The Singing Prophet of the Dogon. A Nineteenth Century Voice on Dogon-Fulbe Relations and his Legacy

A body of 19th-century Dogon songs, known as baja ni, preserves previously unrecognized historical insights into the relationship between the Dogon and Fulbe peoples during the Macina realm. These songs, attributed to a blind poet-prophet named Abirè Goro, continue to play a role in Dogon funeral rituals and contain prophecies that have gained new relevance amid ongoing conflicts between the two groups. The study analyzes these oral traditions as a unique archive of social history, linking Dogon identity and future prospects to broader Mande cultural narratives.

van Beek, W. E. A., & Poudiougou, I. (2026). The Singing Prophet of the Dogon. A Nineteenth Century Voice on Dogon-Fulbe Relations and his Legacy. History in Africa, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1017/hia.2025.10010