I Wanna Be Your Doguu
September 15, 2011 10:30 PM Subscribe
Dogu are stylized clay figures from the prehistoric period of Japanese history. After Erich von Däniken popularized his 'ancient astronauts' ideas, Dogu became associated with alien visitors and appeared in many videogames.
More information from The Met and Wiki.
More information from The Met and Wiki.
OK, this post has led me to spending the last hour on Wikipedia reading articles on various aspects of human evolution and technology. This is like the TVTropes of FPPs.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:27 PM on September 15, 2011
posted by dirigibleman at 11:27 PM on September 15, 2011
OK, this post has led me to spending the last hour on Wikipedia reading articles on various aspects of human evolution and technology. This is like the TVTropes of FPPs.
I figured that would round out the article, but it doesn't look like there's a TV Tropes page on it.
Yet.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:29 PM on September 15, 2011
I figured that would round out the article, but it doesn't look like there's a TV Tropes page on it.
Yet.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:29 PM on September 15, 2011
The interpretation of these figures as "ancient astronauts" is what skeptic Ben Radford calls "The Bangles Fallacy."
posted by Tube at 12:46 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Tube at 12:46 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Let us not forget Kodai Shoujo Dogu-chan (youtube link), a recently released tokusatsu with a dogu that transforms into armour for a princess.
About 3:35 you can see the dogu on her shoulder :3
PS: I never got the connection between Huitzil/Phobos and Dogu, darn, thanks for this post!
posted by TrinsicWS at 2:05 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
About 3:35 you can see the dogu on her shoulder :3
PS: I never got the connection between Huitzil/Phobos and Dogu, darn, thanks for this post!
posted by TrinsicWS at 2:05 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Good to see the article gets it righ about Von Daniken, i.e. a spoofer of the first water.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 4:04 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 4:04 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
They forgot Startropics (grep 'Hoodoo Doll'). But that's okay, everyone does. Sigh!
posted by barnacles at 4:07 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by barnacles at 4:07 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I used to love Daniken so much. And really, I credit him (along with the hundreds of ghost and UFO books I read at the same age) with making me a skeptic. Because eventually, you have ask: If the proof of ancient astronauts/UFOs/ghosts is so clear, why don't more people believe in it? There are only two possible answers (the proof isn't really clear or people are stupid) and both of them make you skeptical of someone.
posted by DU at 4:25 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 4:25 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Were I to analyze the depths of my brain going back some three decades or so, I'd probably still find a sneaking suspicion that maybe there was something in what Daniken was saying - I mean look at those Nazca drawings...
posted by infini at 4:47 AM on September 16, 2011
posted by infini at 4:47 AM on September 16, 2011
It's always good to keep an open mind, but, to paraphrase Freud, sometimes a stylized clay figure is just a stylized clay figure.
And I'm probably more pleased than I should be to discover "The Bangles Fallacy" is indeed about the Bangles.
posted by tommasz at 5:10 AM on September 16, 2011
And I'm probably more pleased than I should be to discover "The Bangles Fallacy" is indeed about the Bangles.
posted by tommasz at 5:10 AM on September 16, 2011
barnacles: "They forgot Startropics (grep 'Hoodoo Doll'). But that's okay, everyone does. Sigh"
It's in the first link.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 5:22 AM on September 16, 2011
It's in the first link.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 5:22 AM on September 16, 2011
von Däniken... There's a name that takes me back.
I picture him and Hal Lindsey doing the writer's equivalent of oldies-act package tours.
posted by Trurl at 6:09 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
I picture him and Hal Lindsey doing the writer's equivalent of oldies-act package tours.
posted by Trurl at 6:09 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
So if you have Netflix, and are intersted in this stuff, you have to watch "Ancient Aliens." It's amazing and they've got -- doing interviews and it is just great if you're into ufology. Among the regular contributors, they've got George Noory, who took over Art Bell's show, von Däniken, and a whole lot of other people who named their crazy-ass books _____ of the Gods after after von Däniken Chariots.
One of my favorite lines was when ufologist, sports communication major and hair product enthusiast Giorgio A. Tsoukalos mentions people of old attributing some phenomenon or another to magic, rolls his eyes making a "pfff" noise, says magic doesn't exist, and proceeds with a theory about how ancient spacement came down to Earth to give people gravity lasers and that the Ark of the Covenant was a nuclear reactor. It's just beautiful.
posted by griphus at 6:19 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
One of my favorite lines was when ufologist, sports communication major and hair product enthusiast Giorgio A. Tsoukalos mentions people of old attributing some phenomenon or another to magic, rolls his eyes making a "pfff" noise, says magic doesn't exist, and proceeds with a theory about how ancient spacement came down to Earth to give people gravity lasers and that the Ark of the Covenant was a nuclear reactor. It's just beautiful.
posted by griphus at 6:19 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's amazing and they've got -- doing interviews and it is just great if you're into ufology.
posted by griphus at 6:20 AM on September 16, 2011
posted by griphus at 6:20 AM on September 16, 2011
They look an awful lot like the sculptures in the cave in Flight 714, as well.
posted by LN at 7:05 AM on September 16, 2011
posted by LN at 7:05 AM on September 16, 2011
Great post, Lovecraft In Brooklyn - Dogu pottery & the "ancient astronauts" were in my "potential posts" pile for awhile - so glad to see you did the topic justice.
Here are a few related things I had bookmarked.
Jomon Ceramics Now which includes some great photos of dogu figures and other Jomon pottery, plus a timeline of Japanese pottery.
The Power of Dogu - review of an exhibit that was traveling last year.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:48 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Here are a few related things I had bookmarked.
Jomon Ceramics Now which includes some great photos of dogu figures and other Jomon pottery, plus a timeline of Japanese pottery.
The Power of Dogu - review of an exhibit that was traveling last year.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:48 AM on September 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
I clicked on the "Erich von Däniken" link and was expecting to find this guy (2).
But apparently, he's the guy griphus was talking about. I'm a little disappointed.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 8:07 AM on September 16, 2011
But apparently, he's the guy griphus was talking about. I'm a little disappointed.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 8:07 AM on September 16, 2011
Then there are the Dogon...and their knowledge of the Sirius B star hundreds of years before regular astronomy. The names are similar.
If we are any indicator of how things go, I can see it now, the intergalactic realtors. You know this place is a keeper, lets just clean it up a bit, and get rid of the previous occupants, and their lousy building style, these new guys have the money. I think this place could be great! The grassland women are a little hairy, but they might be entertaining for the transport crews...
The human genome project as described on a NOVA I watched, seemed to prove we evolved here, it doesn't mean we haven't had visitors.
posted by Oyéah at 9:54 AM on September 16, 2011
If we are any indicator of how things go, I can see it now, the intergalactic realtors. You know this place is a keeper, lets just clean it up a bit, and get rid of the previous occupants, and their lousy building style, these new guys have the money. I think this place could be great! The grassland women are a little hairy, but they might be entertaining for the transport crews...
The human genome project as described on a NOVA I watched, seemed to prove we evolved here, it doesn't mean we haven't had visitors.
posted by Oyéah at 9:54 AM on September 16, 2011
I bet that Mister "T" aliens guy, picks up a lot of loose booty with his aliens pose. I bet he wishes he could quit the bit, but how will he ever get so many girls again?
posted by Oyéah at 9:57 AM on September 16, 2011
posted by Oyéah at 9:57 AM on September 16, 2011
Yeah, I thought this was going to be about the Dogon too. Or the "gold airplanes" from South America.
posted by DU at 5:29 PM on September 16, 2011
posted by DU at 5:29 PM on September 16, 2011
I picked up the SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection yesterday, fired up lost Treasure gem Dynamite Heady, and who was one of the first non-boss enemies I fought?
It's an alien conspiracy!
There's a big thread on SB about stone maoi heads, which may have similar origins.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 5:41 PM on September 16, 2011
It's an alien conspiracy!
There's a big thread on SB about stone maoi heads, which may have similar origins.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 5:41 PM on September 16, 2011
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