The mystery of Sirius is one of the most captivating secrets of historic knowledge and potential foreign contact. It is among Dogon People of Mali, a distant tribe in West Africa, whose oral traditions contain extensive knowledge about the Sirius stars system, including information about Sirius B (an unseen white dwarf star).
This leaves one question: how did Dokon know about it? Some say that early European astronomers have provided this information, while others say that it comes from advanced civilization and even aliens. The controversial book by Robert Temple The Sirius Mystery (1976) postulated that the extraterrestrial from the Sirius system had visited Dogona, and since then there was a debate.
Is it possible that Dogon was initiated into this information before our time? Is there a simpler explanation? Join me by examining the facts, what some theories say about the case and what still remains a mystery.
The Dogon Cosmology
Dogon has a luxurious cosmology rooted in a deep relationship with the stars. They describe Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, having an unseen companion, Sirius B, who in their oral traditions describe as incredibly miniature and massive, who follows the elliptical orbit around Sirius A, once every 50 years, amazingly accurately fact that contemporary astronomers did not confirm until the 20th century.
Even more mysterious, Dogon talks about the third star Sirius C, which current science has not yet confirmed. However, based on gravitational anomalies, it was suggested that there may be a feeble star of the third companion, but no decisive evidence was found.
This knowledge is deeply embedded in convenient culture and transmitted by generations, especially during the Sigui ceremony, a ritual that occurs once every 60 years and it is said to be in line with key astronomical cycles. During this holy event, Dogon confirms their relationship with Nommo, mythical base beings came from heaven to teach them wisdom.
Nommo are crucial for Dogon mythology. They are described as partial, partially-human creatures that have arrived “with a vessel of fire and thunder.” Dogon claims that these beings came from the planet circulating to Sirius and gave their advanced astronomical knowledge from returning to the stars.
This is an amazing claim and I wonder if the people of Dogon really received this knowledge from extraterrest visitors, or whether there is a different explanation.
Robert Temple and the mystery of Sirius
Robert Temple's book The Sirius Mystery returned the knowledge of Dogon to an international audience. Temple maintained that the Sirius system was drawn with such accuracy in their mind, that observation of the land or cultural transfer is not enough or want such methods. Rather, theoretically, Dogon made physical interactions with extraterrestrial beings, Nommo, with whom he associated with the historic theory of astronaut.
The temple, in its work, associated the Dogon mythology and the historic Egyptian civilization, proposing that knowledge about Sirius B could be passed through the forgotten history of advanced civilization. He quoted the language and symbolic similarities between the Dogonian traditions and the historic Egyptian cultures and Mesopotamians, suggesting that one enlightened historic civilization could be initiated in this wisdom.
For historic astronauts theoretics, the Temple book provided groundbreaking evidence that historic aliens could contribute to the development of human civilization. But some others were incompatible.
Skeptical perspective
Many scientists and anthropologists questioned Temple claims, arguing that Dogon's knowledge can be taken into account in a more mundane way.
Cultural diffusion is a gigantic counterargument. Sirius B, which was known to European astronomers in the 19th century, could be introduced to Dogon by French explorers or missionaries before anthropologists formally registered it.
One of the most renowned skeptics was the deceased Carl Sagan, who noticed that if Dogon received knowledge from advanced civilization and even extraterrestrials, why did they not describe other planets, galaxies or astronomical phenomena? Dialogue with the Sirius system: screaming, it seems strangely selective if they have access to better knowledge.
Belgian anthropologist Walter Van Beek had a work in the field among Dogon in the 1990s and did not discover any evidence that Sirius is of particular importance in his traditions. Many Dogon he talked to seemed not to know about Sirius B. This prompted Van Beek to consider the possibilities that the earlier work of anthropologists Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen, the first, who published relationships from Dogon's astronomical knowledge, were colored by interpretations of scientists or things accidentally vaccinated by their contacts with an extraordinary.
Critics say that oral traditions transform from generation to generation. Situational stories can be decorative, misinterpreted and adapted to other cultures before arriving at their last resting place, and their authorship can be arduous to determine. Could Dogon's astronomical knowledge transform from generation to generation, integrating contemporary scientific concepts with historic myths?
Such skeptical views undermine the extraterrestrial hypothesis, but they do not completely eliminate mystery. Understanding Dogon remains extremely specific and impressively exact, regardless of the debate of origin.
Re -examination of evidence
The mystery of Sirius still fascinates researchers because there is no final explanation. Dogon can certainly be praised for their knowledge about Sirius B, but you can only speculate when it comes from historic observation, cultural exchange or something completely different.
One of the obstacles in cracking this mystery is the malleable quality of oral traditions. In contrast to the recorded entries, oral stories evolve, preventing exact knowledge when specific knowledge was taught. In order to complicate matters even more, human nature favors the recognition of patterns, which means that both the temple and some researchers before him could excessively influence the Dogon story through previous relationships.
However, the rejection of Dogon's knowledge as an opportunity at the same time seems unsatisfactory. Their relations about the density of Sirius B, orbit and invisibility match contemporary science that some questions remained hanging.
And then there is a third star: this one not yet confirmed, Sirius C. Some astronomers speculated that gravitational data indicate the possible presence of a feeble brown dwarf or a red dwarf in the Sirius system. This discovery enlivened the questions about how Dogon knew about his existence if it was confirmed.
Perhaps Dogon's information comes from a deeper, lost context? Is this another example of how human cultures develop complicated stories about space?
Application
The mystery of Sirius is a testimony to the constant fascination of humanity unknown. Dogon's knowledge about Sirius B, still questions the conventional story, fueling speculation about lost wisdom, advanced civilizations and extraterrestrial contact.
While skeptics offer probable explanations, no taorian has overthrown mystery. Did Dogon gain this knowledge through historic exchanges, independent discovery or something very stranger?
Sources and references
Griaule, M., I Dieterlen, G. (1950). Sirius Sudan system. Journal of the Africanist Society, 20 (1), 273–294.
Holberg, JB (2007). Sirius: The lightest diamond in the night sky. Springer Science & Business Media.
Ridpath, I. (1978). Syrius' mystery – a few second thought. Skeptical Inquirer, 3 (1), 58-61.
Sagan, C. (1979). BROCA BREE: Reflections on a science romance. Random house.
Van Beek, Wea (1991). Dogon Restudied: assessment in the field of work by Marcela Griaule. Current anthropology, 32 (2), 139-167.
Oberg, J. (1982). UFOs and cosmic secrets: a nice skeptic report. Prometheus' books.
Temple, RKG (1976). The Sirius Mystery: New Scientific proof of contact with aliens 5000 years ago. St. Martin's Press.
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