At the beginning of time, the great creator god, Amma, created the world. First, he made the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the animals, and the people. Then, he created the Dogon people and gave them unique knowledge and understanding of the universe.
Amma created the world by separating it into two parts, the Earth and the Sky. He placed the Earth at the bottom and the Sky at the top. He put the sun, moon, and stars in the Sky and the rivers and seas on the Earth. He then placed people on the Earth and animals in the Sky.
To help the Dogon people understand the universe, Amma gave them a set of special symbols. First, he gave them the Nommo, a pair of twin spirits that represented the balance of life. He also gave them the four sacred signs, symbols for the life cycle.
Amma taught the Dogon people how to use symbols and interpret their meanings. He showed them how to use their universe knowledge to help them live in harmony with nature.