Magic Rites - Divination By Animal Tracks

Series: African Village Life Series

Duration: 7

Genre: Educational

Creator: International Film Foundation | Julien Bryan

Format: 16mm

Color: Color

Sound: sound

Description: natives draw designs in the sand. A tribal drum soundtrack., Portrays, without narration, the Dogon people of the Mali Highlands following the religious practice of divining. Explains that the rite includes drawing in the sand and luring animals with peanuts. Observes that the soothsayer is then able to foretell the future by analyzing the tracks made by the animals.

Complete Record: natives draw designs in the sand. A tribal drum soundtrack., This film gives an initial understanding of Dogon religious practices by showing a common method of making prophecies. A shaman enters the sacred ground. Responding to questions posed earlier by members of his village, he uses a symbolic Language to draw a representation of the village in the sand. He then drops peanuts at strategic places to lure the night jackals into the field. The following morning, the shaman returns to prophesy the future from the tracks left by the jackal in the sand. , Portrays, without narration, the Dogon people of the Mali Highlands following the religious practice of divining. Explains that the rite includes drawing in the sand and luring animals with peanuts. Observes that the soothsayer is then able to foretell the future by analyzing the tracks made by the animals.NOTE: Two (or more) records have been merged together to create this data.