The Dogon: From The Nile Valley Of Eastward Africa To The Kingdom Of Mali Inward Westward Africa

The Dogon of Africa

The Dogon, an ancient people inwards Africa, are mainly populated inwards the modern nations of Republic of Mali together with Burkino Faso inwards West Africa, the epicenter of the historical medieval Republic of Mali Empire. When western anthropologists offset began to written report Dogon civilization they were baffled at the group's advanced noesis of the universe. They were specifically astonished at their intricate agreement of the Sirius planetary organization (Alpha Canis Majoris).

Historical commentators believe that the Dogon's cosmological lore goes dorsum thousands of years to at to the lowest degree 3200 BC, during the pre-dynastic historic menstruation of ancient Egypt, of the Kemet-Nubian line of piece of employment solid unit of measurement grouping of the Nile Valley region. Is it solely a coincident that the Dogon's oral history includes an eastern migration storey prior to their settling inwards the Bandiagara Plateau region, close the Southern border of the Sahara desert betwixt the 13th together with 16th centuries?

Dogon Astronomy together with Cosmology

Sirius B circles Sirius H5N1 similar the
populace circles the Sun.

According to French anthropologist Marcel Graiule, writer of Conversations With Ogotemmeli, Dogon priests pick out kept a precise reading of the ebbs together with current of Canis Major planetary bodies. Sigi Tolo is the advert the Dogon give to the distant star Sirius, every bit good referred to every bit Sirius A. Po Tolo is the advert given to its smaller companion star, Sirius B. Keeping together with tracking cosmological together with astronomical noesis is business office of every seem of the Dogon's communal lives. In the 1960s, when Graiule studied the Dogon, he institute a social fellowship void of murder together with theft. It included an elderberry mediation procedure that resolved the disputes that arose inside Dogon communities -- addressing such issues every bit who has liability for damages when a man's caprine animal destroys belongings belonging to his neighbor.

For thousands of years, Dogon social together with cultural systems were designed to recollect together with trek planetary bodies that pick out been after verified every bit right mapping. The Dogon gained this noesis without the exercise of physical telescopes. From documentary footage almost the Dogon, it appears that they dwell alongside the cliffs together with exercise the peaks of mount together with colina tops to anchor together with mensurate planetary movements, aided past times our pattern of rotation some the sun.

Youth viewing Dogon stone drawings.

For the Dogon, patterns together with symbols related to planetary noesis is embedded inwards rituals, architecture, sand drawings, etc. The Dogon are aware that Po Tolo (Sirius B) has a 50-year elliptical orbit some the super dense Sigi Tolo (Sirius A).  Knowledge of Sirius B was non discovered past times western astronomers until 1970 when photographed past times Irving Lindenblad of the USA Naval Observatory.

The Nile Valley together with the Sirius Connection

Seen clearly inwards Africa, the Canis Major
is i of Orion's bang-up hunting dogs
(See also Canis Minor). 

The Kemet storey of Osiris together with Isis were developed together with recalled past times other Nile valley civilizations such every bit Nubia together with Kush -- all of which position the Sirius constellation organization every bit the domestic dog star (Canis Major), a manifestation of Anubu (aka Upuaut or "Opener of the Ways"; Greek: Anubis). In Nile valley creation stories, Anubu is a cardinal actor. He is likely best known for his purpose inwards the battle betwixt the brothers Set together with Osiris.

When Set disassembles the trunk of his blood brother Osiris, Isis reassembles the trunk pieces together with delivers them to Anubu who performs embalming rites that convey Osiris dorsum to life. Anubu is every bit good associated with Osiris every bit his boy -- making him the blood brother of Horus (hour/time).

Anubu is every bit good known alongside Nile valley civilizations every bit the i who protects together with guides the spirits of the dead across the waters (Nun) of the underworld (Duat or the Hall of Two Truths). Anubu reigned over the procedure of mummification together with embalming, leading the souls of the dead to the Hall of Two Truths for the proclamation of the 42 Laws of Maat and the weighing of the pump past times the goddess of constabulary together with justice, Ma'at.

Ancient icon representing Anubu (greek: Anubis / Canis Major).

Image: Ancient Kmt icon representing Anubu / Anubis / Dog Star (right).

Nommo Cosmology together with the Dogon Creation Story

An odd graffiti photographed past times Scotch Mist in 
Edinburgh, Scotland (Creative Commons/Flickr).

The Dogon's creation storey has its source on Po Tolo (Sirius B). According to the Dogon, Nommo came from the Sirius star system, which is some 8.7 low-cal years away but withal vivid inwards our black sky. According to the creation story, the Nommo traveled to populace past times ark and, upon arrival, morphed into the 8 mythical human ancestors -- iv manful individual together with iv woman individual (See also Tehuti (aka Thoth), Ogdoad, Rebirth, Golden Age). Over time, the offset human ancestors mated together with birthed all of humanity. Even today, the Dogon pray to Nommo for rain, a prayer they tell was taught to them past times the Nommo. The Dogon pelting trip the low-cal fantastic is similar to that of the Native American and involves raising of hands, chanting together with making offerings.