Walter van Beek (PhD 1978), African Studies Centre Leiden, is emeritus professor of Anthropology of Religion. He has performed field research in Cameroon (Kapsiki/Higi) and among the Dogon in Mali. He has published widely on both, including Masquerades in African Society: Gender, Power, and Identity (with Harry M. Leyten), (Currey, Oxford 2023). Oumar S. Ongoiba is a linguist (PhD 1988) and professor of French for the Toronto District School Board. Atimè D. Saye is a translator of Dogon, and head of an extended family in Tireli, Mali.

• AcknowledgementsList of FiguresPrefaceThe CorpusLanguage and Orthography1 What is the Baja Ni?1 Enigmatic Texts2 The Performance of 20053 The Baja Ni in the Funeral Rites2 The Blind Poet3 Themes and Symbols in the Baja Ni1 Dynamics of Singing2 Greetings and Honorific Names3 Metaphors and Folktales4 The Internal Audience5 The Structure of the Baja Ni4 Message and Meaning of the Baja Ni1 Remembrance2 Destiny, Fate and Agency5 The Pre-Session6 The Sɛmbɛlɛ Ni7 The Baja NaAnnex 1: Session of 2005: Overview of songsAnnex 2: History of recording the baja niAnnex 3: The singers1 List of Famous Singers, the Troupe of Abirè, as Mentioned in the LyricsBaja UnrunSisters of the Baja2 List of Singers in the 2005 Baja Lugo SessionBaja UnrunSisters of the Baja3 Research Team Bamako 2016Annex 4: List key terms Dogon-EnglishReferencesIndex of AuthorsIndex of Subjects

Walter van Beek (PhD 1978), African Studies Centre Leiden, is emeritus professor of Anthropology of Religion. He has performed field research in Cameroon (Kapsiki/Higi) and among the Dogon in Mali. He has published widely on both, including Masquerades in African Society: Gender, Power, and Identity (with Harry M. Leyten), (Currey, Oxford 2023). Oumar S. Ongoiba is a linguist (PhD 1988) and professor of French for the Toronto District School Board. Atimè D. Saye is a translator of Dogon, and head of an extended family in Tireli, Mali.

• AcknowledgementsList of FiguresPrefaceThe CorpusLanguage and Orthography1 What is the Baja Ni?1 Enigmatic Texts2 The Performance of 20053 The Baja Ni in the Funeral Rites2 The Blind Poet3 Themes and Symbols in the Baja Ni1 Dynamics of Singing2 Greetings and Honorific Names3 Metaphors and Folktales4 The Internal Audience5 The Structure of the Baja Ni4 Message and Meaning of the Baja Ni1 Remembrance2 Destiny, Fate and Agency5 The Pre-Session6 The Sɛmbɛlɛ Ni7 The Baja NaAnnex 1: Session of 2005: Overview of songsAnnex 2: History of recording the baja niAnnex 3: The singers1 List of Famous Singers, the Troupe of Abirè, as Mentioned in the LyricsBaja UnrunSisters of the Baja2 List of Singers in the 2005 Baja Lugo SessionBaja UnrunSisters of the Baja3 Research Team Bamako 2016Annex 4: List key terms Dogon-EnglishReferencesIndex of AuthorsIndex of Subjects

Walter van Beek (PhD 1978), African Studies Centre Leiden, is emeritus professor of Anthropology of Religion. He has performed field research in Cameroon (Kapsiki/Higi) and among the Dogon in Mali. He has published widely on both, including Masquerades in African Society: Gender, Power, and Identity (with Harry M. Leyten), (Currey, Oxford 2023). Oumar S. Ongoiba is a linguist (PhD 1988) and professor of French for the Toronto District School Board. Atimè D. Saye is a translator of Dogon, and head of an extended family in Tireli, Mali.

• AcknowledgementsList of FiguresPrefaceThe CorpusLanguage and Orthography1 What is the Baja Ni?1 Enigmatic Texts2 The Performance of 20053 The Baja Ni in the Funeral Rites2 The Blind Poet3 Themes and Symbols in the Baja Ni1 Dynamics of Singing2 Greetings and Honorific Names3 Metaphors and Folktales4 The Internal Audience5 The Structure of the Baja Ni4 Message and Meaning of the Baja Ni1 Remembrance2 Destiny, Fate and Agency5 The Pre-Session6 The Sɛmbɛlɛ Ni7 The Baja NaAnnex 1: Session of 2005: Overview of songsAnnex 2: History of recording the baja niAnnex 3: The singers1 List of Famous Singers, the Troupe of Abirè, as Mentioned in the LyricsBaja UnrunSisters of the Baja2 List of Singers in the 2005 Baja Lugo SessionBaja UnrunSisters of the Baja3 Research Team Bamako 2016Annex 4: List key terms Dogon-EnglishReferencesIndex of AuthorsIndex of Subjects