Do you know what this is?

[Zan]

Hi,

Radu is perfectly right : it is a typical Dogon knife. This fascinating tribe limited to Mali is one of the only in Western Africa with preserved way of life, traditions and belief. Most still live in simple villages the same way their ancestors do.

Their cosmology and their masks' society is much interesting and known, but there is almost nothing about their edged weapons. I have visited a Dogon museum in Mali where there was a saif and a Manding sword... from their enemys. It is a pacific tribe, wich was looking for unatteinable cliff edges to settle yo avoid conflicts. But they do have some interesting traditionnal utilitarian knifes.

I will soon post two typical Dogon knifes.

Zan