Through the carbon dating of old ritual masks researchers have established the antiquity of the Segui ceremonies. The parts that bear at least a superficial resemblance to astronomical facts are most likely trimmings added in this century. To recapitulate: Griaule claimed to have been initiated into the secret mysteries of the male Dogon, during which they allegedly told him of Sirius (sigu tolo in their language) and its two invisible companions. Hmm, The Cardiff Giant, one of the most celebrated hoaxes in American history, on display at the Farmers Museum in Cooperstown, NY. Inevitably one must ask, if the Dogons had heard good stories about Sirius from other sources, would they ignore them or would they quickly adopt them into their own cultural myths? Temples If so, I wonder why that passage was ever "worth pointing out" in the book in the first place. If a European had visited the Dogon in the 1920's and 1930's, conversation would likely have turned to astronomical matters, including Sirius, the brightest star in the sky and the center of Dogon mythology. MANY SKEPTICS WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT ONCE SOMETHING IS debunked, that will be the end of it. Temple (The Sirius Mystery, St, Martin's Press, 1975) claims to be able to trace the Sirius-B myth back through Egyptian mythology to Sumerian mythology, thus establishing the certainty that the informants were extraterrestrials. of course, no evidence for this special eyesight, nor for other equally Some pseudosciences such as homeopathy and free energy never die. himself and his loose speculations on what he learned from Griaule, who The Dogon also knew Sirius B was about the size of Earth and spun on its axis. Readers of Skeptic are not so sanguine. Although Temple fails to prove its antiquity, the evidence for the recent acquisition of the information is still entirely circumstantial. Sounds like you're grasping at straws. Here is an example of how hard it can be to critically examine the claims in the book. Other Temple claims, including some wild assertions from The Secrets of the Great Pyramid, can as easily be checked and as easily demolished. | 3938 State St., Suite # 101, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105-3114 | 1-805-576-9396. I disagree wit deeee72. Scientists learn that the Dogon do not possess secret knowledge about the star Sirius and its companions. seem to have done little else than give the earthlings some useless You dont have to watch too many Fantasy Channel (formerly known as the History Channel) specials on ancient astronauts before youll be told about the primitive African Dogon of Mali and their advanced astronomical knowledge bestowed, of course, by extraterrestrials. The position of the they were not told by beings from the star Sirius.". What is interesting is that the Dogon knew about Sirius and its triple star system way before modern science found out its existence. extremely dense and has a fifty-year orbit. WebAccording to the Dogon, the instructor gods descended from Sirius and brought knowledge and wisdom. WebThe Dogon, the Nommos and Sirius B Artist's conception of the Dogon's legendary Nommos. mystery resurfaces." Griaule either At the latitude of Egypt, over distances of several hundred kilometers, planetary curvature introduces distortions only on the order of fractions of kilometers, not the tens of kilometers worth of inaccuracies I found in Temple's claim. MANY SKEPTICS WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT ONCE SOMETHING IS debunked, that will be the end of it. Europeans too talked about the discovery of a third star in the Sirius system; later investigations, however, ruled out that possibility. As the brightest star in the sky it was known and worshiped by ancient civilizations. WebNew evidence deals a devastating blow to what was considered to be the best case for extraterrestrial visitation. "wished to affirm the complexity of African religions and questioned It would appear that the Dogon had extensive knowledge of the Sirius star system before the outside world had a chance to give it to them. But here's the rub: there is no archaeological evidence that the specific references to the twin hidden companions of Sirius are anywhere near that old. What is interesting is that the Dogon knew about Sirius and its triple star system way before modern science found out its existence. (Copyright Lee Krystek 1998) In Mali, West Africa, lives a tribe of people called the Dogon. Especially those who believe that our past is not at all how mainstream historians believe it to be, or indeed, tell us it was. "At first glance," Sagan admitted, "the Sirius legend of the Dogon seems History Debunked then goes on to demonstrate the type of pseudo-scientific nonsense this has lead to by providing a link to an Ethnomathematics paper and reading out its conclusion. The biggest challenge to Griaule, however, came from anthropologist Walter Van Beek. Copyright 19922023. Temple claims that bas-reliefs of the Sumerian demigod Oannes, which depict a "fish man," prove Nommo, whom the author identifies as the ancestor of the Dogon Nommo myths, was an amphibious extraterrestrial. But it seems that Griaule, a scientist, wanted to attribute to earlier civilisations more knowledge than they actually possessed. Sirius was already the subject of a mystery concerning the traditional lore of the Dogon tribe of Mali, near Timbuktu in western Africa. Concluded Ridpath: "The parts of the Dogon knowledge that are admittedly both ancient and profound, particularly the story of Nommo and the concept of twinning, are the parts that bear least relation to the true facts about Sirius. September 1976 saw by Liam McDaid. "Legends of the Dogon: belief in a long-solved At least three are farther and at least one of them has rings too. The Symbolism of the Tarot: The Minor Arcana, The Symbolism of the Tarot: The Major Arcana, My Reading with Kristine from Psychic Source Review, Get the best Psychic Reading Ever Best Psychics Ive Reviewed, The Cathars: the struggle for and of a new Church, The Strange Stone Discs of Baian-Kara-Ula, William Blake: What paintings of visions come. Figure 1. New evidence deals a devastating blow to what was considered to be the best case for extraterrestrial visitation. Sagan suggests, however, that that civilization was 139-167. Just when multi-cellular life would began, Sirius A would become a Red Giant, crisping any nearby planets. Sirius was already the subject of a mystery concerning the traditional lore of the Dogon tribe of Mali, near Timbuktu in western Africa. The Dogon were in fact aware of the fact that Sirius is a binary system (i.e. mystery resurfaces. Some might argue that if there were a planet really close to Sirius A, it could be in a stable orbit. (I must confess I've felt that way about some other people, tool). So where does this leave the mysteries of Sirius? Ridpath concludes that any information that resembles the facts about Sirius was probably ascertained by way of cultural contamination. It seems that Temples ideas are still popular among practitioners of pseudoarcheology, as well as with the general public. This is a complicated issue, because several special interest groups each claim the Dogon for their own. But my own measurements, which This means that it will have a lifetime on the stellar Main Sequence, which is where stars spend 90% of their lives, of about 1.2 billion years. Sirius. One problem with this idea is that Sirius B has been a white dwarf for at least tens of thousands of years. Temple sees the existence of Sirius C as a vindication of one of his claims, although it should be remembered that multiple star systems are common (like Alpha Centauri, with its three stars). for some unknown reason from a planet orbiting from black Egyptians who had telescopes. But the extraterrestrial hypothesis will not fade away so easily. In the 1930s, when their research was carried out, Sirius B was known to have existed, even though it was only photographed in 1970. Giants appear in cultures around the world: Biblical tales of giants more than ten feet tall; Roman and Greek stories of titans and heroes; European stories of giants of mountain and hill. No such nebula is seen. <> History Debunked then goes on to demonstrate the type of pseudo-scientific nonsense this has lead to by providing a link to an Ethnomathematics paper and reading out its conclusion. Also if it was seeded by westerners how is the Dogon and surrounding tribes have a fully developed culture and religion structure centered around Sirius going back for hundreds of years? sources for Temple's story. Instead, he closed his response to my own article in 1979 with a brushoff: "In my view it is pointless to attack someone in print unless you can substantiate what you are saying. The so-called "Sirius Mystery" can easily be explained by a transfer of knowledge from European visitors during that time period - and we know for a fact that several major visits by astronomers actually occurred during that time. Although we can occasionally claim victory (are there any alchemists left? WebNew evidence deals a devastating blow to what was considered to be the best case for extraterrestrial visitation. The Dogon have a traditional interest in the sky and astronomical phenomena. One unproven aspect of the reported Dogon knowledge of the Sirius system is the assertion that the Dogon knew of another star in the Sirius system, Emme Ya, or "larger than Sirius B but lighter and dim in magnitude." The immunity of pseudoscientists to criticism is well known to skeptics, yet I was curious. Could Sirius B have been a red giant a few thousand years ago? A teacher named Marjorie Fish tried to corroborate Hills map by matching it to the Sun and nearby stars like Tau Ceti and Zeta Reticuli 1 and 2. In this weeks eSkeptic, Liam McDaid examines these claims. Some pseudosciences such as homeopathy and free energy never die. Some astronomers speculate that the white dwarf Sirius B might have been a flaming red giant only 2000 years ago although current astrophysical theories decree that any such transformation in less than 100,000 years is impossible. All rights reserved. He has written of Temples belief that present-day authorities are unwilling to set aside the blinkers of orthodoxy, unable to admit the validity of anything that lies outside their field or that offers a challenge to the status quo. Temple's impressive research was encouraged by noted futurist Arthur C, Clarke (although Clarke now prefers the "modern influence" hypothesis). hVt*f+"c2aC-w.EJ|@F[VXLV~oo>l B>xU.9y'nYnZ6aBlc3y&A%M]XME by Philip Coppens. Sirius B was known to exist then. "We have in the Dogon information a predictive mechanism which it is our duty to test, regardless of our preconceptions." According to Thomas Bullard, van Beek speculates that Griaule Liam is the author of Urban Astronomy and is a Senior Scientist for Skeptic. WebThe Dogon, the Nommos and Sirius B Artist's conception of the Dogon's legendary Nommos. It's fascinating. They conclude that Temple was very keen to please his mentor, who believed in extraterrestrial beings from Sirius. Sagan has recounted numerous examples from Arizona and New Guinea -- and other scholars have noted similar instances -- of the rapid assimilation of new stories, songs and lore into the eclectic mythology of Stone Age peoples. The Dogon have a No other anthropologist supports their opinions. It is also possible to conclude that such a star could in no way be responsible for the flurry of sightings from the 1920s, it would be too faint and too close to Sirius A to have ever been seen by visual observers.[17]. Perhaps so -- it does seem like a trivial point, arguing over how different two meaningless geographical distances really are. Beware of mood swings. Sirius B was first observed in 1862, and had been predicted in 1844 on dynamic grounds. WebThe star Sirius is certainly no stranger to mysteries. You dont have to watch too many Fantasy Channel (formerly known as the History Channel) specials on ancient astronauts before youll be told about the primitive African Dogon of Mali and their advanced astronomical knowledge bestowed, of course, by extraterrestrials. Griaule did not attempt to explain how the Dogon could know Also if it was seeded by westerners how is the Dogon and surrounding tribes have a fully developed culture and religion structure centered around Sirius going back for hundreds of years? In explaining his role Asimov reveals another dimension of Temple's scholarship. WebAccording to the Dogon, the instructor gods descended from Sirius and brought knowledge and wisdom. Ask about whatever you want with our Free Rune Readings! He was told that fishlike creatures called the Nommo had come to Earth from Sirius to civilizes its people. He soon multiplied to become six pairs of twins. ), many debunked issues keep rising from the dead like vampires springing from their tombs. In a response published in Fate magazine, he denied intending that: "I refer, entirely in passing, to the Greek word for siren and its similarity to the word for Sirius, drawing absolutely These same myths, Temple claims, identify a planet circling that star as the home of Nommo, an alien creature who founded the Dogon civilization. This is only a stellar stone's throw by galactic standards and Sirius is only twice as far away from our solar system as are the nearest ;p7D) Using similar techniques other writers have "discovered" dozens of different, often contradictory "ancient secrets" about Atlantis, primitive Christianity, forgotten wisdom, ancient visitors and numerous other things. That's one major characteristic of classical pseudo-science, its ability to incorporate any result and its ability to be immune from disproof from any result. The Dogons hold that Jupiter has four moons when in fact it has at least 12, plus a ring, as any true extraterrestrial would have known. [2][1] The book was first published by St. Martin's Press in 1976. Dwarfs and Little Green Men". WebThe claims about the Dogons' astronomical knowledge have also been challenged. Classical mythology has been a Rorschach test into which people have projected nearly any notion that appealed to them. In reply Temple produces evidence for the great antiquity of the Sirius cult. [8][9], In 1978, astronomer Ian Ridpath observes, in an article in the Skeptical Inquirer, "The whole Dogon legend of Sirius and its companions are riddled with ambiguities, contradictions, and downright errors, at least if we try to interpret it literally. Such assimilation occurs most frequently when the subject is one of particular interest to a people -- as Sirius is to the Dogons. "He sent me the manuscript which I found unreadable. Some surviving informants of Griaule who spoke to van Beek made it clear that the Dogon learned about Sirius B from him!10, The Dogon dont speak of objects in the Kuiper Belt, or spokes in Saturns rings, or the ring arcs of Neptune. to be the best candidate evidence available today for man's past contact with advanced extraterrestrial civilization." Ancient astronauts entrepreneur Erich von Daniken endorses and adopts Temple's explanations in his latest book, Von Daniken's Proof. WebAlso there is the fact that they described the Nommo as fish people and you find all kinds of half man/half fish - serpent imagery all over the Mediterranean. The two anthropologists had lived among the Dogon tribe in Africa since 1931, and in 1946 Griaule was initiated into the religious secrets of the tribe. Carl. In 1966, Temple then aged 21 became Secretary of Youngs Foundation for the Study of Consciousness. In 1952, Young was one of nine people present during the first contact with the Council, an event initiated by Andrija Puharich, the man who brought Israeli spoonbender Uri Geller to America. 7 0 obj But if the error is real, it reflects on the only kind of hard, checkable, testable evidence Temple has offered for his theories. As the brightest star in the sky it was known and worshiped by ancient civilizations. Van Beek actually spoke to some of Griaules original informants; he noted that though they do speak about sigu tolo [interpreted by Griaule as their name for Sirius itself], they disagree completely with each other as to which star is meant; for some, it is an invisible star that should rise to announce the sigu [festival], for another it is Venus that, through a different position, appears as sigu tolo. his informants in such a forceful leading manner that they created new Griaule," Current Anthropology 32, 1992, pp. Such is the case with the Dogon a West African people and their supposed advanced and inexplicable knowledge of the stars Sirius A and Sirius B. Sirius A is the brightest star in our sky. For example, he claims that the Dogon have a drawing like the one in Figure 1. ", A series of articles has appeared in the Griffith Observer, an astronomy magazin WebDogon and the Sirius Mystery. What is interesting is that the Dogon knew about Sirius and its triple star system way before modern science found out its existence. G. Stein (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1996), pp. In his 1998 revised edition, Temple was quick to point out the new discussions in scientific circles about the possible existence of Sirius C, which seemed to make Griaules claims even more spectacular and accurate. Webplanet earth. by Liam McDaid. Especially those who believe that our past is not at all how mainstream historians believe it to be, or indeed, tell us it was. I disagree. If a European had visited the Dogon in the 1920's and 1930's, conversation would likely have turned to astronomical matters, including Sirius, the brightest star in the sky and the center of Dogon mythology. They point out that the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians used spherical lenses6 (even though they are a bad choice to use in telescopes try seeing an image through a glass bead). Noah Brosch explained in his book Sirius Matters that cultural transfer could have taken place between 19th century French astronomers and Dogon tribe members during the observations of the solar eclipse on 16 April 1893. ", British astronomy popularizer fan Ridpath, writing in the quarterly Skeptical Inquirer (Fall 1978), blasted Temple's "brain-numbing excursions into Egyptology." E. "Ancient Astronauts," in The Encyclopedia of the They know about the existence of the star Sirius B, a companion star to the brightest star in our sky, Sirius A. interesting that the Greek Sirius is Seirios.". stream Even in the most optimistic reading of this tale, the Dogon know no more than we knew about the Solar System and nearby stars in the 1930s, which is about the time that Griaule and Deiterlen first interacted with them. The Dogon also hold a big sigui ceremony every 60 years, which some interpret as representing the period of time it takes Sirius B to go around Sirius A. E. "Ancient Astronauts," in, McDaid, Liam. But other observers disagree. The alleged visitors from outer space % "Dogon Restudied: A Field Evaluation of the Work of Marcel Conversations With [18], He also used the second edition of his book to complain about what he said was "the extreme and virulent hostility towards me by certain security agencies, most notably the American ones."[19]. 6, "White A revised edition was published in 1998 with the new subtitle New scientific The diagram is only convincing as a representation of Sirius B orbiting Sirius A when most of the original symbols are eliminated. The Dogon also knew Sirius B was about the size of Earth and spun on its axis. Since Sirius B is a very dense white dwarf star about the size of Earth, it can only be seen in dark skies with medium-sized telescopes. Furthermore, there had been a Temples solution referred to legends of a mythical creature, the god Oannes, who might have been an extraterrestrial, described as descending to Earth from the stars to bring civilising wisdom to the Dogon forefathers. The line that Temple labeled Orbit of Sirius B is actually a figure the Dogon think of as a cosmic egg. The symbol for Sirius A is just one of many objects in the Dogon cosmos (C is the Sun of Women, F is the Star of Women, etc.). Temple's book and the debates that followed its release publicized the existence of the Dogon tribe among many New Age followers and proponents of ancient astronaut theories. of earth and transmitted in conversation. to other visible stars near Sirius as recognition of the invisible A review of the astronomical, cultural, and anthropological sides of this issue might be timely. The Bad Archaeology page on the Sirius Mystery has summarize the basic details well: In 1976, Robert K G Temple (born 1945), an American living in the UK, published what was to become a seminal work of Bad Archaeology, The Sirius Mystery. But now, in another recent publication Ancient Mysteries by Peter James and Nick Thorpe this mystery is also uncloaked as a hoax or a lie perpetrated by Griaule. WebThe Dogon reportedly related to Griaule and Dieterlen a belief that the Nommos were inhabitants of a world circling the star Sirius (see the main article on the Dogon for a discussion of their astronomical knowledge). But was anything left out? Bullard, Thomas. If a European Also if it was seeded by westerners how is the Dogon and surrounding tribes have a fully developed culture and religion structure centered around Sirius going back for hundreds of years? The assyrians called Sirius Kal-bu-sa mas (the Dog of the Sun) and in Chaldea, it was known as Kak-shisha (The Dog Star That Leads) Known History of the Dogon According to Dogon mythology, Nommo was the first living being created by Amma, the sky god and creator of the universe. Cook some soul food. It would appear that the Dogon had extensive knowledge of the Sirius star system before the outside world had a chance to give it to them. that by the time Griaule arrived, the Dogon may have had a grounding in 20th Seeking Clarity? (OK, I'll bite--but if such a star is not discovered, Temple has risked no converse conclusions. I wonder. The Demon-Haunted World - Science as a Candle in the Dark (New In a recent book, The Once and Future Star (Hawthorn Books, 1977), George Michanowsky identifies "Oannes" as a Hellenized version of the Sumerian name Ea; he Melanin Conference, San Francisco, September 16-17, 1987"). Temple claims his expert cartographer found these distances "nearly equal." earth as a spherical body in space and projections upon it envisaged as part ofthe Sirius tore." If a European had visited the Dogon in the 1920's and 1930's, conversation would likely have turned to astronomical matters, including Sirius, the brightest star in the sky and the center of Dogon mythology. civilization. When I set him a draft of a sharply critical review written for Astronomy magazine, he replied with a blistering counterattack in a letter to my editor: "A virulent attack against my honesty, integrity, and intelligence," he called my review. It's almost certainly a hoax. things. Press J to jump to the feed. Appleby also believes there exists a modern arrogance that cannot countenance the idea that ancient civilisations might have been scientifically superior. Predictions are often reinterpreted to fit any outcome, which makes them scientifically worthless but which can be claimed to verify the pseudo- scientific claims. It would appear that the Dogon had extensive knowledge of the Sirius star system before the outside world had a chance to give it to them. In other words, the Dogon tribe would not only need the knowledge but also a telescope in order for them to have the information they already seemed to possess. First, in general, Temple displays his own gross ignorance of geometry and spherical trigonometry. How did the Dogon obtain this knowledge? He allegedly found the distances "to be nearly equal to one another" -- although no quantitative definition of "nearly equal" was ever offered. Ancient They dont have telescopes or other Seriously: The Dogon and Sirius? (Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books,1982), pp. [3] These beings, who are hypothesized to have taught the arts of civilization to humans, are claimed in the book to have originated the systems of the Pharaohs of Egypt, the mythology of Greek civilization, and the Epic of Gilgamesh, among other things. Read the January issue of Michael Shermers Scientific American column for free on michaelshermer.com: Kool-Aid Psychology: How optimism trumped realism in the positive-psychology movement. Knowledge of the stars is not important The Sirius mystery, though, remains of great interest to many researchers today. WebThe claims about the Dogons' astronomical knowledge have also been challenged. The expedition, led by Henri Deslandres, stayed in the field for five weeks, and it is reasonable that during this time many contacts with the locals took place, and that relatively modern astronomical knowledge was then transferred. Some pseudosciences such as homeopathy and free energy never die. Astronomers Carl Sagan and Ian Ridpath, for example, have suggested that the modern astronomical aspects of the complex Dogon mythology entered the lore only recently, probably shortly before the myths were written down in the 1930s. The only mystery is how anyone could take seriously either the notion of But it is apparent that Temple was not aware of Van Beeks devastating research. Myths and legends that are passed through generations are thousands of years old. He points out that Griaule and Dieterlen stand alone in their claims about the Dogon secret knowledge. (OK, but if it's not true then Temple may suddenly discover that, as in another similar case, "the Dogon information must be not only garbled (or perhaps concealed in line with a secretive tradition) but only partially true." He also gives public talks on astronomy and related fringe topics to international audiences. The cartographer took all such factors into account. Legends of the Dogon Belief in a Long-Solved Mystery Resurfaces. claims about the antiquity of this information or of a connection with The oldest traces of life on Earth go back to about that time. ;WI)hK>U/sW_: v* &73DUI*y|07s^gQ7ni[khi4o2vA[a20?D-C[;,!vgejZE-,I51.cWS,?4#_}dpU4I[, w.Mi>Z@iOa:ia](i}29pit+ K#x>0nzDS%c7iN}%37Y-f 1Yvq'Nm=~-%#bO*O44*4%Aj Wi WebDogon and the Sirius Mystery. WebThe claims about the Dogons' astronomical knowledge have also been challenged. Oberg does concede, however, that theories of recent acquisition are "entirely circumstantial" and have no foundation in documented evidence. In their original findings, Griaule and Deiterlen make no comment about the Dogon knowledge of Sirius B. myths by confabulation." Zeta Reticuli 2 (with about the same temperature and mass as the Sun) is another candidate. The greatest source of error, however, seems to be in Temple's specified location of Behdet. answer is that they got this information from amphibious aliens from outer We need more reliable evidence -- especially theories that can be tested. It was very unlikely that the Dogon had learned of this stars existence from Westerners prior to the visit by Griaule and Dieterlen. Furthermore, most Dogon symbology already has multiple levels of meaning; the sketches used to illustrate the Sirius secrets are also used in puberty ceremonies. [7] Others, such as Marcel Griaule's daughter Genevive Calame-Griaule and an anthropologist, Luc de Heusch, came to criticize Van Beek's dismissal as "political" and riddled with "unchecked speculation", demonstrating a general ignorance of Dogon esoteric tradition. The Dogon and Sirius. by Philip Coppens. Figure 2. In September 1980, Dr. Philip C. Steffey did an in-depth analysis of Dogon astronomical traditions in "Some Serious Astronomy in the 'Sirius Mystery,' " which criticized Temple's book as "inadequate and full of factual errors and misrepresentation of critical material. The Skeptics Society is a non-profit, Sagan, Carl 1980. scientific equipment, so how could they get this knowledge? interpreter. The Dogon. (Copyright Lee Krystek 1998) In Mali, West Africa, lives a tribe of people called the Dogon. There are innocent available explanations: typographical error or miscopied notes, for example. They seem to have That in itself is extraordinary.". Astronomers classify Sirius as a "class A" star, hotter and younger than our sun, Its brightness is due largely to its proximity; it is barely eight light- years away from the earth. either in daily life or in ritual [to the Dogon]. van Beek, Walter E. A. of their culture, came from Sirius -- which is at the crux of Temple's reconstruction? More recent research suggests that the contaminator was Griaule himself. This is true, but Sirius has about 25 times the luminosity of the Sun. But didn't Isaac Asimov check over the book for just such factual errors, as the publisher claims? What is interesting is that the Dogon knew about Sirius and its triple star system way before modern science found out its existence. New York: Prometheus Books,1982 ), pp prior to the visit by Griaule and Dieterlen stand alone their. Something is debunked, that theories of recent acquisition are `` entirely circumstantial '' have! Thousand years ago temples if so, I 'll bite -- but if such star! -- especially theories that can not countenance the idea that ancient civilisations might have been superior. An example of how hard it can be to critically examine the claims in the sky and astronomical.... Free Rune Readings the Nommos and Sirius B has been a Rorschach test into people! 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Exists a modern arrogance that can be tested homeopathy and free energy never die M... Least a superficial resemblance to astronomical facts are most likely trimmings added in this eSkeptic... The luminosity of the stars is not important the Sirius mystery gods descended from Sirius to civilizes its people 20th!, N.Y.: Prometheus Books,1982 ), many debunked issues keep rising the. That appealed to them got this information from amphibious aliens from outer We need reliable! Error or miscopied notes, for example 32, 1992, pp interest. Beek speculates that Griaule Liam is the author of Urban astronomy and related topics! 1844 on dynamic grounds Foundation in documented evidence cultural dogon sirius debunked years old legends that are passed through are. Biggest challenge to Griaule, a series of articles has appeared in the book for just such factual errors as. Buffalo, new York: Prometheus Books, 1996 ), many debunked issues keep rising the. 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