Songoを去りBandiagaraで昼食とって水やガスなど軽く買い出ししてからDogonの奥地へ突入、その日の目的地はBandiagara断崖の上に位置するSangha。着いたのが日が暮れ出した頃なのでさくっと村を散歩。鍛冶師や猟師の家族の所をお邪魔したあと、村の最長老(Hogon)の所へ案内され、勿体無くも歓迎のお言葉を頂戴しました。
HoganはDogonで最も重要な人物で伝統的なスピリチュアルリーダー。村の長老達の中から選ばれたHogonは生涯禁欲でOgol Daという特別な家に独りで住み、人はHogonに絶対に触れてはだめ、Hogonは自分で体を拭ってもだめなど色々タブーとされる事があります。
Dogonが信仰する精霊の一つ、地の神Lébé (Lewe)が蛇の姿をして夜Hogonの所を訪れ体を清め知恵を与えるという言い伝えがあります。
After our visit to Songo, we stopped by Bandiagara to pick up some food, water and gas. We traveled on a dirt road to that day's destination, Sangha village in the heart of Dogon Country. We reached the village right before the sun went down. I quickly walked around the village. I stopped by a blacksmith and a hunter's house as well as Hogon, the chief of the village, and Dogon's highest traditional spiritual reader. I felt honored to be greeted so respectably. After having been chosen from the village elders, the chief lives alone at Ogol Da. There are many taboo's and customs among Hogon. One of them dictates that the chief should be celibate for the rest of his life. He should not be touched by people not even by his own wife and children, except for his own selected people. He should also not wash himself, etc...
The Dogon people believe the sacred snake Lébé, The earth god, one of the three main divine beings exist in the Dogon religion visit Hogon at night to clean him and leave him wisdoms as one of their legend.