Dagara Bagr: Ritual Calender

Bagr rites and ceremonies are designed to accomplish many things at the same time. They are arranged as series of religious events that are following a very strict seasonal calendar. They are designed to be therapeutic and healing rituals as well as informative and educative at all levels (cultural, social and scientific). Bagr rites in all their varieties and forms cover all aspects of life in society by documenting them as script that is akin to writing a complete ‘Bible’ for the Dagara people. The difficulty of getting participatory access to the rites and ceremonies that are relevant for documentation makes it impossible to have a complete overview of all the rites and ceremonies within the three-year cycle. A reliable documentation still has to focus on the limited rites that I have been able to participate in and to, most importantly, to properly document according to a scientific method

Timing	Luna Period (English)	Lunar Period (Dagara)	Bagr Ritual	Bagr Public Event	Location
Nov/Dec	Dry season begins. Harvesting Season	Uon-yi-paala saŋ Ka-paala Bon-paala	Kukur Bagr (Rites of hoe-handle) Bagr Chur (Black Bagr rites) Bagr pla (White Bagr final rites)	Bagr Masquerade, Rituals, and Dance	Land of Mythical Origins (Téngkur) Land of Current Settlement
Jan/Feb	Dry windy season Harmattan	Uon-siɛsɛb saŋ Ka-ŋmɛp Kyi su Bondini	Potibr Bagr (Rites of the Farm)	Bagr thanksgiving rites on the farm	Crossroad within the farm (Puo Puͻ)
March	Dry hot season Flowers/Fruits Hunting	Uon-tulu Saŋ Ti-puuru/Womɛ Muɔ-yɔp	Téngan wiɛ bagr (Village hunting rites) Kͻntͻn bagɛ (Rites to the nature spirit) Puuru ni Uuru bagr	Bagr Initiation rite: First meeting for all Neophytes	Ancestral Home (Kpĩĩdaaru yir)
April	Hot Season	Tulò-Saŋ	Wulu ni Tulu kɛɛ ŋmɛb	Bagr rites: second meeting on the roof terrace.	Lizard road leading to big tree in the bush
May	Begin Rainy Season	Sàbié Saŋ	Bagr bɛŋ-sɛbla (Bagr of black beans)	Bagr rites: third meeting for neophytes around the house	House Environment
June/July	Rainy Season	Siɔŋ saŋ	Bagr bɛŋ-pla (Bagr of White Beans)	Bagr rites: fourth meeting of neophytes	House environment, Forest, River Bed
August/ September	Tropical Rainy season (Heavy rains)	Sàkuò saŋ	Bagr bɛŋ-kolé (Bagr of White Beans)	Bagr rites: Fifth meeting of neophytes	House Environment: Fireplace, Roof Terrace as sleeping place
September October	End of Rainy season	Kavaar /Sàpuurɛ saŋ	Bagr bɛgr: rites of the Vanvankpeli (Bagr of Bambara beans)	Bagr rites: Sixth meeting and masking of neophytes as living dead	On the Roof Terrace of the House; In the Long Common Room
October/November	Dry Season bagins	Kpaŋkyããn saŋ	Sɔr-tu bagɛ Vanvankpeli	Village Masquerade of neophytes	House Environment: Front Yard, Long Common Room,
December/January	Dry cold season		Bagr of Dance	House Bagr community, Bagr Community as Joking Partners, neophytes, The Earth Custodian, Uninitiated (Dérkumé), General Public.	River side, House Environment