House of the Hogon (associated with the
Lebe cult) :
The Lebe cult is
associated with the agricultural cycle. It is addressed to Lebe Seru,
the first ancestor of the Dogon who was buried in the Mande and has
resurrected in the form of a serpent. He guided his people to their
new homeland. Earth from his grave in the Mande was taken on the journey
eastwards. At destination (near the village of Kani Bonzon) a first
altar made of ancestral earth mixed with the one of the new land was
erected. These were the beginnings of the Lebe cult. Their migration
not yet completed, the four tribes (Dyon, Arou, Ono, Domno) took each
a part of this first altar and spread over the plateau, the escarpment
and the plains. After having reached their final destination, the members
of each tribe (the Arou excepted) divided their part of the Lebe between
themselves and founded new villages.
Each village built
an altar containing some of the ancestral earth. The Hogon is its chief
priest. He is in charge of all religious and agrarian rituals that are
to guarantee sufficient future crops and by extention to ensure the
perpetuation of his people. Agrarian rituals, such as the Bulu,
need the intervention of both The Hogon and the Binu priest : their
activities complement each other. The notion of the "resurrected" Lebe
is closely linked with the agricultural cycle : after the harvesting,
follows the sowing. Each time life has the upper hand.
The oldest man
in the village will assume office as Hogon (except in Arou). He must
observe many taboos. The traveller passing through will find it out
soon enough : it is strictly forbidden to shake hands. Once enthroned,
the Hogon no longer has the right to have physical contact with anyone.
This is also valid for his wives and children. His first wife will prepare
his meals. But chastity remains obligatory until death. Also, he is
no longer allowed to leave the compound. Reunions will be held and people
will be received at his house.
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