essay

Harmony versus autonomy: models of agricultural fertility among the Dogon and the Kapsiki

creative communion : african folk models in fertility and the regeneration of life (15) • Published In 1990 • Pages: 285-305

By: Beek, W. E. A. van.

Abstract
In this article van Beek discusses the history of Dogon settlement, subsistence patterns, and related symbolism. According to van Beek, the Dogon settled the Bandiagara escarpment, beginning in the 15th century, as a defense against slave raiders. The sandstone rocks of the cliffs also held water year-round, compared to the arid plateau and plains. The Dogon culitvated the fields below the cliffs. The closest fields were owned by elders and worked by extended familes. Those further out were owned and worked by younger men, who formed large work groups for protection from slave raiding bands. French pacification ended the need for protection and the Dogon moved further out onto the plain, forming new settlements. Van Beek discusses the land ownership patterns and cropping patterns of this later period, which he compares to those of the Kapsiki.
Subjects
Annual cycle
Agriculture
Diet
Land use
Settlement patterns
Real property
Production and supply
culture
Dogon
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Western Africa
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnographer
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard;1999
Field Date
1978-1989
Coverage Date
1400-1990
Coverage Place
Bandiagara escarpment, Mali
Notes
Walter E. A. van Beek
Includes bibliographical references (p. 305)
LCCN
91174326
LCSH
Dogons (African people)