In Day of the Fish, I associate the Nummo with the Thunderbird, known to many North American Indigenous Peoples as a supernatural creature.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 349 The Thunderbird is believed to be an Ancestral Sky Being of the Namgis clan of the Kwakwaka'wakw.
This open Thunderbird mask, which is dated to 19th c., is from Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and is one of the most clever depictions I have come across in my research. To me it clearly indicates an association between the African Dogon religion and North American Indigenous beliefs.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 321
 Thunderbird Mask DrawingSource Unknown |
In this sketch of the mask, we see the frog image on top, which is associated with the amphibious aspect of the Nummo, who were often associated with frogs in ancient cultures. In ancient Europe the frog was associated with the Goddess, a reflection of the Nummo, who were identified with the divine feminine. According to Gimbutas, the Sheela Na gig figure, which has been found incorporated into old churches in medieval Ireland and England was none other than the ancient frog or toad goddess, the birth giver and regeneratrix inherited from the Neolithic.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish pp. 53-54
The dual serpents on either side of the mask are particularly important in association with the Nummo, who were described by the Dogon people as being androgynous or "twin" Serpents.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 349
The Thunderbird is considered a supernatural bird of power and strength. The beating of its enormous wings causes thunder, stirs up the wind, and creates storms. Sheet lighting flashes from it eyes. In masks it is depicted as many coloured, with two curling horns and often teeth within its beak.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 349
These descriptions of the Thunderbird are like descriptions of the Nummo in their spaceship, which was associated with wind. The Dogon described a whirling wind when the ship landed. It stirred up a pile of dust and hit the ground with such a violent impact that it gave the ground its rough shape.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 349
"Like the Nummo, the Thunderbird has horns and is 'many coloured' like the rainbow. When talking about the Nummo spaceship Griaule reported, 'His [Her] left forefoot made a black track, his [her] right a red track, the two others one green and one yellow. That fourfold track was called the 'the Nummo's track.'"Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 349
"The Nummo were shape-shifters and Thunderbirds as a species were also shape-shifters. They were associated with fire, a sun dance, and the Tree of Life. The Nummo were symbolized by the sun and dancing was important to the Dogon people because music and dancing were associated with the "first rhythm of resurrection." Like the Nummo, the Thunderbird was believed to control rainfall.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 349
According to the Brooklyn Museum, where the mask is currently located, the figure on the bottom is also a bird and the individual wearing the mask would be covered in feathers, while dancing.https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/ opencollection/objects/19432 The Nummo were described as having gizzards like birds and the Dogon elder Ogotemmêli associated the Nummo with birds.Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 94
In the Dogon religion, an ant was identified with the first humans, and one can't help but wonder if this figure on the bottom, with its ant-like eyes, may have also been associated with an ant. Like the Nummo, the Hopi, who are descended from the Ancient Pueblo Peoples, have legends involving the "Ant People".Shannon Dorey, Day of the Fish p. 9
 Closed Thunderbird Maskhttps://www.brooklynmuseum.org/ opencollection/objects/19432 |
When the mask is closed it depicts the Thunderbird. In the Dogon religion, the bird associated with the Mistress of Speech, who was part human and part Nummo, was the blue and white donu bird.
The donu bird was associated with resurrection and humans regaining their immortality. The human figure, in the middle of the open mask, represents this human transformation.
The mask is brilliant because not only does it describe the Nummo but it depicts the different creations found in the Dogon religion indicating that they are linked to the same source. It shows that the dual serpents and frog, which represent the Nummo, are connected to humans, identified with the figure in the centre. The bird, which appears when the mask is closed, represents the Mistress of Speech and is the ultimate form of resurrection.
I describe other bird associations in The Nummo.
Throughout the world, birds I consider to be associated with the Nummo and the Mistress of Speech are those of predominantly blue or green plumage. This includes the donu, the peacock, and the quetzal bird. In Egyptian mythology, Horus was depicted as a blue falcon. The eagle does not share this colour, but evidence indicates to me that it was associated with the Nummo and the Mistress of Speech in some cultures.Shannon Dorey, The Nummo p. 222
For more information on the Dogon religion refer to my books, The Master (Mistress) of Speech, The Nummo, Day of the Fish and The Rose.