The Dogon People: Descendants of Aliens?

The Dogon people are a fascinating ethnic group that live in the cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali, West Africa. They are known for their rich culture, art, and architecture, but also for their mysterious and ancient astronomical knowledge.

Some researchers have claimed that the Dogon people are descendants of extraterrestrials, who visited Earth thousands of years ago and imparted their secrets to the Dogon ancestors. This claim is based on the Dogon’s alleged knowledge of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and its companion star, Sirius B, which is invisible to the naked eye.

In this article, we will explore the origin and validity of this urban legend, and examine the evidence for and against the Dogon’s extraterrestrial connection.

The Dogon Mythology of Sirius

The Dogon mythology is complex and diverse, and includes stories of creation, gods, spirits, ancestors, and cosmology. One of the most important aspects of their mythology is their reverence for Sirius, which they call Sigi Tolo, meaning “the star of the Sigui”.

The Sigui is a sacred ceremony that the Dogon perform every 60 years, to celebrate the cycle of life and death, and to renew their bond with their ancestors and gods. The Dogon believe that Sirius is the home of their supreme god, Amma, and that their ancestors came from Sirius to Earth in a spaceship, called the Nommo.

The Nommo are amphibious beings that are half-human and half-fish, and are considered the teachers and saviors of the Dogon. They taught the Dogon about agriculture, language, medicine, and astronomy, and gave them the sacred knowledge of Sirius and its companion star, Sirius B.

Sirius B, which the Dogon call Po Tolo, meaning “the star of the Fonio seed”, is a white dwarf star that orbits Sirius A every 50 years. The Dogon believe that Sirius B is the smallest and heaviest star in the sky, and that it contains the essence of all things. They also believe that there is a third star in the Sirius system, called Emme Ya Tolo, meaning “the star of women”, which orbits Sirius B every 100 years.

The Dogon have a complex system of calendars and rituals that are based on the cycles of Sirius and its companion stars. They also have a symbol that represents Sirius and its companions, which consists of a circle with a smaller circle inside, and a cross with four lines pointing to the cardinal directions.

The Origin of the Urban Legend

The origin of the urban legend that the Dogon people are descendants of aliens can be traced back to the 1930s, when two French anthropologists, Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen, visited the Dogon and conducted extensive research on their culture and mythology.

Griaule and Dieterlen published several books and articles on the Dogon, and claimed that they had learned the secrets of Sirius from a Dogon elder, named Ogotemmeli, who was initiated into the highest level of the Dogon priesthood. They reported that Ogotemmeli had revealed to them the Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius and its companion stars, and that this knowledge was ancient and accurate.

However, Griaule and Dieterlen did not provide any evidence or documentation to support their claims, and their methods and interpretations were criticized by other anthropologists and scholars. Some of the criticisms were:

• Griaule and Dieterlen did not speak the Dogon language, and relied on translators and interpreters, who might have distorted or misunderstood the information.

• Griaule and Dieterlen did not verify or cross-check the information they received from Ogotemmeli, and did not consult other Dogon elders or sources.

• Griaule and Dieterlen did not consider the possibility that the Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius might have been influenced by external factors, such as contact with other cultures, missionaries, or modern astronomy.

• Griaule and Dieterlen did not account for the symbolic and metaphorical nature of the Dogon mythology, and took the stories of Sirius and the Nommo literally and at face value.

The Evidence for and against the Urban Legend

The urban legend that the Dogon people are descendants of aliens gained popularity in the 1970s, when a writer and self-proclaimed ancient astronaut theorist, Robert Temple, published a book called “The Sirius Mystery”, which was based on the works of Griaule and Dieterlen.

Temple argued that the Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius and its companion stars was too advanced and precise for their level of technology and isolation, and that it could only have come from extraterrestrial beings, who visited Earth in ancient times and interacted with the Dogon ancestors.

Temple also claimed that the Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius was consistent with the scientific discoveries of modern astronomy, and that it was confirmed by the observations of the Hubble Space Telescope.

However, Temple’s claims were also challenged and debunked by many experts and skeptics, who pointed out the flaws and inconsistencies in his arguments. Some of the counter-evidence were:

The Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius and its companion stars was not as accurate or unique as Temple claimed, and it contained many errors and contradictions. For example, the Dogon said that Sirius B was the smallest star in the sky, but it is actually larger than the Earth. They also said that Sirius B orbited Sirius A every 50 years, but it actually takes 49.9 years. They also said that there was a third star in the Sirius system, but no such star has been detected by modern astronomy.

The Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius and its companion stars was not ancient or original, and it might have been acquired from other sources, such as European explorers, traders, missionaries, or astronomers, who visited or contacted the Dogon in the 19th and 20th centuries. For example, Sirius B was discovered by a French astronomer, Alvan Clark, in 1862, and its orbital period was calculated by a German astronomer, Friedrich Bessel, in 1844. These facts might have been transmitted to the Dogon by the French colonial authorities, who ruled Mali from 1892 to 1960, or by the French anthropologists, who visited the Dogon in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Dogon’s knowledge of Sirius and its companion stars was not literal or factual, and it might have been symbolic or metaphorical, and related to their cultural and religious beliefs. For example, the Dogon might have used Sirius and its companion stars as symbols of their cosmology, which involved the concepts of duality, polarity, balance, and harmony. They might have also used Sirius and its companion stars as symbols of their ancestors, gods, and spirits, who were associated with water, fertility, and life.

The Conclusion

The urban legend that the Dogon people are descendants of aliens is a fascinating and intriguing story, but it is not supported by solid evidence or logic. It is based on the questionable and controversial works of Griaule and Dieterlen, and the speculative and sensational claims of Temple, who did not respect or understand the Dogon culture and mythology.

The Dogon people are a remarkable and admirable ethnic group, who have preserved their traditions and identity for centuries, despite the challenges and changes of the modern world. They have a rich and complex mythology, which reflects their worldview and values, and which deserves to be studied and appreciated on its own terms, and not as a source of alien conspiracy theories.