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Circumcision Songo offers one of the rare opportunities available world-wide for witnessing the creation of rock art in a ritual context, in this case: during a circumcision ceremony. The removal of the prepuce of young boys is common for a variety of reasons among, for example, Muslims and Jews. In Mali this operation is often part of a ritual marking the transformation of a boy into a young adult. Circumcision rituals in the Bandiagara region are characterised by a period of transformation (the operation and following instruction) in seclusion and a period of reintegration into the village community. Circumcision sites are frequently located at or beyond the boundaries of villages. They thus offer protection from the gaze of onlookers, particularly women, and they mark the separation of the boys from the village and their parents. During the period of seclusion social bonds are formed among the members of the circumcision group. Among the Dogon of Songo, such circumcision groups constitute age sets, toru (= tonu in the Sanga region), which form an important subdivision of society. Circumcision in Dogon society is a step towards becoming a full adult. Dogon myth, as published by Griaule and Dieterlen (1965), explains the necessity for removing the female element (the prepuce) from a boy's body to enable him to become a man. Similarly, the removal of the clitoris, thought to be the male element in girls, is considered necessary for them to become women. The excision of girls takes place within the villages, in contrast to circumcision ceremonies, which take place outside. Although circumcision is justified by Dogon myth and therefore appears to have a long history among the Dogon, it is possible that this ritual has been adopted only in the more recent past under the influence of Islam, merging with local initiation rites.[50] With the spread of Islam in the Bandiagara region, the circumcision ritual acquires an increasingly Islamic colouration and justification. At Songo, for example, the significance of circumcision is described today as a step on the path to becoming a good Muslim and as a prerequisite to marriage. The circumcision ritual in the Dogon area, although subject to variation from village to village, has particular features similar to those found in other regions of southern Mali. At Songo boys are circumcised at the rock shelter of Kondi Pegue, a site containing a multitude of paintings. Both circumcision and painting at this locality have been carried out since at least the early 20th century, when Louis Desplagnes (1907) first reported on the site. However, the painted circumcision site at Songo seems to be an exception to the rule. It is the only site known in sub-Saharan Mali where painting on rock surfaces forms an integral part of a circumcision ritual. A detailed description of the ritual at Songo, and the role of the rock paintings, has never been published before. Therefore, no direct comparison of current and past proceedings can be undertaken in order to evaluate continuity and change. After a brief introduction to circumcision among the Dogon, a description of the current proceedings is given here, based on information collected at Songo in 2001.[51] The main informants were Ali Guindo, Boukari Guindo, Suleiman Guindo, and Soumaila Yanogué. Photographs of the site during the circumcision ritual in March 2000 were taken by the latter. | |
