Dogon Ceremony
These are men of the Dogon tribe dressed in their cowrie shell costumes and, for the first time, wearing the masks they have devised in secret. There is a competition between the men to see who creates the most interesting and unique mask. At this dance, in a remote village high in the Bandiagara escarpment, the winner was a man with a mask painted white. He carried a camera he had made from wood and also a pistol. He was ‘the white man’ as he had seen….where? on television? But I thought it was a remote village! It seems that the young men, like young men all over the world, like to go to the big city for a taste of the high life.
The Dogon say they are descended from Pygmies. They are about 5’6″, so not that short for a people whose diet is limited and whose medical doctor is the local shaman. Ear infections, upper respiratory infections, and the childhood diseases can take their toll on growth. Those that survive are muscular and hardy and fit.
There are caves in the cliffs where they live that are filled with magic. It is here they go to pray and to make offerings. They say their ancestors established these.
For the True Believers
I’ve been looking at photos of Meteora, Greece where Greek Orthodox monks established monasteries high on rocky promontories in the 14th century. It seems everyone thinks to build their most sacred places in inaccessible and difficult to find areas as a means of safekeeping.