Bandiagara, Mali : the Dogon Fish Festival :
The Sacred Dogon Fishing Ritual
In this dry, arid area of Mali, often referred to as "Dogon Country", at the foot of a 500 meter high escarpment, lies a small village called Bamba. Everything here is parched... all year long. This said, there is this sacred pond full of catfish and crocodiles : Antogo. Every year, an ancient fishing ritual takes place. Fishing in the lake is strictly prohibited throughout the year, but on this auspicious day, hundreds of young men jump into the lake grabbing at the with their bare hands. The frenzy lasts for only about 20 minutes, but it is intense ! Our Japanese "stars" participated in the challenge. Only men ! Women do not participate, in fact women are not allowed to approach the sacred pond during this festival / ritual. It is said that it is auspicious for those who succeed in catching fish : success portends a good harvest this year, and even the possibility of marriage, family members who may be ill will be healed, etc ... For the men who do not succeed in catching anything they will be considered to be unlucky for the next year. They won’t be able to marry, and will not have a good harvest, etc. : all they can do is hope to have better luck the next year ! Many Dogon people who live abroad will return home to participate in this event.
Photos from some of our numerous past projects, documentaries, etc. filming the Dogon People of Mali.
Photos by Africa Fixer : Excelman Productions : these photos are not intended to be works of art, but rather simply as pre-reconnaissance reference aids.
