Mythologis
The Dogon Mythology Book: Amma, the Nommo, and the Mystery of Sirius

Dogon Mythology

The Dogon Mythology Book: Amma, the Nommo, and the Mystery of Sirius

Amma, the Nommo, and Sirius

The cosmology of a people who carved their villages into a cliff in Mali, and who, some claim, knew of an invisible companion star to Sirius. The creator Amma, the amphibious Nommo, the cosmic egg, and one of anthropology’s great controversies.

150 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Inline citations to the field accounts
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The People of the Cliff
  2. 02Amma and the Cosmic Egg
  3. 03The Nommo: The Twins of Water and the Word
  4. 04The Fall of the Pale Fox and the Broken Order
  5. 05The Eight Ancestors and the First Fields
  6. 06The Granary That Came Down from the Sky
  7. 07The Word, the Loom, and the Spread of Speech
  8. 08The Sigui and the Sixty-Year Festival
  9. 09The Masks and the Dama of the Dead
  10. 10Sirius and the Sigui Star: The Great Controversy
  11. 11Griaule, the Dogon, and the Limits of What We Know

About this book

About this Dogon mythology guide

The cliff-dwelling people of Mali, the creator Amma, the amphibious Nommo, and one of anthropology's strangest controversies: the secret of Sirius.

On the Bandiagara escarpment in Mali, the Dogon built their granaries and shrines into the face of a cliff, and kept one of the most elaborate cosmologies ever recorded in Africa: a universe hatched from a cosmic egg by the creator Amma, ordered by amphibious twin beings called the Nommo, and disrupted by the rebellion of a pale fox. Then a French anthropologist reported that the Dogon also knew, somehow, of an invisible companion star orbiting Sirius. The argument has never stopped.

This book lays out the whole tradition and the controversy with it. Eleven chapters cover Amma and the cosmic egg, the Nommo, the fall of the pale fox, the eight ancestors, the granary that came down from the sky, the masks and the festival of the dead, and the famous Sirius question, handled honestly. Every chapter cites its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Amma, the creator, and the cosmic egg that held the whole universe
  • The Nommo, the amphibious twins of water and the Word
  • The pale fox, whose rebellion broke the order of creation
  • The granary of heaven that descended with the eight ancestors
  • The Sigui, the great festival held once every sixty years
  • The Sirius controversy: did the Dogon know of a star no eye can see?

Dogon mythology book at a glance

TraditionDogon mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length150 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Dogon mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Dogon mythology guide

Questions about the Dogon mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Does the book claim the Dogon really knew about the Sirius companion star?

No. The book lays out the claim and the evidence on both sides honestly. It explains what Marcel Griaule reported, why later scholars have doubted whether it reflects genuine ancient Dogon knowledge or contamination from European contact, and lets the reader weigh it. It does not push a fringe theory.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the field accounts of Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen (Conversations with Ogotemmêli, Le Renard pâle), the Dogon oral tradition, and the scholarly debate over the Sirius question, with references to the standard works.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.

Is this book for beginners or specialists?

Beginners welcome. The book explains every name, place, and concept from scratch. Specialists will find the source citations useful for further reading.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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