Divination set

The presented divination set consists of three anthropomorphic figures, most likely representing ancestors, which do not have marked faces, symbolising the ability to foretell the future. The Dogon know many ways of divination, including from kauri shells, the arm, the hand, the position in which the sacrificial animal dies, from dreams and fox marks. The primary aim of dédegué kunu - the art of divination - is to obtain answers to the Dogon's questions about their future and to investigate the cause of any misfortune that has taken place in their lives. The set of figurines was indispensable for the questions addressed to the ancestors. They asked whether to build a new house, when and to whom to marry a daughter when to start sowing and whether an abundant harvest could be expected. As Dogon culture became a tourist attraction and tourism became the main source of livelihood for many Dogon families, the questions directed to the ancestors changed. Nowadays, the guides want to know when the tourists will arrive, and whether they will make much money. The tourist movement in Dogon country has been going on since at least the late 1960s. Decades of tourist boom have led to significant cultural and social changes in the Dogon community. Most of the men have left farming and started to live off the more profitable tourism. They sell artistic products such as masks, sculptures, costumes, work as interpreters, guides, run hotels and restaurants. On the other hand, women are less likely to engage in this type of work due to a lack of knowledge of the French language. However, it does happen that they work as porters or saleswomen. Nowadays, the Dogon find themselves in a complicated and complex geopolitical situation. Their country is on the brink of a conflict between the government of the Republic of Mali and rebels (Tuaregs and later Islamic fundamentalists) from the north of the country, which has led to a complete stop of tourism in this region.

Katarzyna Findlik-Gawron