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A hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in Dogon religion.
A hogon is a religious figure as well as a temporal authority; the hogon may be hereditary or may be chosen from among the village elders—custom varies from place to place. The hogon is always a man. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. After initiation, he wears a red cap, and a pearl bracelet. Hogon live alone and should be celibate, but a village girl may act as a maid. Nobody should touch the hogon.
The hogon has a key role in village rituals and in ensuring fertility and germination.
The hogon is central to a wide range of fertility and marriage rituals, which are closely related to Dogon origin myths.
The hogon may conduct rituals in the Sanctuaire de Binou, a special building the door of which is blocked with rocks.
A hogon is a spiritual leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in Dogon religion.
The life of a hogon
A hogon is a religious figure as well as a temporal authority; the hogon may be hereditary or may be chosen from among the village elders—custom varies from place to place. The hogon is always a man. After being chosen, a hogon must pass through several months without washing or shaving. After initiation, he wears a red cap, and a pearl bracelet. Hogon live alone and should be celibate, but a village girl may act as a maid. Nobody should touch the hogon.
Ritual
The hogon has a key role in village rituals and in ensuring fertility and germination.
The hogon is central to a wide range of fertility and marriage rituals, which are closely related to Dogon origin myths.
The hogon may conduct rituals in the Sanctuaire de Binou, a special building the door of which is blocked with rocks.
Creation myth
According to legend, the first hogon, Lebe, was descended from anommo
The Nommo or Nummo are primordial ancestral spirits in Dogon religion and cosmogony (sometimes referred to as demi deities) venerated by the Dogon people of Mali. The word Nommos is derived from a Dogon word meaning "to make one drink." Nommos a ...
. He was eaten by another nommo, and their spirits merged; the nommo vomited out a new Lebe (part human and part spiritual), plus copious liquid which shaped the landscape.
See also
* Saltigue *Traditional African religions
The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptura ...
* Animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
* Shaman
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
* Awa Society
References
{{Dogon topics, state=collapsed Dogon religion African shamanism