Conversations with Ogotemmêli

"Originally published in 1948 as Dieu d'Eau, this near-classic offers a unique and first-hand account of the myth, religion, and philosophy of the Dogon, a Sudanese people. Often regarded as savages, the Dogon are here revealed to "live by a cosmogony, a metaphysic, and a religion which put[s] them on a par with the peoples of antiquity, and which Christian theology might indeed study with profit." In recording his thirty-three days' conversation with Ogotemmêli, an elder of exceptional intelligence and wisdom, the author has succeeded in conveying the man's highly individual style. The result is a remarkable portrayal of Dogon cosmology, told as it were from the inside."