El Dogū: Uno de los Misterios más Antiguos de Japón.

Gran parte de lo que sabemos sobre el pasado proviene de la recuperación y estudio de elementos arqueológicos. Huesos de dinosaurios, pinturas rupestres que representan el fuego y la caza, así como herramientas primitivas, nos brindan una buena idea de cómo pudo haber sido la vida prehistórica.

A medida que el tiempo avanzaba y los humanos comenzaban a evolucionar y a desarrollar lenguajes, la gente comenzó a escribir. Nuestro conocimiento ha crecido desde la escritura cuneiforme, los jeroglíficos egipcios y los textos griegos creados por historiadores de la época. Ahora podemos leer, aprender e interpretar de qué trataban estas antiguas obras.

Lo frustrante de la historia de los seres humanos es que antes de que las culturas empezaran a escribir, no sabemos cuáles eran las prácticas culturales, qué representaban o cuál era el propósito de los elementos arqueológicos, o si los pequeños objetos no relacionados con herramientas se utilizaban en una tradición religiosa de algún tipo. A los humanos no les gusta no saber cosas. Esto nos impulsa a buscar respuestas, especular y elaborar teorías desde lo lógico hasta lo ilógico en esta necesidad desesperada de aprender de nuestro pasado.

Uno de estos enigmas y antiguos elementos sobre los que no sabemos nada concreto y verificable son las figurillas dogū hechas en el Japón prehistórico. ¿Alguna vez sabremos realmente para qué se crearon estos dogū?

El período Jōmon

Los dogū, que se traduce como «figura terrenal», son pequeñas figuras de arcilla con rasgos humanos o animales que se crearon hacia la parte final del período Jōmon de Japón prehistórico. Lo que hace que las figurillas dogū sean tan fascinantes es que los estudiosos no saben para qué fueron creadas estas pequeñas figuras o qué representan. 

El período Jōmon fue realmente largo, un período en la historia japonesa que abarcó desde el 14,000 a.C. hasta el 300 a.C. En ese momento, la gente en Japón era cazadora-recolectora. Comunidades agrícolas tempranas empezaron a formarse a lo largo del período debido a una cultura Jōmon compartida que se había vuelto moderadamente sedentaria hacia el final del período.

Fue al comienzo del período Jōmon que se desarrollaron las primeras formas de cerámica en el país. En 1998, un orientalista y zoólogo estadounidense, Edward S. Morse, encontró las primeras piezas de cerámica del período Jōmon.

Fue Morse quien le dio el nombre al período; Jōmon se traduce de la palabra «rayado con cuerda». El estilo de cerámica de la cultura Jōmon temprana estaba decorado presionando cuerdas en la arcilla húmeda para formar diseños/texturas. 

No conocemos el propósito y la importancia de las figurillas dogū porque la escritura en Japón comenzó en el siglo VI d.C., mucho tiempo después de que se crearan los dogū. Los dogū solo se crearon durante el período Jōmon, y para cuando ocurrió el siguiente período de prehistoria japonés, las figuras de dogū ya no se hacían más.

El Dogū

Los dogū son pequeños y varían en tamaño desde 10 cm a 30 cm, y la gran mayoría de los dogū encontrados tienen apariencia de cuerpo femenino. Las características comunes incluyen ojos grandes, cinturas pequeñas, caderas anchas y a veces vientres grandes como el de una mujer embarazada.

Many scholars believe that the figurines were representations of a mother goddess because the dogū resemble other neolithic figurines like the Venus of Willendorf. There is a possibility that the dogū were items that were related to fertility and shamanistic rituals. 

Many scholars believe that the figurines were representations of a mother goddess because the dogū resemble other neolithic figurines like the Venus of Willendorf. There is a possibility that the dogū were items that were related to fertility and shamanistic rituals. 

The google-eyed type of dogū got its name from the word shakōki, which literally translates to «light-blocking device.» The goggles are similar in appearance to the traditional snow goggles of the Inuit and Yupik aboriginal peoples of Alaska and Siberia.

It is rare to find an unbroken dogū. Most of the found dogū are missing a leg, arm, or another body part. While some are broken, there have been dogū found that indicate the limb was cut off intentionally.

Yes But What Were They For?

We will likely never know the true purpose of the dogū due to the lack of written language at the time the figures were created. That being said, there are a few different ideas that scholars have about what their purpose might have been.

The most widely held belief is that the dogū was connected to fertility rituals. The very distinct female appearing dogū looks like a pregnant woman, with large breasts and a big round stomach, which is why many believe these clay figures were related to fertility. 

It is believed that dogū were made and owned by women (there is no proof that they were made by women or who would own them, so this is purely speculation) and are symbolic of the regeneration of life and reproduction. Scholars believe that dogū «may have been used for protection against the risks of childbirth, illness and death, or they may have been used in fertility rites to make their chances of having babies or giving birth to healthy babies more successful.»

While many dogū are more abstract, with bodies or shapes that are genderless or animalistic, there has yet to be found a single dogū that illustrates any masculine features. This is why the theory of dogū as reproductive-related items is so commonly held.

Another idea about what the dogū were for relates to death and dying. There have been graves discovered from the time period where shattered pieces of dogū have been found. They were believed to be purposely destroyed for an offering/token/part of a death practice.

While the presence of shattered dogū in graves is significant, the dogū found in areas where habitation occurred are largely in one piece. This may signify that the broken dogū used for death rites had a different use or meaning.

The theory is that the broken pieces of dogū found in graves had something to do with the presence of an ancestry cult. The dogū and sekibō are thought to be items of worship that, along with fertility protection, were connected to the deceased’s ability to manifest or communicate with the living once the dogū and sekibō have been destroyed.

The final theory about what the dogū represent is that they are statues made of aliens who visited the land at some point. While jumping to the alien conclusion often seems insane, there are a few things to consider.

The figurines from the period and most of the dogū recovered do not have features that a normal human would have. They have small bodies and arms, big heads that are strangely shaped, and the goggle-eye type of dogū looks a bit like a human wearing goggles or … a spacesuit.

Some figures’ «tattoo-like» designs seem a bit advanced for that early in history. Maybe something that the aliens did or caused? While the alien theory still sounds like a bit of a wacky explanation and theory, we do not know what the dogū were created and used for.

With the lack of existence of written language from prehistoric Japan, we can’t entirely dismiss the alien theory. What the dogū were used for and why they stopped being created at the end of the Jōmon period will forever remain a mystery.

Top Image: Dogū are some of the most enigmatic artifacts ever found, leaving archaeologists guessing as to their purpose or even what they depict. Source: fotoriatonko / Adobe Stock.