Talk:Robert K. G. Temple

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[edit] Where did Temple base his work upon?

I am wondering whether Temple based his book the Sirius Mystery on original research (did he study the Dogon himself), or did he base it on the work of Griaule? I think it would be useful to mention this, to get a better understanding on the origin of the controversy on the Sirius and extraterrestrials story.--User:AAM | Talk 11:36, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

Temple conducted no original research among the Dogon to write The Sirius Mystery. His preface makes it clear and he freely admits that his work is based on Griaule and Deiterlen. However, after the book was already written and published, he may have went on to do some original research among the Dogon, I haven't looked into that yet. The article is a stub and anyone is free to expand it/rework it. I'll do so soon. In the preface, Temple also details how & when he was first introduced to the Dogon and their mythology: in 1965, while he was still a student of Sanskrit and Oriental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, one Arthur M. Young, "the inventor of the Bell helicopter", showed Temple a book, African Worlds (edited by Daryll Forde, Oxford University Press, 1954, pg. 83--110) — which included a chapter on the Dogon written by Griaule and Dieterlen — and pointed out a passage which briefly discussed the beliefs that the Dogon had concerning Sirius and its invisible companion. This piqued Temple's interest, and he eventually tracked down Griaule's and Dieterlen's works, to study more; by 1967, he began to write what would become The Sirius Mystery, finally published in 1976. In this period (up to 1976 at least), he was not doing original research among the Dogon, but rather studying Griaule and Dieterlen, and looking into ancient Egyptian mythology, etc. Alexander 007 16:08, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

Would it be possible then, that the entire Sirius-story with the extraterrestrials only comes from Griaule? That Temple amplified this idea, that was then taken over by many others as it was a popular book (I think)? That would be interesting. Do you know of other independent sources that would support the Sirius story? If Temple did some research later on it would be interesting to know if he would have reported on it and whether this would still support his original book.--User:AAM | Talk 16:58, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

I don't think Griaule or Dieterlen ever used the term: extraterrestrial, but I do think that Griaule is the first source that we have that records the Dogon beliefs that have since led to extraterrestrial speculations. I don't know of an earlier source, and I don't know whether Temple went on to do original research among the Dogon or whether he later changed his views. These are all interesting questions to further research. Alexander 007 17:04, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

Actually, I've gotten myself involved in so many articles that I don't think I will expand Robert K. G. Temple anytime soon. Any takers? Everything I wrote above can be verified in Temple's preface to The Sirius Mystery. Alexander 007 19:48, 1 March 2006 (UTC)