Beautiful "yo domolo" staff

Description

wood, base

Worn over the shoulder or held in the hand, curved staffs such as this are emblems of the society of “yona”, or “ritual thieves”.

Each Dogon clan has a ritual thief, designated by the clan’s eldest member.

The principal activity of the society seems to occur at the funeral of one of its members, when the “yona” all stalk the village, stealing and killing as many chickens, sheep, and goats as they can, to be sacrificed and eaten at the funeral ceremony.

Comparing literature