Exhibit:

Introduction | Ancient sky-watchers | Celestial deities in the time of the pharaohs | Cosmic connectors | The sun at which one cannot stare | Without the moon, there would be no life | Lunar enlightenment | Cosmic models | Celestial guidance | A universe of possibilities |

Sons of the Moon
by Deirdre LaPin and Frank Speed
Released 1984

The following video contains clips from the film Sons of the Moon, which describes the key place of the moon in the lives of the Ngas people of central Nigeria. The film shows the influence of the moon as it regulates the rhythms of life during a single growing season. A ritual called "Shooting the Moon" uses unique traditional observatories to track the time and position of the new moon at harvest time and initiates a celebration of the first fruits and a new agricultural year.

A DVD of the full 25 minute film can be purchased for $24.99 at the shop in the National Museum of African Art or by calling the shop at 202.633.0030.

For more information about the film and Ngas cosmology you may download a copy of Deirdre LaPin's Study Guide to the film here.

Exhibit:

Introduction | Ancient sky-watchers | Celestial deities in the time of the pharaohs | Cosmic connectors | The sun at which one cannot stare | Without the moon, there would be no life | Lunar enlightenment | Cosmic models | Celestial guidance | A universe of possibilities | | Sons of the Moon DVD