Book

The souls of the Dogons

Institut d'EthnologieParis • Published In 1942 • Pages: HRAF MS: i, 307 [original: viii, 314 ]

By: Dieterlen, Germaine, Granka, Sherri L..

Abstract
The present work is part of a series of studies utilizing the various ethnographic documents collected in the French Sudan during the Griaule missions of 1931-1939, and concentrating on the Dogon of the Cliffs of Bandiagara. During the course of these expeditions a thorough analysis was made of the religious institutions of the Dogon with particular reference to the concept of nyama, the vital force within all animate and sometimes inanimate things. This study delves into the intricacies of the nyama concepts - its acquisition, relationship to the persona, to the world of the ancestors, and perhaps, most important of all, to the kikinu say, the soul. In the first chapter of this work the author summarizes various myths, already published in ‘Masques Dogons’, (see 8: Griaule, this file), as a framework and guide to Dogon religious concepts which she believes is necessary for an understanding of the cults described in the text. This is followed by a brief history of the migration of the Dogon into the area. With the location of the Dogon in time and place established, Dieterlen proceeds to discuss the notion of the individual soul. In chapter 2 she attempts to show how the individual's “personality” links him to supernatural powers and to the ancestors described in the myths, while at the same time tieing him to the land, to towns, and to the present-day society. Chapter 3 of this work treats death and the human reactions to death involving the separation of the soul from the body and its sojourn thereafter. Despite the departure of the soul, contact is maintained with the living through the office of the nani or respondent, a lineal descendant, who offers personal worship to the soul which the Dogon believe will help it to travel the course it must take in the afterworld. The various ramifications of this relationship are discussed in chapter 4. Chapter 5 deals primarily with the altars on which sacrifices are made to the ancestors, and on the nature of the sacrifices themselves. In chapter 6, the discussion turns to specific cases of souls belonging to deceased individuals with specific conditions that modify their status, while chapter 7 deals specifically with the souls of the priests of the various religious cults. The conclusion, pp. 277-281, summarizes the present state of knowledge on the Dogon concept of the soul and suggests new prospective inquiries which hopefully would contribute further explanations necessary for the understanding of the Dogon.
Subjects
Animism
Eschatology
Spirits and gods
Prayers and sacrifices
Cult of the dead
Priesthood
Congregations
culture
Dogon
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Western Africa
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1987
Field Date
1937-1939
Coverage Date
1936-1939
Coverage Place
Sanga area, Bandiagara Circle, Mopti Region, Mali
Notes
Germaine Dieterlen
Translation of: Les âmes des Dogons
The original French text is not included
Translated for the HRAF files by Sherri L. Granka
LCCN
46003437
LCSH
Dogons (African people)