The Dogon Tribe’s Sirius Mystery & Otherworldly Origins
The Dogon, an ancient West African tribe residing in Mali, possess a cosmology that includes surprisingly precise knowledge of the Sirius star system. This has given rise to the “Sirius mystery,” a debate about how a secluded, primitive culture could know about celestial bodies invisible to the naked eye and astronomical phenomena discovered only in recent history.
Table of Contents
- The Mystery of Sirius B and C
- An Otherworldly Explanation: The Nommos
- Connections to Other Ancient Cultures
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Dogon
The Mystery of Sirius B and C
The Dogon’s knowledge, revealed to French anthropologists in the 1930s, includes details of the Sirius system that were unknown to modern science at the time:
- Sirius B: The Dogon knew about Sirius B, a white dwarf star, which was not officially confirmed by Western astronomers until the 1970s.
- 50-Year Orbit: They accurately described Sirius B’s 50-year elliptical orbit around Sirius A, the brightest star in the night sky.
- Sirius C: The Dogon also speak of a third star, Sirius C, an assertion that is currently unconfirmed by modern astronomy but has been speculated about.
The Dogon also had knowledge of Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings and knew our location within the Milky Way Galaxy. Their artifacts, some over 400 years old, depict this astronomical understanding, challenging the notion that their knowledge came from a recent cultural exchange.
An Otherworldly Explanation: The Nommos
One of the most profound elements of Dogon lore is the story of the Nommos, an amphibious, extraterrestrial race from the Sirius system who are said to have imparted this celestial wisdom to the tribe’s ancestors more than 600 years ago.
- Non-Physical Beings: The Nommos were allegedly non-physical beings who appeared to only a small sect of the Dogon tribe to prevent the contact from being detrimental to their well-being.
- Transmission of Knowledge: The tribe’s advanced knowledge is passed down to new generations every 60 years during the Sigui, a celebration that marks Sirius’s cycle.
Connections to Other Ancient Cultures
The story of amphibious, god-like beings is not unique to the Dogon. Similar figures appear in the mythologies of ancient civilizations, including Babylonia, Greece, and Slavic nations.
- Egyptian Connection: The most compelling link is to ancient Egypt. The Dogon’s language for describing the Sirius star system contains ancient Egyptian words that have not been used for centuries. Both cultures also shared similar civic structures, like the establishment of upper and lower kingdoms and a 360-day calendar.
- Mesopotamian Deity: The Mesopotamian deity Dagon or Dagan, a merman or fish god, shares a similar name and description with the Nommos of the Dogon tribe.
These parallels suggest a shared history of star knowledge passed down through generations, leaving open the question of whether our ancestors had help from elsewhere in our cosmic neighborhood.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Do scientists believe the Dogon tribe was visited by aliens?
A: Mainstream science, including figures like Carl Sagan, generally dismisses the idea of extraterrestrial contact, suggesting instead that the Dogon’s knowledge was acquired through a cultural exchange with Europeans. However, some evidence, such as the 400-year-old artifacts, challenges this conventional view. - Q: What is the significance of Sirius in ancient cultures?
A: As the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius has been a central part of many ancient cultures. In ancient Egypt, Sirius was known as the “Nile Star” and its appearance heralded the annual flooding of the Nile, a crucial event for agriculture. - Q: Where can I learn more about ancient civilizations and their connection to the stars?
A: Gaia’s library features a wide range of content on ancient cultures, starseed origins, and the possibility of ancient astronauts. Explore our series and films to dive deeper into these fascinating topics.
About the Author
Human 'Hobbit' Ancestor May Still Be Alive in Indonesian Jungles
Could an ancient human species still be alive deep in the forests of Indonesia? An award-winning anthropologist thinks that might be the case.
On the Indonesian island of Flores, some locals tell tales of an animal that is like a human but is not human. Some say they are extinct, others claim to have seen them with their own eyes. Anthropologist Gregory Forth, who lived with and studied the people of the island for decades, calls this creature the “Apeman.”Â
For years it was an interesting story, but as many anthropologists will tell you, stories like this are often allegory or a way to explain the natural world. But in 2004, the anthropological world was shaken when the “hobbit” skeleton was found. This was a tiny species of hominin. A rebuilt skeleton stands at just 3’7,” but apparently lived at the same time as early modern humans.
The tale of the relationship between oral histories and the fossils, dubbed Homo floresiensis, is the subject of Forth’s new book, “Between Ape and Human.”
Forth, now retired, was a professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta for more than three decades. He first heard of the “Apeman” from the “Lio” people of Flores in the 1980s.
But what about this story sounded like it might be true? Â
“It’s the way that people were describing them as animals, as a kind of animal — not human beings by the way, the distinction is very important for them as it is for most people. But at the same time they’re beings that walked erect unlike any other animal, and otherwise looked humanlike, although they were very small (or they are very small), and somewhat hairier.” Â
