
Grimal, N. (1994).A History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford,
UK: Blackwell.
Van Beek, W. (2001).Dogon. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
DOGONRELIGION ANDSCIENCE
What is known of indigenous Dogon scientific
knowledge is based primarily on the studies of
French anthropologists Marcel Griaule and
Germaine Dieterlen, which were conducted
from 1931 until the death of Marcel Griaule in
- Griaule and Dieterlen described the
Dogon as careful observers of the material
world around them and as a thoughtful people
who have derived sophisticated explanations for
the many manifestations of nature that are in
evidence in their daily life. The Dogon have
amassed a considerable body of correct knowl-
edge pertaining to anatomy and human physiol-
ogy, and to the relationships between and
interactions among the various organs of the
body. Commensurate with this knowledge, and
supported by their significant skill with plants
and herbs, they have also evolved an effective
native pharmacology. This entry looks at that
knowledge and its interconnection with Dogon
religious belief.Agriculture
The Dogon are farmers who demonstrate a facile
understanding of agriculture, which is a key life
skill that forms the foundation of their economy.
This knowledge is evidenced in their many differ-
ent methods of soil cultivation and in their careful
plantings, many of which are commonly found in
the difficult rocky settings dictated by their loca-
tion along the steep cliffs of the Bandiagara
escarpment in Mali. To bring these agriculture
plots closer to the limited water supplies afforded
by their desert environment, the Dogon commonly
build man-made terraces supported by low stone
walls. They have learned to cultivate a variety of
grains, such as millet, sorghum, and rice, and also
to grow onions, tomatoes, red peppers, and
tobacco.
Like many African cultures, the Dogon are also
known to be keen observers of the sky. They have
named and tracked the movements of many of the
stars, planets, and other bodies of the heavens,
and they time their annual plantings and harvest-
ings to the rising and setting of key star groups.
Much of these astronomical events regulate the
Dogon agricultural cycle. In fact, the agricultural
cycle can be seen to govern the Dogon calendar,
which begins midway through October, with the
millet harvest.
The Dogon have evolved a highly developed
arboriculture by which they cultivate a variety of
trees and shrubberies. These provide much of the
food they eat and many of the building materials thatDogon Religion and Science 217