Supplementary material to Dogon Songs of Life and Death (ASAH 19), W.E.A. van Beek

Though the Dogon are well-described, their culture still holds surprises. One of these is the cycle of songs called baja ni, which is at the heart of their funerary rites. Surprisingly, these songs have a historic author, a blind poet/prophet who roamed the area in the 19th century and left a huge heritage of songs and prophecies. This book gives the full text of one performance of this legacy. The lyrics cover a range of topics, from comments on historical events to philosophical musings about life and death, and from remembering the departed to celebrating the joys of being alive.