Dogon Cosmology: Sirius and the Nommo - Ancient Astronomy and Amphibious Gods

BY NICOLE LAU

The Dogon people of Mali possess one of the most enigmatic and sophisticated cosmological systems in African mythology. Living in the remote Bandiagara Escarpment, the Dogon have preserved ancient astronomical knowledge that has puzzled researchers for decades—particularly their detailed understanding of the Sirius star system, including the existence of Sirius B (a white dwarf star invisible to the naked eye) centuries before Western astronomy discovered it with telescopes. At the heart of Dogon mythology are the Nommo—amphibious beings who descended from the sky to bring knowledge, civilization, and the secrets of creation to humanity.

The Sirius Mystery: Ancient Knowledge of Invisible Stars

The Dogon have long known that Sirius (which they call Sigi Tolo, "the star of Sigui") is not a single star but part of a binary system. They describe a companion star called Po Tolo ("the seed star"), which orbits Sirius in an elliptical path taking approximately 50 years to complete. They say this star is incredibly dense—"the heaviest thing in the universe"—and is made of a substance called sagala, which is heavier than all the iron on Earth.

This description precisely matches Sirius B, a white dwarf star that was not photographed by Western astronomers until 1970, though its existence was theorized in 1844 and confirmed in 1862. White dwarfs are indeed incredibly dense—a teaspoon of their matter would weigh tons on Earth. The Dogon's accurate knowledge of this invisible star, its orbital period, and its density has sparked intense debate about the origins of their astronomical knowledge.

The Dogon also describe a third star in the Sirius system, Emme Ya Tolo ("the sorghum female star"), which they say is larger and lighter than Po Tolo and has its own satellite. While Western astronomy has not confirmed a third star in the Sirius system, some researchers speculate that Sirius C may exist but remains undetected.

The Nommo: Amphibious Teachers from the Sky

According to Dogon mythology, the Nommo are amphibious beings who descended from the sky in a vessel called an "ark" that spun and made a great noise as it landed. The Nommo are described as having fish-like or serpentine lower bodies and humanoid upper bodies—similar to the Mesopotamian Oannes or Babylonian Apkallu, suggesting a possible archetype of amphibious culture-bringers across ancient civilizations.

The Nommo brought essential knowledge to humanity: agriculture and the cultivation of grain (particularly sorghum and millet), weaving and textile arts, metallurgy and blacksmithing, astronomy and the calendar, language and symbolic communication, social organization and governance, and spiritual practices and cosmological understanding.

The Nommo are not merely mythological figures but are understood as actual beings who visited Earth in the distant past. They are revered as the ancestors and teachers of the Dogon people, the source of their civilization and knowledge.

The Egg of the World: Dogon Creation Myth

Dogon cosmology begins with Amma, the supreme creator god who existed alone in the void. Amma created the "egg of the world" (aduno tal)—a cosmic egg containing the seeds of all creation. This egg was divided into two placentas, each containing a pair of Nommo twins (four Nommo in total).

However, one of the male Nommo, called Ogo (or Yurugu, the Pale Fox), became impatient and broke out of the egg prematurely, stealing a piece of his placenta to create his own world. This act of rebellion introduced disorder, incompleteness, and impurity into creation. Ogo's premature birth represents the origin of chaos, conflict, and the imperfect nature of the material world.

To restore order, Amma sacrificed one of the remaining Nommo, dismembering him and scattering his body parts across the universe. From this sacrifice, the ordered cosmos was born—the sun, moon, stars, earth, plants, animals, and humans all emerged from the Nommo's sacrificed body. This sacrificed Nommo was then resurrected and became the teacher and guide of humanity.

The Sigui Ceremony: Celebrating the Sirius Cycle

Every 60 years (approximately the orbital period of Sirius B around Sirius A), the Dogon hold the Sigui ceremony—the most important ritual in their culture. This multi-year ceremony celebrates the renewal of the world, honors the Nommo, and marks the passage of generations.

During Sigui, elaborate masks are carved and danced, representing the Nommo and various aspects of creation. The Great Mask (the "mother of masks") is carved from a single tree and can be up to 30 feet long. These masks are not merely artistic objects but are understood as vessels for spiritual forces, channels through which the Nommo and ancestors can manifest.

Living Tradition and Modern Mysteries

Despite modernization and the influence of Islam and Christianity, many Dogon continue to practice their traditional religion and preserve their cosmological knowledge. The Hogon (spiritual leader) maintains the sacred traditions, performs rituals, and serves as the living link between the community and the Nommo.

The Dogon teach us that indigenous peoples may possess knowledge far more sophisticated than colonial narratives acknowledged, that astronomy and mythology can be integrated into a coherent worldview, and that the origins of human civilization remain mysterious. Whether we interpret the Nommo literally or symbolically, the Dogon invite us to expand our understanding of what knowledge is, where it comes from, and how deeply we are woven into the cosmic fabric.