dog: ally or traitor? mythology, cosmology, and society among the Beng of Ivory Coast

Abstract

Dogs occupy a contradictory space in traditional Beng world view. In one myth, Dog introduced death to humanity, yet in another, he protected and identified with humans while betraying his fellow animals. The daily attitudes of Beng toward their dogs embody similar contradictions. As what I term “alter egos” to humans, dogs are named but not fed, and are generally both neglected, seen as dangerous, and treated as allies. This paper analyzes these and other paradoxes embodied in the role of dogs in human life, arguing for the possibility of a mutually reflexive relationship between mythology and society.

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