 | Mali Local Customs | Tips 11 - 20 of 62 |  |
Popular Local Customs | Other Local Customs Tips | All Tips (62) A lot of Malians have small motorbikes to travel in the villages.
As it is not profitable to open a petrol station in the villages, some people are delegates of big petrol companies and resell petrol in bottles.
You can buy petrol in bottle of Coke! or any other size. It is not advisable if you have a good engine, but if you are really in need, it can help, this kind of station is everywhere. Leave a Comment
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Laid out to strict rules, the table is used to get answers to a great many questions: should X marry Y, did Z steal W's sheep, will it rain next week?
Nuts, sticks and stones are laid out in carefully marked squares and the village elders return the next moring to interpret the answers, depending on where and how the objects are now placed.
It does seem a little unfortunate that you could end up with a certain marriage partner or be convicted of a crime as a result of a fox's nocturnal activities! Leave a Comment
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At every small village we stopped at in Dogon Country, a hoard of sick and injured people would appear from nowhere, assuming that as whites, we must be medicine men! James was a trained first aider and Jan a nurse, and between them they tried to clean wounds, give eye-drops and headache tablets and dress sores. We very quickly ran out of first aid kit, but fortunately none of us needed any major treatment. Leave a Comment
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Masks play an importnat role in the Dogon culture, and the masked dances are linked to mythical beliefs. They are only performed by a select few men chosen to be the keepers of the tradition.
The cult of the masks is called the Awa, and the dancers will perform at various ritual ceremonies, including funerals, with the masks representing various people, trades and animals. The Kanaga masks symbolises the myth of Dogon's creation.
Five years after someone's death, an Awa ritual is performed to ensure the soul leaves the village and continues on its journey. Leave a Comment
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A lot of activity can be found around the wells. Drawing water for drinking, washing of bodies and clothes and a bit of a social gathering.
A great way to cool down on those incredibly hot days is to pour water over your head as well as filling your hat with cold well water before putting it on. Slowly dripping down your face and neck, it keeps your head cool for some considerable time. Leave a Comment
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In many of the Malian towns, we saw medicine stands in the markets, with traditional herbs and concoctions available to treat any illness. As many people are unable to read, elaborate pictures are drawn to symbolise the illness you would like to cure.
Such items as animals skins, monkey skulls, dried chamelions and various animal parts are used in traditional medicine, and the sick may hand over large sums of money for these cures and charms in the firm belief that they work.
There is usually a charge for photographing the traditional healers or marabouts (witchdoctors). Leave a Comment
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In the centre of each Dogon village is a shelter, known as the Togu na, where the village elders hold their meetings and courts, councils and judgements. It is reserved for men and the low roof ensures that they are unable to stand up, thus not capable of fighting.
The villages are laid out to a strict pattern, each house representing a limb of man. Leave a Comment
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The river is the lifeblood of the villagers who live alongside it: they drink the water, wash in it, cook with it, use it as their toilet, fish from it, wash theri clothes in it, transport their goods along it, build their houses alongside it, irrigate their crops with it, water their animals with it - the list goes on! Leave a Comment
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The Dogon are famed for their carved doors which adorn many of their houses. Some are quite ancient, but unfortunately the Dogon have realised that these can fetch a great sum of money on the tourist market. Do not be tempted! You can buy recently carved replicas in minature, which is better for transporting home and better for the heritage of the Dogon. Leave a Comment
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With the Tabasci festival a few days ago, sheep were at a premium (having been sacrificed by the score) and when we found one for sale in one of the villages we passed we took the opportunity to buy it. Eric, as we named him, walked with us for two days before being cooked over an open fire with garlic in a traditional Dogon recipe. Delicious! Leave a Comment
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on May 18, 2004
on July 30, 2004
