NOMMO
allyWater, speech, twinness
The Nommo (or Nummo) are primordial ancestral spirits of the Dogon cosmogony, in Mali, often described as amphibious beings bound to water. Created by the god Amma, they appear in a form joining a human torso to the lower body of a serpent or fish. They are masters of water, of speech and of fecundity, and are held to be the first beings and the ancestors of the Dogon. The myth, collected notably by the ethnologist Marcel Griaule in Dieu d'eau (1948), tells how the sacrifice of a Nommo repaired the world's disorder and scattered its parts, at the origin of the binou sanctuaries. Repairing the imbalances of the cosmos through sacred speech, they bind water, the word and twinness to the order of the world. The work of Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen, which credits the Dogon with ancient knowledge of the star Sirius, remains debated among researchers.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“The waters keep the memory of what the earth forgets.”
Frequently asked questions
What are the Nommo?
Primordial ancestral spirits of Dogon religion, often described as amphibious and associated with water, speech and fecundity.
Who created the Nommo?
The creator god Amma, from whom they descend. They are seen as the first ancestors of the Dogon.
Where does our knowledge of the Nommo come from?
Above all from the inquiries of the ethnologist Marcel Griaule, including Dieu d'eau (1948). Certain interpretations, such as the link with the star Sirius, are debated.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Nommo, Wikipédia (fr et en)
- Marcel Griaule, Dieu d'eau. Entretiens avec Ogotemmêli (1948)