Local terms

Ama (Amma)
the sky god

bammi
paintings made in a ritual context, according to Griaule (1938)

dama
major ceremony of the Dogon rituals concerning death, second burial

hogon
the highest religious leader of a village

kondi bala
the first boy to be circumcised in a given year

kondigi
the circumcised boys

Kondi Pegue
the present circumcision site of Songo

kondi seri
the second boy to be circumcised in a given year

Lewe (Lebe)
the earth god

Nomo (Nommo)
the water god

nyama
life force

olubaru
initiate of the masks, speaker of Sigui-so

sigui
major Dogon ritual, performed every sixty years, which is said to mark the replacement of one generation by another

sigui-so
the secret language of the masks

Songo Kolo
the old village of Songo

tonu
paintings made in a non-ritual context, according to Griaule (1938)

toru
age group, social group incorporating individuals of the same sex that are born within a three to seven year span in the Dogon region

wandyerma
musical instruments that are played only during the circumcision ritual by circumcised boys and men, kind of rattles      photo

Yanoré Kiba
shelter where Yanoré Yanogué, the village founder of Songo, and his family are said to have initially lived for seven years

French terms:

falaise
cliff, escarpment. In Bandiagara also the rocky strip at the foot of the escarpment is considered part of the falaise.

Grand Auvent
French name for Kondi Pegue, transl. 'the large rock shelter'

Grand Signe
large motif on the ceiling of a rock shelter immediately to the south of Kondi Pegue (term used by Marcel Griaule)

hangar
shelter made of branches

maître de circoncision
person performing the circumcision and supervising the proceedings

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