Dogon Gods and Creation Mythology

Amma the creator is the main god of the Dogons. Amma created the universe and the Nommos, the first living beings in the universe. The Nommos are also considered as gods by the Dogon people. The Nommos always appear in pairs as even numbers have special importance in Dogon culture. The name “Nommo” comes from a Dogon word meaning "to make one drink.” The Nommos are also called Masters of the Water, the Monitors, and the Teachers. This name is fitting because the Nommos are said to be amphibious beings that were sent to Earth for the benefit of mankind.

According to Dogon Mythology, the Universe was first created by Amma, and then Amma created the Nommo, which multiplied into four pairs of twins. One of the twins then went against Amma's will and destroyed the peace and order in the perfect universe. The Universe would soon become very unstable if nothing was done. In order to get rid of the chaos, Amma was forced to sacrifice one of the twins and distribute his body parts throughout the universe. This restored the peace, and the Universe, Amma's great creation, was perfect once again.