 F_Meignant's Yougopiri Travelogues | | | |
|
| Page Views: 227 Last Visit to Yougopiri: January, 2003 | ARCHITECTURE by F_Meignant - last update: Oct 29, 2003 |
Marvellous Tellem architecture… |
| Tellem houses and granaries at Yougo-dougourou. |
|  | The fragile Tellem houses seem to support the cliff. One of the most magical place I’ve ever seen…! |
| | Dogon's Toguna. The Toguna is the Word House («la Case à palabres »), the place where are taken decisions concerning the day-to-day life of the village.
It has a specific structure:
It’s a square building facing to the North and the South (from which came men, fish and domesticated animals);
The roof is made of 8 layers of straw representing the 8 Ancestors;
It is normally (there are often more) put on 8 pillars made of stone or wood : 3 towards North, 3 towards South and 2 in the middle of the building;
Toguna is a very low building in which men have to sit: if, during meetings, a man becomes nervous and wants to stand up, he gets his head knocked by the 8 Ancestors who are hidden in the roof !
Dogon women are not allowed to enter the Toguna.
If you are invited to enter a Toguna, don’t forget to take your shoes off, usually between 5 and 10 steps before entering. Except of course if people in the Toguna tell you that you can come in with your shoes. |
| | The pillars of the Toguna are often decorated with sculptures, mouldings of banco and paintings. |
| Former house of the Hogon of Indelli. |
| | Hogon and Binou. The Hogon is the spiritual chief of the village. He’s usually the oldest man.
The Hogon is also a kind of judge for the affairs concerning the village. He fixes sentences, from the lowest (sacrifice of a chicken) to the highest (banishment).
Death sentence does not exist in Dogon culture: men are responsible of their acts only to a certain extend. |
| In the house of the Hogon at Enndé. |
| | Being a Hogon is at the same time a very high distinction and a very hard task.
The Hogon has to live alone, apart from the rest of the village, generally at its top just under the cliff.
He must never leave his house.
His wife is only supposed to bring him food.
He must never touch and drink water: he’s supposed to be cleaned and to receive water during the night from Lébé, the Sacred Snake, an avatar of the Nommo.
A Hogon stays a Hogon till his death.
Today, there are less and less Hogons: too hard.
On the left of the picture can be seen the shape of the Lébé as a mouldering on the wall.
The paintings on the wall seems to indicate that this house was also a sanctuary of the Binou. |
| Sanctuary of the Binou at Yougopiri. |
| | The Binou sanctuaries are dedicated to the 8 Ancestors who came down on earth under the shape of totem animals to help man when he became mortal. |
| Nini, the sanctuary of the Binou. |
| | The walls of these sanctuaries are painted with geometrical figures, in black, white and red. The angles of the square building are round and there is a small “tower” on it’s top. |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| F_Meignant's Yougopiri Travelogues | | | |
|
 Comments for F_Meignant about Yougopiri | | | | |
GillianMcLaughlin Wed Mar 31, 2004 17:32 UTC
Salut Francois... j'ai adore cette page! Quel voyage fascinant! | Ivan_Jimenez Wed Mar 10, 2004 19:56 UTC
Tourists... always trying to save pennies in the really important things and then wasting it on stupid souvenirs. .. | cadzand Thu Jan 22, 2004 21:55 UTC
Wonderful impressions of a wonderful people and their habits. You made me dream away...... and feeling "homesick" | ATLC Sat Dec 13, 2003 16:07 UTC
Truly an amazing page. I think this is the most exotic I have read so far on VT. |
|
|
email me
add as friend
