Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dan
The animist Dan (also known as the Yacouba) inhabit the mountainous area around Man in
Côte d'Ivoire, spilling over the border into Liberia. Although part of the wider Mande tra-
dition, they are set apart by their Dan language, of which there are more than 320,000
speakers. Until recently Dan society lacked any overarching social organisation, with each
village looking after its own affairs, although the secret leopard society (known as
go
) has
become an important unifying vehicle for peacemaking between Dan communities. In Dan
tradition, lavish gift-giving is considered an essential means of advancing socially.
Masks are an important element of Dan culture and the Dan mask tradition is one of
Africa's most highly developed. Each village has several great masks that represent its col-
lective memory and which are glorified during times of happiness and abundance. Masks
are regarded both as divinities and repositories of knowledge. They dictate the commu-
nity's values that give the clan cohesiveness and help preserve its customs. For example,
harvest-time yields, or whether a woman will give birth to a son or a daughter, are believed
to depend on masks, and no important action is undertaken without first addressing a mask
to request its assistance.
Dogon: People of the Cliffs,
by Agnes Pateaux, combines beautiful photography with text that gets to the heart of
Dogon society, from the aura of blacksmiths to the changes assailing Dogon ways.
