Info For You Lot Serer People: Beautiful, Intellectual As Well As Highly Spiritual Ancient People Of Senegal, The Gambia As Well As Mauritania
The Serer people (also spelt "Sérère", "Sereer", "Serere", "Seereer" in addition to sometimes wrongly "Serre") are an unique in addition to powerful ancient amalgamated ethnoreligious grouping found inwards 3 West African countries of Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Mauritania. According to some scholars, they are amidst the oldest inhabitants of the Senegambia Region in addition to were founders of the pre-colonial Kingdoms like Kingdom of Sine, Kingdom of Saloum and Kingdom of Baol.
Serer Dancers inwards Dakar. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Serer grouping comprises the Sereer (the Serer people or Seex), Niominka, Ndut, Saafi, Noon, Laalaa and Palor. The Sereers are the most numerous amidst the Serer group. Although all the Serer grouping are ethnically Serers, some of this grouping do non speak the Serer linguistic communication but speak Cangin languages. The Sereers speak the Serer language, in addition to the Niominkas speak i of the dialects of the Serer language.
In Senegal, the Serer people are the tertiary largest ethnic grouping amongst a population of over 1.8 meg (2011) constituting 14.7% in addition to live inwards the west-central portion of the country, running from the southern border of Dakar to the Gambian border. The Serer (also known as "Seex" or "Sine-Sine") occupy the Sine in addition to Saloum areas (now portion of modern solar daytime independent Senegal). The Serer-Noon occupy the ancient surface area of Thiès inwards Senegal. The Serer-Ndut are found inwards southern Cayor in addition to due north due west of ancient Thiès. The Serer-Njeghen occupy old Baol; the Serer-Palor occupies the due west central, due west southwest of Thiès in addition to the Serer-Laalaa occupy due west central, due north of Thiès in addition to the Tambacounda area.
In the Gambia, Serer people who are traditionally fishermen in addition to boat builders are found along the coastal regions (they occupy parts of old "Nuimi" in addition to "Baddibu" as good as the Gambian "Kombo"), as good as the entrance to the The Gambia River in addition to inwards peculiarly Barra. They make upward less than 2% of the Gambian population.
Senegambian wrestling known as Laamb or Njom in addition to sabar drum traditions which the Wolofs have got taken over originated from the Serer people. The Njuup (progenitor of Mbalax) in addition to Tassu traditions (also Tassou) (progenitor of rap music) both originated from the Serer people.
Serer adult woman from The Gambia
Along amongst Senegal in addition to the Gambia, they are also found inwards small-scale numbers inwards southern Mauritania. Some notable Gambian Serers include he famous Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour , Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President of the The Gambia since twenty March 1997, in addition to the belatedly Senegambian historian, politico in addition to advocate for Gambia's independence during the colonial era – Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof . In Senegal they include Leopold Sedar Senghor and Abdou Diouf (first in addition to 2nd president of Senegal respectively).
The Serer people from Senegal acquit names such as Joof or Diouf, Faye, Ngom or Ngum, Sène (sene or Sain, N'Diaye, Tine, Ndaw or Ndao, Loum, Diene (Diène or Jein), Thiaw, Senghor, Ndour or Ndur, Sarr, Kama, Ndione, Gadio etc.
Abdou Diouf is a Senegalese politician, in addition to served as the 2nd President of Senegalese Serer tribe`s human being from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to mightiness past times peaceful succession, in addition to leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade. He has been the Secretary-General of La Francophonie since 2003.
Serer Mythology (Creation story)
The creation myth of the Serer people is intricately linked to the inaugural of all trees created on Planet world past times Roog. Earth's formation began amongst a swamp. The world was non formed until long after the creation of the inaugural of all 3 worlds: the waters of the underworld; the air which included the higher world (i.e. the sun, the Moon in addition to the stars) in addition to earth. Roog is the creator in addition to fashioner of the Universe in addition to everything inwards it. The creation is based on a mythical cosmic egg in addition to the principles of chaos.
Serer women of Sine-Saloum inwards a boat
Serer people in addition to their human relationship amongst the Moors
In the pre-colonial era, Moors from Islamic Republic of Mauritania who came to settle inwards the Serer kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Sine, etc., were sick treated past times their Serer masters. If a Moor dies inwards a Serer kingdom, his body was dragged out of the Earth in addition to left for the vultures to feast on if in that location is no theatre unit of measurement or friend to claim the body in addition to bury it elsewhere. They were also never accompanied past times grave goods. No affair how long a Mauritanian Moor has lived inwards the surface area as a migrant, he could never attain high condition within the Serer aristocracy. The best spot he could ever wishing for within Serer high society was to piece of work as a Bissit (Bissik). Apart from spying for the Serer Kings, the Bissit's main task was to live a clown - for the sole amusement of the Serer King, the Serer aristocracy in addition to the mutual people. He was expected to trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards ceremonies before the manly someone monarch in addition to liven upward the king's mood in addition to the king's subjects. This spot was ever given to the Moors. It was a humiliating task in addition to non a championship of honour. According to some, the history of this spot goes dorsum to an early on Moor inwards Serer Earth who had a kid past times his ain daughter.
Origin of the call "Serer"
The pregnant of the give-and-take "Serer" is uncertain. Issa Laye Thiaw views it as mayhap pre-Islamic in addition to suggests 4 possible derivations:
1. From the Serer Wolof give-and-take reer pregnant 'misplaced', i.e. doubting the truth of Islam.
2. From the Serer Wolof aspect seer reer pregnant "to discovery something hidden or lost."
3. From "the Standard Arabic give-and-take seereer pregnant sahir wizard or i who practices magic (An allusion to the traditional religion)".
4. From a Pulaar word: pregnant separation, divorce, or break, i time to a greater extent than referring to refusing Islam.
Another author, Dennis C. Galvan of the University of Oregon, believes the derivation of the call reflects the origin of the Serer inwards nigh the 11th century CE as a portion of a civilization living inwards the Futa Tooro that refused Islam, split from the main grouping in addition to migrated. He writes that "The term Serer is most in all probability a derivative of the Pulaar term sererabe, pregnant to separate or to divorce."
Youssou N'Dour, Serer tribe human being and a Senegalese singer, percussionist, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, human being of affairs in addition to a politician. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, "perhaps the most famous vocalist alive" inwards Senegal in addition to much of Africa. Since Apr 2012, he has been Senegal's Minister of Tourism in addition to Culture. N'Dour helped to prepare a style of pop Senegalese music known inwards the Serer linguistic communication as mbalax, which derives from the conservative Serer music tradition of "Njuup". He is the dependent of the award-winning films Return to Goree directed past times Pierre-Yves Borgeaud in addition to Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love directed past times Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, which were released around the world.
Language
Serer people of Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Islamic Republic of Mauritania speak Serer language, which is also called Serer-Sine "Serer proper" (Seereer-Siin, etc.) after its prestige dialect. Serer linguistic communication belongs to Senegambian branch of Niger–Congo phylum spoken past times 2 meg million people inwards Sine-Saloum, Kaolack, Diourbel, in addition to Dakar in Senegal in addition to 40,000 inwards the The Gambia in addition to a sizable number of over 4000 inwards Mauritania. Some Serers speak the Serer language. Some speak the Cangin languages such as Ndut and Saafi although all are ethnically Serers.
The Serer linguistic communication is characterised past times consonant mutation, in addition to it is written from left to write based on the Latin alphabet. It is i of the recognized languages of Senegal. There are diverse dialects of Serer amongst Serer-Sine existence the prestige dialect.
The next greetings in addition to responses are spoken inwards most regions of Senegal that have got Serer speakers.
Nam fi'o? (pronounced nam feeyoh) = How are you lot doing? Mexe meen. (pronounced may hay men) = I am here.
Ta mbind na? (pronounced, tah mbind nah) = How is the family? Owa maa. (pronounced owa maa) = It is good.
In Senegalese culture, greetings are really important. Sometimes, people volition pass several minutes greeting each other.
Serer children
History
According to the celebrated Egyptologist Chiekh Anta Diop, the distribution of megaliths of Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Republic of Mali are considerable markers of the migration of Serer from the Nile Valley to the Atlantic coast of West Africa. Serer people soundless worship these stones.
However, other historians claim that the volume of Serer people describe their origins to migrations from the Senegal river area. According to the historian David Galvan, "The oral historical record, written accounts past times early on Arab in addition to European explorers, in addition to physical anthropological evidence suggest that the diverse Serer peoples migrated due south from the Fuuta Tooro part (Senegal River valley) inaugural of all around the eleventh century, when Islam inaugural of all came across the Sahara." This explains the similarity betwixt the Sereer in addition to Pulaar languages, which are to a greater extent than closely related to each other than to Wolof or whatsoever other known language. There is also a joking human relationship betwixt Tukulor, some other call for Pulaar speakers, in addition to Sereer which persists though the erstwhile were the most intensely Muslim in addition to the latter the lastly people due north of the The Gambia to convert. In spite of their northern
origins, oral traditions describe the source of the Sereer province to a northward moving grouping of Mandinka
migrants from Kaabu. The Mandinka influences on the Sereer seem, however, to live limited. W. J.
Pichl reports, for example, that in that location are really few Mande words inwards the Sereer language.
Some Serer grouping is made upward of peoples who were portion of the same southward migration, but who never became portion of complex province systems. This includes the Sereer-Njegem, who live eastward of Portudal in addition to Mbour in addition to the Ñominka of the Saalum delta islands. They speak dialects of the linguistic communication spoken inwards Siin. They did not, however, have got whatsoever form of centralized institutions. They also had an egalitarian social structure. That is to say, in that location were inwards these areas no slaves in addition to ñeño (artisans) or where these institutions developed, it was a really belatedly development.
The other Serer grouping speaks languages unrelated to the linguistic communication spoken past times the Sereer of Siin or Njegem. It includes the Noon of the Thies area, the Ndut of southern Kajoor in addition to the Saafeen of southern Bawol. For centuries, travelers have got identified these people as Sereer or “Sereris” past times contrast to the “Barbecins” (Buur Siin, of Siin). Like the Ñominka in addition to Sereer-Njegem, they had egalitarian social structures, though many paid tribute to the Damel or the Teñ Bawol. Their languages are really distantly related to Sereer-Siin in addition to their customs seem to have got been distinct. W. J. Pichl has classified their languages as Cangin.
Professor Étienne Van de Walle gave a slightly afterward date, writing that "The formation of the Sereer ethnicity goes dorsum to the thirteenth century, when a grouping came from the Senegal River valley inwards the due north fleeing Islam, in addition to close Niakhar met some other grouping of Mandinka origin, called the Gelwar, who were coming from the southeast (Gravrand 1983). The actual Sereer ethnic grouping is a mixture of the 2 groups, in addition to this may explicate their complex bilinear kinship system".
Serer people’s medieval history is partly characterised past times resisting Islamization in addition to afterward Wolofization from mayhap the 11th century during the Almoravid motion (particularly the Serers of Takrur) to the 19th century Marabout motion of Senegambia. Although the old Serer paternal dynasties continued, the Wagadou maternal dynasty was replaced past times the Guelowar maternal dynasty inwards the 14th century. After the Republic of Ghana Empire was sacked as for sure kingdoms gained their independence, Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar, leader of the Almoravids launched a jihad into the region. According to Serer oral history inwards Nov 1087 a Serer bowman named Amar Godomat shot in addition to killed Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umarwith an arrow.
Isatou Njie-Saidy is a Serer tribe adult woman in addition to Gambian Vice President of the Gambia, as good as Secretary of State for Women's Affairs, since twenty March 1997; she is the inaugural of all Gambian adult woman to grip the spot of Vice President. And i of the inaugural of all women inwards West African politics to arrive at this senior position.
Origins of Siin (Serer proper)
Most of the ethnic groups of Senegambia were formed largely during the early on centuries of the 2nd millenium. Oral traditions suggest that most province systems inwards the surface area tin can live traced to this menstruation in addition to they betoken a serial of population movements which were undoubtedly crucial inwards forming both peoples in addition to states. The full general style inwards these migrations was toward the south. We tin can hypothesize several reasons. The Almoravids have got often been given credit for a stimulating southward movement, but to a greater extent than likely in that location was a longer term pressure level both from nomadic groups inwards the Sahara in addition to from the slower processes of climatic change. Just as the pump of medieval Republic of Ghana was inwards an surface area that could non back upward a large urban centre today, so too, the major political pump inwards northwest Senegambia, Jolof, has, inwards the 20th century, had to a greater extent than Fulbe pastoralists than Wolof.
The i exception to the southward motion was the Mandinka migration which moved out of the
Republic of Mali heartland inwards the l3th century to settle the The Gambia river area.
There are 3 stages inwards early on Sereer history: the motion of proto-Sereer from the north, the formation of novel political institutions amongst the arrival of Malinke immigrants inwards Siin, in addition to the creation of a afterward in addition to to a greater extent than complex polity inwards Saalum. Jean Boulègue has persuasively argued that the lastly of these 3 events tin can live dated to the belatedly 15th or early on 16th century. The origins of Siin are a goodness flake earlier. Jolof traditions refer to it as i of the founding states of the Jolof empire in addition to it clearly existed when the inaugural of all Portuguese navigators arrived . On the other hand, it tin can in all probability live dated good after the formation of Republic of Mali inwards the mid-13th century. It is reasonable to approximate that the gelwaar migration, which led to the creation of Siin took spot inwards the l4th century, though an before appointment is non impossible. When the Gelwaar arrived inwards Siin, the early on Sereer were already there. The fact that in that location are few Malinke words inwards Sereer would suggest that the Gelwaar were only catalysts inwards the procedure of province formation, in addition to that though they provided the ruling matrilineage in addition to novel institutions, they were speedily absorbed inwards a much larger Sereer-speaking population. It is clear that on the banks of the The Gambia River, the Malinke migrants tended to like shooting fish in a barrel assimilate pre-existing inhabitants patch due north of the Saalum, they were so few inwards numbers that they left relatively picayune impact exterior of the political system. This does non give us a precise thought of when the inaugural of all Sereer arrived. It is likely that they did non all acquire inwards at the same time. It is so also likely that most of the migration that brought them due south took spot before the l4th century. Father Henri Gravrand has suggested the l2th or l3th
century. In the absence of to a greater extent than precise chronological data than is at nowadays available, this seems quite logical, though it is non impossible that futurity query volition force this in addition to other dates dorsum a picayune further.
Oral traditions speak of before inhabitants called Socé. Though often translated as Mandinka, it is likely that this is only a generic term for before peoples. In whatsoever case, these before peoples have got left picayune evidence of their history too the Cangin languages in addition to the rock circles found close the Gambia. It is likely that the surface area was non densely populated in addition to that they were relatively chop-chop assimilated past times the new-comers except inwards the hinterland of Republic of Cape Verde peninsula.
The tradition of origin of Siin, which has been reported inwards a number of places involved a Mandinka colonization nether Mansa Waali Jon. These traditions are fairly consistent, though in that location is an alternative tradition which seems to live of picayune importance. The variants of the principal tradition are non ever consistent on why Mansa Waali Jon left Kaabu, but they are on many other particulars.
They are consistent on the association of him amongst his 3 sisters: Kular O Meo, Kin o Meo in addition to Siin o Meo. The migrating political party crossed the The Gambia in addition to settled inaugural of all at Kular, a hamlet on a tributary of the The Gambia nigh forty km from the ocean. From in that location they went to Sourou inwards the oral cavity of the Saalum, in addition to after several other stops, went to Jaxanor on the Sangomar peninsula in addition to and then finally to Mbisel, less than 10 km from the coast exactly southeast of Joal. Though the diverse accounts of this migration study it as a brusk trip, it in all probability took spot over many years, mayhap several generations in addition to involved a scattering of Malinke colonies through the surface area due north of the Gambia. Kular was founded during this migration as was Jilor, in addition to a whole serial of miniscule states. The tradition is in all probability an business organisation human relationship of the colonization of the western portion of what is at nowadays Sine-Saloum region.
After arriving at Mbisel the immigrants held wrestling matches, after which the champion, Bugar Biram Fay was married to Siin O Meo. It is from the offspring of this spousal human relationship inwards the uterine line that Buur Siins have got descended. Descent is purely matrilineal though patrilineal links seem to have got been valuable inwards edifice alliances inwards whatsoever struggle for power. The 2nd, 3rd in addition to quaternary Buur are described as sons of Bugar Biram in addition to Siin O Meo. The expansion of Siin seems to have got been relatively rapid. The version presented past times the belatedly Buur Siin Mahecor Diouf suggests that Maissa Waly settled his retainers at Faajut in addition to Jong in addition to incorporated Simal, Jilas in addition to Mbisel. (This listing is non necessary exlcusive). These places are within twenty km of the coast. Waagaan Maysa (for Mansa) seems to have got been a major colonizer, for he is supposed to have got founded villages as far away as Patar, (60 km from Mbisel) in addition to close the afterward NE frontier. The uppercase of Siin also moved eastward in addition to north, though unlike traditions disagree on the speed.
Serer missy from The Gambia
The Serer kingdoms
Main articles: Kingdom of Sine, Kingdom of Saloum, in addition to Kingdom of Baol Serer kingdoms included the Kingdom of Sine in addition to the Kingdom of Saloum. In add-on to these twin Serer kingdoms, the Serers also ruled inwards the Wolof kingdoms such as Jolof, Waalo, Cayor in addition to Baol. The Kingdom of Baol was originally an old Serer Kingdom ruled past times the Serer paternal dynasties such as Joof family, the Njie family, etc. in addition to the Wagadou maternal dynasty prior to the Battle of Danki inwards 1549. The Faal (var: Fall) paternal dynasty of Cayor in addition to Baol that ruled after 1549 next the Battle of Danki were originally Black Moors (Naari Kajoor). Prior to the Faal dynasty of Cayor in addition to Baol, these 2 kingdoms were ruled past times the Serer people amongst the patrilineages "Joof" or Diouf, Faye in addition to Njie, in addition to the maternal lineage of Wagadou – members of the royal families from the Republic of Ghana Empire (proper "Wagadou Empire") who married into the Serer aristocracy.
The Last Serer Kings
The lastly kings of Sine in addition to Saloum were Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (also spelt : Mahecor Diouf) in addition to Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof (also spelt : Fodé N’Gouye Diouf or Fode Ngui Joof) respectively. They both died inwards 1969. After their deaths, the Serer Kingdoms of Sine in addition to Saloum were incorporated into independent Senegal which gained its independence from French Republic inwards 1960. The Serer kingdoms of Sine in addition to Saloum are 2 of few pre-colonial African Kingdoms whose royal dynasty survived upward to the 20th century.
Economy
The Serers practise trade, agriculture, fishing, boat edifice in addition to creature husbandry. Traditionally the Serer people have got been farmers in addition to Earth owners. Although they practise creature husbandry, they are generallly less known for that, as inwards the past, Serer nobles entrusted their herds to the pastoralist Fulas, fifty-fifty today. However, they are known for their mixed-farming. Trade is also a recent phenomenon amidst some Serers. For the Serers, the soil (where their ancestors lay inwards rest) is really of import to them in addition to they guard it amongst jealousy. They have got a legal framework governing every aspect of life fifty-fifty Earth police force amongst strict guidelines. Apart from agriculture (and other forms of production or business such as creature husbandry, angling especially amidst the Serer-Niominka, boat building, etc.), some occupations especially merchandise they viewed as vulgar, mutual in addition to ignoble. Hence inwards the colonial era, especially amidst the Serer nobles, they would hire others to do the trading on their behalf (e.g. Moors) acting as their middle men.
Food
The Serer's favourite nutrient is called Chere (also "Chereh" etc.) inwards the Serer linguistic communication - (pounded coos). They command all the phases of this dish from production to preparation. Other ethnic groups (or Serers), tend to purchase it from Serer women marketplace traders or contract it out to them especially if they are asset major ceremonial events. Chere is really versertile in addition to tin can live eaten amongst fermented milk or cream in addition to saccharide as a breakfast cereal or prepared exactly as a criterion couscous.
Social organization
The Serer Kings in addition to Earth owners (Maad, Maad a Sinig, Maad Saloum or Lamane or fifty-fifty Barr, Bour or Bur, as used past times some mainly non-Serers when referring to Serer kings) were at the top of the social strata. The damage "Buur Sine" in addition to "Buur Saloum" (King of Sine in addition to King of Saloum respectively) are Wolof damage when referring to Serer Kings. "Buur" or "Bur" are non Serer damage but Wolof terms. When Serers refer to their kings they say Maad, Mad or sometimes Maat. The Serer kings divided their capacity as follows (not inwards monastic tell of importance): the King of Sine Maad a Sinig or Maad Saloum appointed the chiefs of provinces named "Lamane", of "Serer" or "Guelowar" origin (pre 1335 Lamanes were non mere province Chiefs but kings, also the Guelowars became Serers in addition to had Serer surnames). The commutation authorities is appointed which included the lingeer (queen usually the king's woman parent or sister), the Farba Kaba (chief of the army) in addition to the Great Jaraff (head of the noble council responsible for electing the kings from the ruling family). Other notable titles included the Buumi or Bumi (of Serer origin pregnant inheritor). The give-and-take (Bumi) is also found inwards Wolof, but it is Serer inwards origin. They were members of the Royal Family in addition to were eligible to succeed after the decease of Kings. The "Buur Kevel" or "Buur Geweel" (the Head Griot of the King). This someone was also a rather of import figure inwards the Royal Court as good as inwards wars. Not only did he kept the history in addition to genealogy of the royal dynasty, he was also the advisor to the King. The "Buur Kevel(s)" or "Buur Geweel(s)" were really wealthy in addition to powerful. They had the mightiness to destroy a royal dynasty if they chose to do so. Their other role included accompanying kings to battles; advising kings when in addition to how to launch a state of war against some other kingdom; what the King should eat; how to walk; what to wear; whom to give audience to; whom to employ in addition to whom to sack etc.
All the kings that ruled Serer Kingdoms had Serer surnames, amongst the exception of the Mboge in addition to Faal paternal dynasties whose reigns are really recent in addition to they did non render many kings.
Serer Old lady. Courtesy .linkupafrica.
Family totems
Each Serer theatre unit of measurement has a totem ("Taana"). Totems are prohibitions as good as guardians. They tin can live animals, plants etc. For illustration the totem of the Joof theatre unit of measurement is the antelope. Any brutality against this creature past times the Joof theatre unit of measurement is prohibited.
The African warthog. The totem in addition to symbol of the Faye theatre unit of measurement is the African warthog, symbolizing courage in addition to leadership inwards Serer mythology.
This honour gives the Joof theatre unit of measurement holy protection. The totem of the Njie theatre unit of measurement is the lion; the totem of the Sène theatre unit of measurement is the hare in addition to for the Sarr theatre unit of measurement is the giraffe in addition to the camel.
The totem in addition to symbol of the Joof theatre unit of measurement is the antelope, symbolizing grace, royalty, wisdom, difficult piece of work in addition to protection inwards Serer mythology.
Religious belief
Serer religious beliefs covert ancient chants in addition to poems, veneration of in addition to offerings to deities as good as spirits (pangool), astronomy, initiation rites, medicine, cosmology in addition to the history of the Serer people. The Serer people have got a faith or Fat Roog ("the way of the Divine"). In Serer religion, Mon is the solar daytime of rest. Cultural activities such as Njom or "Laamb" (Senegalese wrestling), weddings etc. are also prohibited on Thursday
The Serer people believe inwards a supreme deity called Roog (or Rog) in addition to sometimes referred to as Roog Sene ("Roog The Immensity" or "The Merciful God"). Serer tradition deals amongst diverse dimensions of life, death, infinite in addition to time, ancestral spirit communications in addition to cosmology. There are also other lesser gods, goddesses in addition to supernatural spirits or genie (pangool or nguus) such as the fangool Mendiss (or Mindis), a woman someone protector of Fatick Region in addition to the arm of the sea that bears her name; the god Tiurakh (var : Thiorak or Tulrakh) – god of wealth, in addition to the god Takhar (var : Taahkarr) – god of justice or vengeance. Roog is the creator deity in addition to is neither the devil nor a genie, but the lord of the creature.
Roog is the really embodiment of both manly someone in addition to woman someone to whom offerings are made at the pes of trees, such as the sacred baobab tree, the sea, the river such as the sacred River Sine, inwards people's ain homes or community shrine etc. Roog Sene is unreachable perhaps to a lesser extent past times the Serer high priests in addition to priestesses (Saltigue), who have got been initiated in addition to possess the cognition in addition to mightiness to organise their thoughts into a unmarried cohesive unit. However, Roog is ever inwards sentry of its children in addition to ever available to them.
In Serer, Roog Sene is the lifeblood to which the incorruptible in addition to sanctified soul returns to eternal peace after they depart the living world. Roog Sene sees, knows in addition to hears everything, but does non interfere inwards the day-to-day affairs of the living world. Instead, lesser gods in addition to goddesses deed as Roog's assistants inwards the physical world. Individuals have got the costless volition to either live a goodness in addition to spiritually fulfilled life inwards accordance amongst Serer religious doctrines or waver from such doctrines past times living an unsanctified lifestyle inwards the physical world. Those who live their lives opposite to the teachings volition live rightfully inwards the afterlife.
Ancestral spirits in addition to saints
For the ordinary Serers, they addressed their prayers to the pangool (the Serer ancestral spirits in addition to saints) as they are the intermediaries betwixt the living world in addition to the divine. An orthodox Serer must rest faithful to the ancestral spirits as the soul is sanctified as a outcome of the ancestors' intercession betwixt the living world in addition to the divine. The pangool have got both a historical significance as good as a religious one. They are connected to the history of the Serer past times virtue of the fact that, the pangool is associated amongst the founding of Serer villages in addition to towns as a grouping of pangool would accompany hamlet founders called "lamane" (or laman - who were their ancient kings) as they create their journeying looking for Earth to exploit. Without them, the lamane exploits would non have got been possible. In the religious sense, these ancient lamanes created shrines to these pangool, thereby becoming the priests in addition to custodians of the shrine. As such, "they became the intermediaries amidst the land, the people in addition to the pangool".
Whenever whatsoever fellow member of the lamanic lineage dies, the whole Serer community celebrates inwards honour of the exemplary lives they had lived on ground inwards accordance amongst the teachings of the Serer religion. Serer prayers are addressed to the pangool who deed as intercessors betwixt the living world in addition to the divine. In addressing their prayers to the pangool, the Serers chant ancient songs in addition to offering sacrifices such as bull, sheep, goat, chicken or harvested crops.
Cosmology
One of the most of import cosmological stars of the Serer people is called Yoonir. The "Star of Yoonir" is portion of the Serer cosmos. It is really of import in addition to sacred in addition to exactly i of many religious symbols inwards Serer faith in addition to cosmology. It is the brightest star inwards the nighttime sky, Sirius. With an ancient heritage of farming, "Yoonir" is really of import in addition to sacred inwards Serer religion, because it announces the inaugural of all of flooding in addition to enables Serer farmers to start planting seeds. The Dogon people of Republic of Mali telephone call upward it "Sigui", whilst inwards Serer it is called "Yoonir" - represented inwards the shape of the "Pangool" (interceders amongst Roog - the Supreme Deity) in addition to "Man". It is before this lawsuit where the Serer High Priests in addition to Priestesses known as Saltigue get together at the "Xoy" annual Divination Ceremony where they predict the course of instruction of the wintertime months amidst other things relevant to the lives of the Serer people. The Pangool (singular : Fangool) are ancestral spirits (also ancient Serer Saints inwards Serer religion) represented past times snakes.
The peak of the Star (top point) represents the Supreme Deity (Roog). The other 4 points correspond the commutation points of the Universe. The crossing of the lines ("bottom left" in addition to "top right" in addition to "top left in addition to bottom right") pinpoints the axis of the Universe, that all energies pass. The top dot is "the dot of divergence in addition to conclusion, the origin in addition to the end". Among the Serers who cannot read or write the Latin alphabet, it is really mutual for them to sign official documents amongst the Star of Yoonir, as the Star also represents "good fortune in addition to destiny"
Religious devotion in addition to martyrdom
While most Serers converted to Islam in addition to Christianity (specifically Roman Catholic), their conversion was after colonization. They in addition to the Jola people were the lastly to convert to these religions. Most of the Serer converts to Islam were through conversion past times choice, non because of defeat inwards state of war i.e. Islamic jihadism. Many soundless follow the Serer faith especially inwards the ancient Kingdom of Sine. Senegal in addition to the The Gambia existence predominantly Muslim countries, most Muslims regard the Serers as stubborn for refusing to abandon their faith inwards favour of Islam.
The Serers have got also battled many prominent African Islamic jihadists over the centuries. Some of those similar Maba Diakhou Bâ is considered a national hero in addition to given a saint similar condition past times Senegambian Muslims. He himself was killed inwards battle fighting against the Serer King of Sine - Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof on xviii July 1867 at The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune commonly known as The Battle of Somb.
At the surprised attacks of Naodorou, Kaymor in addition to Ngaye, where the Serers were defeated, they killed themselves rather than live conquered past times the Muslim forces. In these 19th-century Islamic Marabout wars, many of the Serers villagers committed matyrdom, including jumping to their deaths at the Well of Tahompa. In Serer religion, suicide is only permitted if it satisfies the Serer regulation of Jom (also spelt "Joom" which literally way "honour" inwards the Serer language) - a code of beliefs in addition to values that regulation Serer lives.
The surreptitious monastic tell of the Saltigue
Both men in addition to women tin can live initiated into the surreptitious monastic tell of the Saltigue. In accordance amongst Serer religious doctrines, for i to acquire a Spiritual Elder (Saltigue), i must live initiated which is somewhat reserved for a small-scale number of insiders, peculiarly inwards the mysteries of the universe in addition to the unseen world. The Xoy (or Khoy) ceremony is a religious lawsuit in addition to a special lawsuit inwards the Serer religious calendar. It is the fourth dimension when the initiated Saltigue (Serer High Priests in addition to Priestesses) comes together to literally predict the futurity inwards front end of the community. These diviners in addition to healers deliver sermons at the Xoy Ceremony which relates to the futurity weather, politics, economics, in addition to so on. It is a really special lawsuit which brings together thousands of people to Holy Sine from all over the world. Ultra orthodox Serers in addition to Serers who "syncretise" (converts to Islam or Christianity in addition to who mix their newly found faith amongst the old Serer religion) as good as non-Serers such as the Lebou people (who are a distinct grouping but soundless revere the ancient religious practices of their Serer ancestors) amidst others get together at Sine for this ancient ceremony. Serers who live inwards the West sometimes pass months planning for the pilgrimage. The lawsuit goes on for several days where the Saltigue take centre stage in addition to predict the future. The ceremony usually begins inwards the inaugural of all calendar week of June at Fatick.
Holy ceremonies in addition to festivals
The serer has diverse religious ceremonies in addition to festivals such as Xoy (variation : Khoy), Jobai, Randou Rande, Mindisse, Mbosseh, Mboudaye, Tobaski, Gamo (var : Gamou), Tourou Peithie, Daqaar mboob, Raan Festival, Ndut...etc
The Serers are i of really few communities inwards Senegambia apart from the Jolas who genuinely have got a call for god[s] which is non borrowed from Standard Arabic but indigenous to their language. Tobaski (var : Tabaski) was an ancient Serer hunting festival; Gamo was an ancient Serer divination festival; Korite [from the Serer give-and-take kor was a manly someone initiation rite; Weri Kor was the flavor (or month) Serer males went through their initiation rites. Gamo (comes from the old Serer give-and-take Gamahou, variation : Gamohou). "Eid al kabir" or "eidul adha" (which are Arabic) are unlike from Serer Tobaski, but the Senegambian Muslims loaned Tobaski from Serer faith to force "Eid al Kabir". Gamo also derives from Serer religion.The Standard Arabic give-and-take for it is "Mawlid" or "Mawlid an-Nabi" (which celebrates the nascency of Muhammad). Weri Kor (the calendar month of fasting, "Ramadan" inwards Arabic) in addition to Koriteh or Korité ("Aïd-el-fitr" inwards Standard Arabic which celebrates the cease of the calendar month of fasting) also comes from the Serer language.
Raan Festival
The Raan festival of Tukar takes spot inwards the old hamlet of Tukar founded past times Lamane Jegan Joof (or Lamane Djigan Diouf inwards French speaking Senegal) around the 11th century. It is headed past times his descendants (the Lamanic lineage). The Raan occurs every yr on the 2nd Th after the appearance of the novel Moon inwards April. On the morn of Raan, the Lamane would prepare offerings of millet, sour milk in addition to sugar. After sunrise, the Lamane makes a see to the sacred pond – the shrine of Saint Luguuñ Joof who guided Lamane Jegan Joof after he migrated from Lambaye (north of Sine). The Lamane would create an offering to Saint Luguuñ in addition to spends the early on morn inwards ritual prayer in addition to meditation. After that, he makes a tour of Tukar in addition to perform ritual offerings of milk, millet in addition to vino as good as small-scale animals at key shrines, trees, in addition to sacred locations. The people create their way to the chemical compound of the principal Saltigue (the Serer high priests in addition to priestess – who are the "hereditary pelting priests selected from the Lamane's lineage for their oracular talent").
Ndut initiation rite
The Ndut is a rite of passage as good as a religious instruction commanded past times Serer faith that every Serer (an ethnic grouping found inwards Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Mauritania) must go through i time inwards their live time. The Serer people existence an ethnoreligious group, the Ndut initiation rite is also linked to Serer culture. From the minute a Serer kid is born, instruction plays a pivotal role throughout their life cycle. The ndut is i of these phases of their life cycle. In Serer society, instruction lastly a lifetime in addition to starts from infancy to old age.
The call Ndut comes from the linguistic communication of the Ndut people, a sub-group of the Serer people. In a religious sense, it way nest. It is a spot of sanctuary, in addition to the spot where Serer boys lodge inwards training for their circumcision. These boys are called njuli (initiates). The give-and-take njuli comes from the Serer give-and-take juul (variations : juu) which way a picayune boy's penis. Because of its religious connotations, the give-and-take has been borrowed past times the Wolof to designate a Muslim someone (juulit)
There are 2 main types of Ndut initiation rites. The inaugural of all concerns the circumcision for Serer boys whilst the 2nd concerns the intiation of Serer girls. Serer faith in addition to civilization forbids the circumcision of Serer girls (Female genital mutilation). Only Serer boys are circumcised. Serer girls have their initiation through njam or ndom (the tatooing of the gums). Preparation for the initiation starts early on inwards childhood. In many cases, boys are circumcised when they arrive at 13 years old. However it is non uncommon for some to live circumcised when they are xix to 26 years old. Likewise, Serer girls have their initiation when they are 11 to xviii years.
The operate of this initiation is to grade the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is also to learn immature Serers how to live good, brave in addition to honourable citizens. In Serer society, a Serer human being who has non undergone the Ndut iniation rite is non deemed to live man. It is also taboo for a Serer adult woman to hook upward amongst a Serer human being who has non been circumcised. In a religious in addition to hygienic dot of view, an uncircumcised penis is deemed uncleanly in addition to impure. Likewise, inwards old Serer culture, a Serer adult woman who has non undergone the njam was non deemed to live a existent woman. Though prejudice against Serer women who have got non undergone the njam is less prevalent nowadays due to modernity, prejudice against Serer men who have got non undergone circumcision soundless prevails inwards Serer culture.
The training for the Ndut takes several years, in addition to involves the participation of the whole theatre unit of measurement in addition to lineages (both maternal in addition to paternal) as good as the community. It is a long procedure where physical, sychological, spiritual in addition to economical factors all come upward into play, inwards training for the kid before the actual deed of circumcision (for boys) or njam (for girls). The entire theatre unit of measurement play a vital role inwards preparing the kid for this journey.
Before a Serer man child is circumcised, he must create a populace pronouncements called "Kan boppam" inwards Serer. This populace pronouncements is made inwards the shape of a poesy form ("ciid" inwards Serer language) or song. One of these chants is given below:
"Duma daw Saala Saala maa ko dige" (I volition non avoid the knife because I requested it)
In the initiation of both Serer boys in addition to girls, Serer women play an of import role. Although women are forbidden to participate inwards the actual deed of circumcision or to go inwards the Ndut (the nest sanctuary), the boy's woman someone theatre unit of measurement play an of import role before in addition to after the deed of circumcision. They are portion of the theatre unit of measurement unit that helps the kid to prepare for the circumcision. It is non only the manly someone relatives who helps the child, but the whole family. The child's paternal aunt (his father's sister) would give a bracelet (usually silver) to the kid to live worn on his left arm as a sign of goodness luck. In most cases, it is the begetter who give the kid this bracelet as protection. Just after the circumcision, the boy's woman parent would sometimes fifty-fifty pectus feed the kid for the lastly time. This pectus feeding deed is symbolic of rebirth after death, in addition to requires "the ingestion of lifegiving nourishment from the mother". Thus the adult woman is seen as a giver of life in addition to the protection of life. The importance of women is best preserved inwards the Serer mythology of Mama ("the grandmother" inwards Serer language) :
"Mama swallows those who have got undergone initiation in addition to and then spits them out again. She is an invisible spirit for the initiates (in her presence, the initiates must lower their heads in addition to closed their eyes). Mama appears as shortly as the circumcised men have got began to chant, amongst all their strength, the songs which are dedicated to her."
The construction of a Serer girl's initiation is somewhat similar to the construction of a Serer boy's initiation. For a Serer girl, the njam surgery is performed past times an elderly adult woman amongst her helpers. These elderly women have got undergone the surgery themselves. One of the caput of these women is called the njamkat. She is the i who volition perform the functioning (tattoo of the gums). The circumcision of Serer boys is also performed inwards a structured situation. It involves the circumciser in addition to his helpers as good as a someone who supervises the operation. This supervisor is the master copy of the circumcision ("kumax" inwards Serer). He is the eldest manly someone inwards the community in addition to must possess all the qualities of a goodness kumax, which include : generosity, supportive in addition to patience. All the men involved inwards the rite of passage must have got undergone the functioning themselves. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 man child in addition to his historic menstruation grouping are usually circumcised together, nether the guidance of the selbe (the someone who accompanies the children to live circumcised). They shape a pact of brotherhood.
The edifice where the circumcision takes spot is called the ndut (nest). It is a temporary hut far away from the town or village. It is temporary because the hut must live onslaught give the axe exactly after the initiation. The burning of the ndut is symbolic. It represents that the sanctuary the initiates have got been living inwards for the past times 3 months, closed off from the exterior world was only a dream, an artificial spot that does non be inwards existent life. However, they tin can refer dorsum to the dream in addition to utilisation what they have got learned from the dream when faced amongst the dangers of existent life. It is also taboo for a kid to attend the same ndut where his begetter has received his circumcision. Upon arrival inwards this sacred place, the boys chant the names of the Pangool (singular : Fangol, Serer saints in addition to ancestral spirits) :
"Fadid, Fango, Invey ngara, Fadid, Fangol Invey ngara" (come here, Fangol nosotros arrived. Come here, Fangol).
Reciting this poesy acknowledges the ancestors who have got long departed, in addition to are called upon to come upward close in addition to protect the children from whatsoever bad spirit or evil that may befall the ndut especially at night
The ndut is also a spot for education. In classical ndut teachings, initiates acquire to acquire nigh themselves, squad work, how to live upstanding citizens, history of the Serer people, the supernatural world, Serer creation myth, the cosmos, mysteries of the universe in addition to the formation of the stars etc. Every morning, a dream interpretation exercise takes place. These exercise guide the children as to how to analysis each other's dreams as good as their own, in addition to helps them prepare their skills of clairvoyancy. It is also a spot where they have their sexual activity education, especially amidst the older members of the initiates. These immature men are told non to engage inwards sexual activities amongst women until their functioning has healed. The ceremony of washing is also emphasised. This helps inwards the healing process. The inaugural of all ceremony of washing takes spot close the ndut. Washing symbolizes purification.
Children compose songs, sing in addition to trip the calorie-free fantastic together. This exercise helps them to forget the actual circumcision pending. It also develops their artistic in addition to squad working skills. Friendships in addition to brotherhood are formed which lastly a lifetime. Most of these songs are religious inwards nature. It is from these religious songs that the njuup tradition derives from (a conservartive Serer music, in addition to the progenitor of mbalax)
After years of preparation, comes the actual deed of circumcision for boys or njam for girls. This is where they evidence their honour according to the Serer regulation of Jom - a code of beliefs in addition to values that regulation Serer lives. Jom inwards Serer way honour. The kid must present no signs of anxiousness or fright. They must present bravery from start to finish, in addition to must non twitch or outcry during the operation. If the kid shows signs of nervousness or fright exactly before the operation, the functioning volition non go ahead. It way that the child's theatre unit of measurement have got non prepared the kid sufficiently for this operation. The parents are judged according to the child's behaviour. In these circumstances, the kumax or njamkat volition enquire the theatre unit of measurement to take the kid in addition to reassure him or her in addition to then convey them dorsum later. If the kid has been reassured past times the theatre unit of measurement in addition to then brought dorsum afterward for the functioning but they are soundless anxious, in addition to then the functioning is cancelled. Serer faith dictates that, inwards circumstances similar these, the kid should non live humiliated. Instead, they should live encouraged in addition to supported amongst words of praise in addition to improve prepared for the functioning adjacent time.[3] In spite of these religious commandments, the Serer people existence governed past times the code of Jom, it was non uncommon for some Serer parents in addition to theatre unit of measurement members to commit suicide because of what they viewed as humiliation or dishonour of the theatre unit of measurement name. Suicide is only permitted if it satisfies the Jom regulation (see Serer religion).
If the man child shows no sign of anxiety, he is encouraged to opened upward the tissue roofing the caput of the penis. In Serer, this is called "war o sumtax" (to kill the foreskin). The give-and-take "war" (as inwards War Jabi) way to kill inwards Serer. The man child to live circumcised would spot on a mortar amongst his legs opened. He must muster the courage to do this on his ain in addition to should non live forced. The mortar symbolises the feminine world, in addition to after the man child has been circumcised, he must never sit down on a mortar again. Before the circumciser starts the operation, he enquire the man child for forgiveness. He would utter the give-and-take waasanaam (please forgive me), in addition to the man child would usually response waasanaaong (I forgive you). This is a symbolic gesture of respect, communion in addition to spirituality. It shows that the circumciser is good aware of the hurting he is nigh to inflict, as he has undergone the functioning himself in addition to whatsoever error may outcome inwards decease in addition to tars his professional person reputation forever.
The blade is sterilized before the actual circumcision inwards monastic tell to avoid infection. After the foreskin has been removed, a special form of pulverization is applied on the penis to avoid infection in addition to assist inwards the healing process.
After several weeks, usually 3 months, the initiates complete their rite of passage in addition to go home. The ndut is set a blaze. Children have presents from theatre unit of measurement members. In pre-colonial times, the boys would perform a trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards front end of the Serer kings in addition to the ease of the royal theatre unit of measurement who would inwards plough give them presents for their courage
Games (Wrestling "Njom")
Senegalese wrestling called "Laamb" or Njom inwards Serer originated from the Serer Kingdom of Sine. It was a preparatory exercise for state of war amidst the warrior classes. That style of wrestling (a fell in addition to fierce form) is totally unlike from the sport wrestling enjoyed past times all Senegambian ethnic groups today, nevertheless the ancient rituals are soundless visible inwards the sport version
. Among the Serers, wrestling is classified into unlike techniques in addition to each technique takes several years to master. Children start immature trying to master copy the basics before moving on to the to a greater extent than advance techniques similar the "mbapatte", which is i of the oldest techniques in addition to totally unlike from modern wrestling. Yékini (real name: "Yakhya Diop"), who is a professional person wrestler inwards Senegal is i of the top wrestlers proficient inwards the "mbapatte" technique. Lamba in addition to sabar (musical instruments) are used as music accompaniments inwards wrestling matches as good as inwards circumcision dances in addition to royal festivals. Serer wrestling crosses ethnic boundaries in addition to is a favourite pastime for Senegalese in addition to Gambians alike.
Serer wrestling (Njom)
Music
According to Ali Colleen Neff "The Serer people are known especially for their rich cognition of vocal in addition to rhythmic practices that infuse their everyday linguistic communication amongst complex overlapping cadences in addition to their ritual amongst intense collaborative layerings of vocalization in addition to rhythm."
Serer adult woman performing Sabar dance. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Sabar (drum) tradition associated amongst the Wolof people originated from the Serer Kingdom of Sine in addition to spread to the Kingdom of Saloum.
Kid dancing to Sabar sounds. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Wolof people who migrated to Serer Saloum picked it upward from in that location in addition to spread it to Wolof Kingdoms. Each motif has a operate in addition to is used for unlike occasions. Individual motifs correspond the history in addition to genealogy of a particular theatre unit of measurement in addition to are used during weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals etc.
Sabar dance. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Njuup (progenitor of Mbalax) in addition to Tassu traditions (also Tassou) (progenitor of rap music) both originated from the Serer people. The Tassu was used when chanting ancient religious verses. The people would sing in addition to then interweave it amongst a Tassu.
The belatedly Serer Diva Yandé Codou Sène who was the griot of the belatedly in addition to erstwhile president of Senegal (Leopold Sedar Senghor) was proficient inwards the "Tassu". She was the best Tassukat (one who Tassu) of her generation. Originally religious inwards nature, the griots of Senegambia regardless of ethnic grouping or faith picked it upward from Serer religious practices in addition to soundless utilisation it inwards unlike occasions e.g. marriages, naming ceremonies or when they are exactly singing the praises of their patrons. Most Senegalese in addition to Gambian artists utilisation it inwards their songs fifty-fifty the younger generation similar "Baay Bia". The Senegalese music legend Youssou N'Dour who is also a Serer, uses "Tassu" inwards many of his songs.
Serer drummers from the hamlet of Keur . By Tostan
Attire
The Serer traditional attire is called Serr. It is commonly woven past times Serer men in addition to believed to convey goodness luck amidst those who habiliment it. The Serer people have got religious attire, patch Christians may habiliment a cross on their necks, the Serers utilisation something belonging to their ancestor, such as the pilus of an ancestor or an ancestor’s treasured belonging, which they plough into juju in addition to habiliment either on their someone or visibly on their necks.
Serer girl
Medicine, harvest in addition to offerings
The Serers also have got an ancient cognition of herbalism which is passed downwards in addition to takes years to acquire. The Senegalese authorities has set a schoolhouse in addition to centre to preserve this ancient cognition in addition to learn it to the young. The CEMETRA (Centre Expérimental de Médecine Traditionnelle de Fatick) Membership lone consist of at to the lowest degree 550 professional person Serer healers inwards the Serer part of Sine-Saloum.
Several traditional practices linked amongst Earth in addition to agricultural activities are known, 2 examples are described below:
Prediction ceremonies organized past times the Saltige, who are considered to live the custodians of indigenous knowledge. Such meetings are aimed at providing data in addition to alert people nigh what volition give off inwards the hamlet during the adjacent rainy season.
Preparation of sowings, a ceremony called Daqaar mboob aimed at ensuring goodness millet or groundnut production. For this purpose, every grower has to obtain something called Xos, farther to a competitive ceremony consisting of hunting, racing, etc
Serer people amongst herbs asset their children. Courtesy .linkupafrica.
Taboos
Murder:In the past, where someone kills some other person, the victim’s theatre unit of measurement have got the correct to either forgive or seek vengeance. Again, the murderer in addition to his theatre unit of measurement volition get together at a local centre headed past times the Chief or the palace headed past times the King. Before this judgement, the murderer's theatre unit of measurement volition prepare some nutrient (millet) to live shared amidst the community in addition to the victim’s family. The victim’s theatre unit of measurement volition nominate a rigid human being armed amongst a pike amongst a slice of cooked lamb or beef at the cease of it. This assassinator taking his instruction from the victim’s theatre unit of measurement volition run towards the murderer who has at nowadays got his oral cavity opened upward waiting for his judgement. If the assassinator killed the murderer amongst his spear, in addition to then that is the cease of it, the victim’s theatre unit of measurement have got made their judgment. After that, the nutrient that had been cooked would non live eaten in addition to everyone would disperse. From that solar daytime on, the families are strangers to each other. If on the other manus the assassinator ran in addition to gently feed the murderer amongst the slice of meat sticking at his spear, in addition to then that signals that the victim’s theatre unit of measurement have got forgiven the murderer. In that case, the community would relish the repast in addition to the 2 families would live sealed as i in addition to sometimes fifty-fifty hook upward amongst off their children to each other.
Serer people.
Adultery:Adultery is dealt amongst past times the Serer jurisprudence of MBAAX DAK Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 TIIT (the dominion of compensation). If a married adult woman had engaged inwards adultery amongst some other man, both adulterers would live humiliated inwards unlike ways. The wronged manly someone spouse (the husband) would have got taken the undergarment of the other manly someone in addition to hang it out on his theatre to present that the manly someone lover has broken custom past times committing adultery amongst his wife. He would acquire the most hated someone inwards Serer society. Everyone would sneer at him; no theatre unit of measurement would desire to hook upward amongst into his theatre unit of measurement in addition to he would live ex-communicated. This was in addition to is seen as the most humiliating sense for whatsoever manly someone adulterer. The Serers existence governed past times the codes of honour called Gorie in addition to Jom, many men have got been known to take their ain lives because they couldn’t acquit the humiliation anymore. As for the cheating wife, her undergarment would non live displayed as the manly someone adulterer, because inwards Serer civilization women are held inwards high esteem in addition to given respect. However, she would also live humiliated but inwards a unlike form. When women marry, they plait their pilus inwards a particular style. Only married women tin can have got that style. This is a symbol of their status. They acquire the best in addition to most honourable amidst women. By committing adultery, her woman someone relatives would unplait her hair. Again, this is so humiliating in addition to degrading for a married adult woman that many women have got been known to commit suicide rather than human face upward the shame. The wronged human being tin can forgive both his married adult woman in addition to his wife’s lover if he chooses to do so. The adulterers in addition to their respective families must get together at the king, principal or elder’s chemical compound to formally seek forgiveness. This volition live inwards front end of the community because the rules that regulation society have got been broken. It is upward to the wronged spouse to forgive. The doctrine extends to both married men in addition to women. Protection is given to the wronged spouse regardless of his or her gender.
Premarital relationship: Where a immature human being in addition to a adult woman found engaged inwards premarital relationships, both were exiled to avoid bringing shame to the family, fifty-fifty if pregnancy resulted from that courtship.
Serer women
Death in addition to Afterlife
In Serer when a someone dies in that location is no sky or hell for them. The immortality of the soul in addition to reincarnation (ciiɗ inwards Serer) is a strongly held belief inwards Serer religion. The pangool are canonised[where?] as holy saints, in addition to volition live called upon in addition to venerated, in addition to have got the mightiness to intercede betwixt the living in addition to the divine. Acceptance past times the ancestors who have got long departed in addition to the mightiness to intercede amongst the divine is as closed to sky after i passes over. Rejection past times the ancestors in addition to becoming a lost in addition to wandering soul is as closed to hell inwards Serer Religion.
Painting of Serer lastly resting spot amongst Serer grave diggers. The top points are directed towards the gods. (1821)
Mummification in addition to Cult of the Upright Stones
The dead, especially those from the upper echelons of society were mummified inwards monastic tell to prepare them for the afterlife (Jaaniiw). They were accompanied past times grave goods including gold, silver, metal, their armour in addition to other personal objects. Mummification is less mutual at nowadays especially post service independent Senegal. The dead were buried inwards a pyramid shaped tomb. The Serer griots play a vital in addition to religious role on the decease of a Serer King. On the decease of a Serer king, the Fara Lamb Sine (the principal griot inwards the Serer Kingdom of Sine) would bury his treasured drum (the junjung) amongst the king. His other drums would live played for the lastly fourth dimension before their burial inwards the ground facing the east. The griots in addition to then chant ancient songs marked past times sadness in addition to praise for the departed king. The lastly fourth dimension this ceremony occurred was on 8 March 1969 next the decease of the lastly manly someone monarch of Sine – Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (Serer: Maye Koor Juuf)
Wassu Stone Cirles, Senegal
The cult of the Upright Stone, such as the Senegambian rock circles, which were in all probability built past times predecessors of the Serer, were also a spot of worship. Late rite megaliths were carved planted in addition to directed towards the sky.
Fatou Diome is a Serer tribe adult woman in addition to Senegalese writer, known for her bestselling novel The Belly of the Atlantic, published inwards 2001. Her piece of work explores immigrant life inwards France, in addition to the human relationship betwixt French Republic in addition to Africa. Fatou Diome currently lives inwards Strasbourg, France.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serer_people
Serer Creation Story
Serer Creation floor based on a sacred text posits that, the Universe in addition to everything inwards it were created past times Roog (or Koox amidst the Cangin), in addition to the creation of Planet world was a outcome of a swamp which the inaugural of all tree grew within. The inaugural of all 3 worlds created through a mythical egg in addition to nether the principles of chaos were: the waters of the underworld, the air including the higher world in addition to earth. These 3 were the inaugural of all primordial worlds created past times the supreme existence through thought, spoken communication in addition to action. Planet world was non created until long after the creation of these worlds. The contentious points are, which of the main sacred trees inwards Serer society (below) grew non exactly first, but also within the primordial swamp on Earth:
1. Saas (var: Sas) - Acacia albida
2. Nquƭ (var: Ngud or NGu) - Guiera senegalensis
3. Somb - Prosopis africana a species of Prosopis
4. Nqual (var: Ngaulor NGawal) - Mitragyna inermis portion of Rubiaceae theatre unit of measurement of the genus Mitragyna
5. Mbos - Gardenia ternifolia
The importance of these trees are crucial to the formation of Earth, at to the lowest degree inwards the Serer worldview in addition to their genesis are addressed inwards their relevant sections. Being the inaugural of all tree does non necessarily equate to existence the inaugural of all living thing on Earth. In the creation myth, animals such as the jackal, hyena, the serpent in addition to ostrich figure prominently inwards the competing creation narrative. In some narratives, trees in addition to animals merge inwards monastic tell to justify their legitimacy. These mythical animals may live seen as sacred in addition to totems, inwards the Serer totemic in addition to sentient worldly-view of animals in addition to nature inwards general. The significance of trees inwards the Serer creation myth does non hateful the habitation spot of the supreme deity, neither do they hateful the habitation spot of the devil. They are habitation places for the sanctified ancestral spirits (Pangool). The cult of the tree is symbolic inwards Serer religion. The feminine world also played a crucial role inwards the creation procedure of the Universe in addition to the first-humans. This is linked to the Serer philosophy of beauty in addition to Serer-numbers found inwards Serer religious symbolism, amongst number 3 symbolizing the feminine world, number 4 the masculine world in addition to number 7 (3 + 4) representing remainder in addition to perfection, something the Serers seek to attain inwards their daily lives in addition to the environs they discovery themselves in.
Before the existence of the Universe, Roog existed past times itself. There was cipher but quiet in addition to darkness. The Serer notion of remainder in addition to perfection illustrates the creation of the higher spiritual monastic tell in addition to corresponds to the motif of chaos. Its creation was the union of manly someone in addition to woman someone principles, amongst Roog, the supreme transcendental regulation entity, becoming the embodiment of an androgynous Godfather in addition to Godmother. However, it is from the woman someone constituent of the supreme being: "Noo tiig tew" ("out of a woman someone womb" - ex utero), that the divine brought forth the ancestors of modern humans, amongst a female, existence the inaugural of all to live created. There was a mythical spoken communication − the inaugural of all word[s] uttered past times the supreme being. All the competing versions attest to that. This myth is the full general consensus in addition to represents the absolute truth inwards Serer primordial time. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 major competing myth, also based on chaos, postulates that, in that location was originally a serial of explosions. However, it agrees pretty much amongst the accepted persuasion that trees in addition to animals were the inaugural of all to live created. Explosion inaugural of all arose inwards the vegetable kingdom in addition to the inaugural of all tree Somb, according to this myth, bursted, which the seeds of all the works life species inwards the world sprang out (from its trunk) roofing Planet world amongst life. In all versions, Roog appears as both the creator in addition to demiurge.
Serer adult woman carrying firewood Sine-Saloum, Senegal. © Joe Lasky Photography
Creation of the Universe
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax in addition to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep
The Serers relates the creation myth in addition to the role of spoken communication inwards the formation of the Universe. Two Serer damage expresses the mythical creation word: "A nax" in addition to "A leep". The erstwhile is a brusk narrative for a shorth myth or proverbial aspect in addition to is equivalent to a verb. The afterward (A leep) is to a greater extent than advance in addition to details the mythical creation give-and-take in addition to the creation itself, introducing the myth amongst the phrase: "Naaga reetu reet" (so it was inwards the beginning), before narrating the event. From a global perspective, the 2 roughly corresponds to verb in addition to logos, especially when communicating fundamental religious instruction relating to the supreme deity in addition to the creation of the Universe. They shape the construction in addition to sources nether which the creation narrative is based. "A leep", the logos, is fixed.
The creation of the Universe is based on several parts (see below):
1. the construction which sets the ground of the narrative in addition to the significance of the mythical give-and-take cited
past times the supreme existence (see above);
2. the creation procedure based on Serer-numbers;
3. the genesis of the Universe;
4. the prologue of the primordial myth based on 3 key elements: water, air in addition to earth;
5. the primordial sea in addition to the formation of Planet Earth;
6. the rotational displace around the axis of the world, the creation of trees in addition to works life life;
7. the creation of animals;
8. the creation of humans in addition to the inaugural of all manly someone in addition to woman someone twain whose children in addition to descendants went on to populate the world;
9. the crisis that befell Planet world in addition to the separation of human being in addition to animal, in addition to why the domestic dog became man's friend;
10. intervention of Roog in addition to the procedure of divine intervention inwards the diverse stages of the creation in addition to after the initial disorder;
11. Serer representation of the Universe – the 3 worlds: the invisible world from above, the diurnal terrestrial world in addition to the nocturnal world.
Process of the creation (Serer-number 3)
The source of the Universe is attributed to the feminine in addition to maternal nature of Roog. In Serer symbolism, the number 3 is attributed to the feminine world. This number is the ingredient of the creation process. There were 3 essential elements, 3 parts of the cosmos in addition to 3 worlds. This tripple beat of Roog in addition to the cosmos is also found inwards women as the Serer myth relates it:
"Roog a binda adna noo tiig tew (Roog has created the world of its feminine nature)."
The phrase "Tiig Tew" is attributed to the feminine body of maternity in addition to is equivalent to the full general saying of Mother Earth. The phrase "No tiig tew" translates to "out of a woman someone womb" - ex utero. The linguistic communication hither is symbolic. The Serer faith in addition to oral tradition confers to Roog some rather realistic aspects of the initial creation. There were 3 phases inwards the gestation of the creatures within the devine being:
1. past times thought - within the living divine egg, Roog developed the forms in addition to beings to create. It set the foundations in addition to signs for things to come.
2. past times give-and-take - Roog started the gestation menstruation in addition to provided everything past times give-and-take for the smoothen realization of its plan.
3. past times activity - through its maternal nature, Roog opened-up in addition to projected the embryo in addition to placenta inwards a similar fashion as inwards childbirth.
Roog did non create, nor did it engender all beings of all kinds. It only created the archetypes, non the paradigm of each species, but 7 archetypes namely :' the 3 essential elements (air, ground in addition to water) in addition to the top 4 seeds (the inaugural of all tree, inaugural of all creature in addition to the inaugural of all human twain - female, in addition to then male.
Genesis of the Universe (mythical words)
The genesis of the Universe is found inwards "A nax" in addition to "A leep". Which posits that: "In the beginning, in that location was cipher but darkness in addition to quiet until the pre-existent being, Roog, began the genesis of the world" [the Universe]. The Serer oral tradition does non speak of Roog's gestation, in all probability due to cultural taboo, but only when the mythical give-and-take was uttered in addition to what was uttered past times the supreme being, which is found inwards Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax. According to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax, the inaugural of all mythical words spoken past times Roog were:
“WATER! AIR! EARTH! ”
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep details the scene of the primordial fourth dimension inwards the next terms:
"A leep à joon maaga
a roxondox o maaga,
a gad'wa roog,
a saay'a lang ke."
Which translates to:
The Words saltation into space,
He carried the sea on his head,
the firmament on his shoulders,
the ground inwards his hands.
The mythical words established the 3 worlds (water, air in addition to earth) based on the prologue of the Serer genesis provided past times Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax. In Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep, it gives the monastic tell inwards which they were created in addition to elaborated on it. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep posits that, amongst the words of Roog, the 3 worlds (the Universe) began to take shape. The inaugural of all to live created was the deep sea waters (waters of the underworld); the 2nd was air including the high heavens (Kuul na, inwards Serer) such as the sun, the Moon in addition to the stars; in addition to tertiary was earth. However, the world was non i of the inaugural of all primordial worlds to live formed. It volition take a long fourth dimension before the waters in addition to the world were separated.
First swamp in addition to creation of world (Nqaul)
The creation of Planet world is based on the myth of Nqaul (a type of tree - mitragyna inermis). In this myth, the formation of the world was started past times a swamp. Swamps are integral to Serer civilization in addition to traditions in addition to have got parallels amongst this Nqaul. The foundation of Serer villages, towns, homes, etc., inwards many cases, began amongst a swamp, fifty-fifty today. Nqaul is also important inwards the history of the Serers. At a fourth dimension when rainfall were plentiful, during the rainy season, the founders of ancient Serer villages in addition to towns were often surprise when the inaugural of all rainfalls brought flooding (see Saltigue). Calibrated archaeological dating have got shown that, many of the places they had chosen to settle adjacent to were shoals. Serer tradition states, on i occasion, the flooding caused severe harm resulting inwards many people losing their homes, crops in addition to nutrient they had farmed. After the damage, the people who escaped returned to assess the harm in addition to commiserated each other. They recalled an ancient myth − the myth of Nqaul:
"Ko adoox a adax Nqaul" (You start similar the inaugural of all of Nqaul).
This phrase evokes the primordial swamp in addition to the Nqaul tree which grew within the original swamp. This tradition is soundless retained past times the Serers as the saying is so widespread inwards Serer country. It is a unlike form of tree to Saas (acacia albida). Whilst some Serer sources postulates that the Saas was the inaugural of all tree on Earth, the Serer oral tradition states that the Saas was non Nqual (the original tree inwards the swamp). Instead, Saas is attributed to i of the sacred trees useful for overall-bodily health. Another sacred tree − the Nquƭ, is also thought to have got been the inaugural of all tree. However, the full general consensus is that the Nquƭ which has the properties to cure snakebite grew on the river banking concern whilst Nqual grew within the primordial swamp.
Rotational motion around the axis of the world
Further information: Serer religion#Serer cosmology
According to the Serer narrative, this initial islet was non static, but animated past times a whirl around the axis of the world. The Serers were able to symbolize the Earth's axis in addition to the whirl inwards a geometrical diagram. In Serer cosmology, the diagram depicts 2 crossed lines representing the rotational displace in addition to the intersection points representing the axis of the world. One of the lines depicts the axis running from eastward to west, the other from due north to south. Simultaneously, they are the Empyrean Heaven where the supreme deity is said to have got given way to the inaugural of all elements. In the myth, Roog is portrayed as the mythical deity who somehow "turned its self on". As the deity rotate inwards space, its rapid motions expanded amongst the primordial world it had inaugural of all created. Roog's displace also affected the axis of the cosmos. The vital energies it had emitted, rotated inwards a spiral displace thereby creating the celestial objects.
Since the fourth dimension of the ancient Serer Lamanes, the Serer people have got represented the axis of the world inwards the shape of a stele, symbolizing the steles of Roog. In the Serer home, sometimes inwards the courtyard, they correspond the most sacred spot of the theatre servicing as the centre of gravity of divine energies in addition to i of the poles of the coronation. In the home, these steles are made of wooden slabs, forming a sacred wood. Sometimes they are raised steles supported past times 3 rods in addition to sometimes they are exactly greenish trees. There symbolism tin can live celestial or terrestrial depending on the organisation of rods that surround them. If in that location are twelve rods arranged inwards a circle, they symbolize the celestial world, 4 rods forming a foursquare symbolizes the earthly world. They are ever built based on the tenets of Serer symbolism, in addition to shape the theatre unit of measurement shrine devoted to the supreme being.
Creation of trees in addition to vegetation
Nqaul
The creation of the inaugural of all trees in addition to vegetation are preserved inwards the Serer oral tradition. The Serer faith offering guidance based on the primordial seed. This has been a affair of interpretation, in addition to such, in that location are competing versions as to which trees were inaugural of all created in addition to the monastic tell inwards which they appeared. In Serer society, trees are viewed as sacred entities in addition to some trees are afforded higher religious condition depending on the Pangool (the ancient Serer saints in addition to ancestral spirits represented past times snakes) affiliated amongst them, their medicinal in addition to spiritual value to Serer life, etc. Some Serer families are also associated amongst for sure Pangool (singular: Fangool). The Serer priestly shape (the Saltigues), guardians of Serer religion, sciences in addition to ethics, soundless cannot concord on which tree was inaugural of all created on world nor the monastic tell inwards which the inaugural of all trees appeared.
These differences are in all probability due to the vast areas the proto-Serers i time inhabited. At present, the Nqaul (proper: NGawul, var: Ngaul or - mitragyna inermis) in addition to Nquƭ tree represents the orthodox in addition to prevailing Serer view, hence inwards the myth of Earth's creation, a planet which was supposed to have got come upward nigh as a outcome of a primordial a swamp, the Nqaul tree grew within the swamp whilst the Nquƭ grew on the river banking concern thereby making them the inaugural of all trees on world according to the Serer creation mythology, amongst Nqaul taking precedence as it grew within the primordial swamp. In the creation myth, Saas is afforded high spiritual in addition to medicinal condition as i of the ancient trees, in addition to shape portion of Serer representation of the Universe. However, it was non the original tree, in addition to it was the tree that fell inwards "disgrace" after it tried to "abuse its powers".
Apart from existence the inaugural of all tree in addition to linked to Earth's creation, many of the original narratives of Nqaul has been lost to history. In Serer country, it is used both as a medicinal in addition to veterinarian works life for curing diverse ailments. The leaves are used against fever, hypertension in addition to to get the intestine; bark decoction for diuretic in addition to to stimulates the intestines against hypertension in addition to fever, etc. The barks are also applied to wounds inwards monastic tell to improve the healing process.
Nquƭ
The Nquƭ tree (proper: NGuƭ, variation: Ngud - guiera senegalensis) is highly prized for its medicinal properties in addition to is used for curing unlike kinds of illnesses, wounds in addition to snakebites. Traditional Serer healers specializing inwards snakebites often utilisation the dried pulverization inwards their therapies.
In the Serer narrative, the roots of the tree were believed to displace inwards the underworld for survival. After the initial trees were created, in addition to then came other trees. These novel trees would ship their roots to the closest Nquƭ inwards monastic tell to feed from it before starting their overwintering. After waiting out the wintertime months, the nourishment they had received from the Nquƭ prior to their overwintering increased their torso growth. At that time, trees moved in addition to talked. They were migratory trees. They sank deep into the underworld during the solar daytime in addition to reappeared at night. The tree is seen as the "tree of luck in addition to goodness health". In the hamlet of Lang o Maak (now portion of present-day Senegal), the tree is venerated: xu'doox o'baal (big guiera senegalensis tree inwards the shape of a pot). At the fourth dimension of the ancients, the tree appeared i nighttime in addition to everyone saw it. Someone tried to cutting it downwards in addition to he ended upward dead.
The Serers believed that, all trees are similar human beings in addition to animals out of the same divine placenta in addition to part the same fate in addition to destiny.
playing djembe drum, Sine-Saloum
Saas
The Saas tree (in Serer in addition to some Cangin languages, var: Sas) is the acacia albida tree.
Serer advocates for Saas postulates that, the Saas is the tree of life, in addition to therefore, the origin of life on Earth. Others reject that view, in addition to posits that Saas was non the tree that grew within the primordial swamp in addition to therefore, non the original tree. However, Saas is afforded religious in addition to medicinal condition useful for overall bodily wellness in addition to is viewed as i of the ancient trees but non the original tree. Like the Nqual tree, many of the original narratives have got been lost to history. In these contrasting views, some scholars of Serer tradition on the origins of life postulates that, the Saas narrative seems to fit the wider West African creation myth inwards damage of behaviour in addition to judgement, in addition to whatsoever scholar of Serer mythology on the origins of life cannot overlook the importance of Saas'.
In this myth, the transcendence is reported to have got infused amongst the acacia seed vital for energy, in addition to the Saas played a pivotal role inwards the transmission of life. It is believed that, the Saas was i time a living tree. The narrative went on to say that, women who wanted to give nascency went to it because it was considered to live a lucky tree inwards the wider Serer mythology in addition to legend. Newborns were also presented to the Saas inwards monastic tell to convey goodness luck, long life, goodness wellness in addition to prosperity to the child’s life. In similarity, if an creature went close Saas it was destined to live a long life. According to the myth, the Saas loved human beings in addition to perhaps too much. It would sometimes lower its thorny ends so people tin can give it a hug. Anyone who saw that straight off knew the Saas wanted their company. It did non displace until sunset. It healed the wounded past times its barks existence rubbed on the haemorrhage wound. The Saas eventually became exhausting for people when it started to abuse its supernatural powers. It is to a greater extent than often than non viewed as the tree that fell inwards disgrace. The ancients called it past times the call Nyas, a call which has 2 meanings: scar or clot. The Myth of Saas soundless retains a for sure grade of importance especially when it concerns the demand for vital unloose energy such as: during growth, at the fourth dimension of marriage, inwards sickness in addition to after death. It is also viewed past times many as the fertility tree. In the Serer representation of the Universe, the Myth of Saas forms portion of the geometric diagram.
Maad a Sinig Boukar Tjilas Sanghaie Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1724–35), boy of Maad Semou Njekeh Joof Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1825–53) Lingeer Gnilane Jogoy Joof, married adult woman of Maat Souka Ndela Joof (parents of Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof)[43] Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1853–71) Maad a Sinig Semou Mak Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1878–82) Maad a Sinig Amadi Baro Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1882–84) Maad a Sinig Jaligui Sira Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1885–86) Maad a Sinig Niokhobai Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1886–87) Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1898-1924) Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof, manly someone monarch of Sine (reigned 1924–69)[ Lamane Diaga Dibor Ndofene Diouf, lamane of Tukar, lastly Lamane of Tukar as of 2004
Serer Dancers inwards Dakar. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Serer grouping comprises the Sereer (the Serer people or Seex), Niominka, Ndut, Saafi, Noon, Laalaa and Palor. The Sereers are the most numerous amidst the Serer group. Although all the Serer grouping are ethnically Serers, some of this grouping do non speak the Serer linguistic communication but speak Cangin languages. The Sereers speak the Serer language, in addition to the Niominkas speak i of the dialects of the Serer language.
Serer Fishermen of Sine-Saloum. by Patrick Smith
In Senegal, the Serer people are the tertiary largest ethnic grouping amongst a population of over 1.8 meg (2011) constituting 14.7% in addition to live inwards the west-central portion of the country, running from the southern border of Dakar to the Gambian border. The Serer (also known as "Seex" or "Sine-Sine") occupy the Sine in addition to Saloum areas (now portion of modern solar daytime independent Senegal). The Serer-Noon occupy the ancient surface area of Thiès inwards Senegal. The Serer-Ndut are found inwards southern Cayor in addition to due north due west of ancient Thiès. The Serer-Njeghen occupy old Baol; the Serer-Palor occupies the due west central, due west southwest of Thiès in addition to the Serer-Laalaa occupy due west central, due north of Thiès in addition to the Tambacounda area.
In the Gambia, Serer people who are traditionally fishermen in addition to boat builders are found along the coastal regions (they occupy parts of old "Nuimi" in addition to "Baddibu" as good as the Gambian "Kombo"), as good as the entrance to the The Gambia River in addition to inwards peculiarly Barra. They make upward less than 2% of the Gambian population.
Senegambian wrestling known as Laamb or Njom in addition to sabar drum traditions which the Wolofs have got taken over originated from the Serer people. The Njuup (progenitor of Mbalax) in addition to Tassu traditions (also Tassou) (progenitor of rap music) both originated from the Serer people.
Serer adult woman from The Gambia
Along amongst Senegal in addition to the Gambia, they are also found inwards small-scale numbers inwards southern Mauritania. Some notable Gambian Serers include he famous Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour , Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President of the The Gambia since twenty March 1997, in addition to the belatedly Senegambian historian, politico in addition to advocate for Gambia's independence during the colonial era – Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof . In Senegal they include Leopold Sedar Senghor and Abdou Diouf (first in addition to 2nd president of Senegal respectively).
Leopold Sedar Senghor, Serer human being in addition to inaugural of all president of Senegal
The Serer people from Senegal acquit names such as Joof or Diouf, Faye, Ngom or Ngum, Sène (sene or Sain, N'Diaye, Tine, Ndaw or Ndao, Loum, Diene (Diène or Jein), Thiaw, Senghor, Ndour or Ndur, Sarr, Kama, Ndione, Gadio etc.
Abdou Diouf is a Senegalese politician, in addition to served as the 2nd President of Senegalese Serer tribe`s human being from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to mightiness past times peaceful succession, in addition to leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade. He has been the Secretary-General of La Francophonie since 2003.
Serer Mythology (Creation story)
The creation myth of the Serer people is intricately linked to the inaugural of all trees created on Planet world past times Roog. Earth's formation began amongst a swamp. The world was non formed until long after the creation of the inaugural of all 3 worlds: the waters of the underworld; the air which included the higher world (i.e. the sun, the Moon in addition to the stars) in addition to earth. Roog is the creator in addition to fashioner of the Universe in addition to everything inwards it. The creation is based on a mythical cosmic egg in addition to the principles of chaos.
Serer women of Sine-Saloum inwards a boat
Serer people in addition to their human relationship amongst the Moors
In the pre-colonial era, Moors from Islamic Republic of Mauritania who came to settle inwards the Serer kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Sine, etc., were sick treated past times their Serer masters. If a Moor dies inwards a Serer kingdom, his body was dragged out of the Earth in addition to left for the vultures to feast on if in that location is no theatre unit of measurement or friend to claim the body in addition to bury it elsewhere. They were also never accompanied past times grave goods. No affair how long a Mauritanian Moor has lived inwards the surface area as a migrant, he could never attain high condition within the Serer aristocracy. The best spot he could ever wishing for within Serer high society was to piece of work as a Bissit (Bissik). Apart from spying for the Serer Kings, the Bissit's main task was to live a clown - for the sole amusement of the Serer King, the Serer aristocracy in addition to the mutual people. He was expected to trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards ceremonies before the manly someone monarch in addition to liven upward the king's mood in addition to the king's subjects. This spot was ever given to the Moors. It was a humiliating task in addition to non a championship of honour. According to some, the history of this spot goes dorsum to an early on Moor inwards Serer Earth who had a kid past times his ain daughter.
Serer woman, Senegal
Origin of the call "Serer"
The pregnant of the give-and-take "Serer" is uncertain. Issa Laye Thiaw views it as mayhap pre-Islamic in addition to suggests 4 possible derivations:
1. From the Serer Wolof give-and-take reer pregnant 'misplaced', i.e. doubting the truth of Islam.
2. From the Serer Wolof aspect seer reer pregnant "to discovery something hidden or lost."
3. From "the Standard Arabic give-and-take seereer pregnant sahir wizard or i who practices magic (An allusion to the traditional religion)".
4. From a Pulaar word: pregnant separation, divorce, or break, i time to a greater extent than referring to refusing Islam.
Another author, Dennis C. Galvan of the University of Oregon, believes the derivation of the call reflects the origin of the Serer inwards nigh the 11th century CE as a portion of a civilization living inwards the Futa Tooro that refused Islam, split from the main grouping in addition to migrated. He writes that "The term Serer is most in all probability a derivative of the Pulaar term sererabe, pregnant to separate or to divorce."
Youssou N'Dour, Serer tribe human being and a Senegalese singer, percussionist, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, human being of affairs in addition to a politician. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, "perhaps the most famous vocalist alive" inwards Senegal in addition to much of Africa. Since Apr 2012, he has been Senegal's Minister of Tourism in addition to Culture. N'Dour helped to prepare a style of pop Senegalese music known inwards the Serer linguistic communication as mbalax, which derives from the conservative Serer music tradition of "Njuup". He is the dependent of the award-winning films Return to Goree directed past times Pierre-Yves Borgeaud in addition to Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love directed past times Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, which were released around the world.
Language
Serer people of Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Islamic Republic of Mauritania speak Serer language, which is also called Serer-Sine "Serer proper" (Seereer-Siin, etc.) after its prestige dialect. Serer linguistic communication belongs to Senegambian branch of Niger–Congo phylum spoken past times 2 meg million people inwards Sine-Saloum, Kaolack, Diourbel, in addition to Dakar in Senegal in addition to 40,000 inwards the The Gambia in addition to a sizable number of over 4000 inwards Mauritania. Some Serers speak the Serer language. Some speak the Cangin languages such as Ndut and Saafi although all are ethnically Serers.
Serer adult woman in addition to her child
The Serer linguistic communication is characterised past times consonant mutation, in addition to it is written from left to write based on the Latin alphabet. It is i of the recognized languages of Senegal. There are diverse dialects of Serer amongst Serer-Sine existence the prestige dialect.
The next greetings in addition to responses are spoken inwards most regions of Senegal that have got Serer speakers.
Nam fi'o? (pronounced nam feeyoh) = How are you lot doing? Mexe meen. (pronounced may hay men) = I am here.
Ta mbind na? (pronounced, tah mbind nah) = How is the family? Owa maa. (pronounced owa maa) = It is good.
In Senegalese culture, greetings are really important. Sometimes, people volition pass several minutes greeting each other.
Serer children
History
According to the celebrated Egyptologist Chiekh Anta Diop, the distribution of megaliths of Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Republic of Mali are considerable markers of the migration of Serer from the Nile Valley to the Atlantic coast of West Africa. Serer people soundless worship these stones.
Serer adult woman from Senegal. Circa 1890
However, other historians claim that the volume of Serer people describe their origins to migrations from the Senegal river area. According to the historian David Galvan, "The oral historical record, written accounts past times early on Arab in addition to European explorers, in addition to physical anthropological evidence suggest that the diverse Serer peoples migrated due south from the Fuuta Tooro part (Senegal River valley) inaugural of all around the eleventh century, when Islam inaugural of all came across the Sahara." This explains the similarity betwixt the Sereer in addition to Pulaar languages, which are to a greater extent than closely related to each other than to Wolof or whatsoever other known language. There is also a joking human relationship betwixt Tukulor, some other call for Pulaar speakers, in addition to Sereer which persists though the erstwhile were the most intensely Muslim in addition to the latter the lastly people due north of the The Gambia to convert. In spite of their northern
origins, oral traditions describe the source of the Sereer province to a northward moving grouping of Mandinka
migrants from Kaabu. The Mandinka influences on the Sereer seem, however, to live limited. W. J.
Pichl reports, for example, that in that location are really few Mande words inwards the Sereer language.
Some Serer grouping is made upward of peoples who were portion of the same southward migration, but who never became portion of complex province systems. This includes the Sereer-Njegem, who live eastward of Portudal in addition to Mbour in addition to the Ñominka of the Saalum delta islands. They speak dialects of the linguistic communication spoken inwards Siin. They did not, however, have got whatsoever form of centralized institutions. They also had an egalitarian social structure. That is to say, in that location were inwards these areas no slaves in addition to ñeño (artisans) or where these institutions developed, it was a really belatedly development.
The other Serer grouping speaks languages unrelated to the linguistic communication spoken past times the Sereer of Siin or Njegem. It includes the Noon of the Thies area, the Ndut of southern Kajoor in addition to the Saafeen of southern Bawol. For centuries, travelers have got identified these people as Sereer or “Sereris” past times contrast to the “Barbecins” (Buur Siin, of Siin). Like the Ñominka in addition to Sereer-Njegem, they had egalitarian social structures, though many paid tribute to the Damel or the Teñ Bawol. Their languages are really distantly related to Sereer-Siin in addition to their customs seem to have got been distinct. W. J. Pichl has classified their languages as Cangin.
Professor Étienne Van de Walle gave a slightly afterward date, writing that "The formation of the Sereer ethnicity goes dorsum to the thirteenth century, when a grouping came from the Senegal River valley inwards the due north fleeing Islam, in addition to close Niakhar met some other grouping of Mandinka origin, called the Gelwar, who were coming from the southeast (Gravrand 1983). The actual Sereer ethnic grouping is a mixture of the 2 groups, in addition to this may explicate their complex bilinear kinship system".
Serer people’s medieval history is partly characterised past times resisting Islamization in addition to afterward Wolofization from mayhap the 11th century during the Almoravid motion (particularly the Serers of Takrur) to the 19th century Marabout motion of Senegambia. Although the old Serer paternal dynasties continued, the Wagadou maternal dynasty was replaced past times the Guelowar maternal dynasty inwards the 14th century. After the Republic of Ghana Empire was sacked as for sure kingdoms gained their independence, Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar, leader of the Almoravids launched a jihad into the region. According to Serer oral history inwards Nov 1087 a Serer bowman named Amar Godomat shot in addition to killed Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umarwith an arrow.
Isatou Njie-Saidy is a Serer tribe adult woman in addition to Gambian Vice President of the Gambia, as good as Secretary of State for Women's Affairs, since twenty March 1997; she is the inaugural of all Gambian adult woman to grip the spot of Vice President. And i of the inaugural of all women inwards West African politics to arrive at this senior position.
Origins of Siin (Serer proper)
Most of the ethnic groups of Senegambia were formed largely during the early on centuries of the 2nd millenium. Oral traditions suggest that most province systems inwards the surface area tin can live traced to this menstruation in addition to they betoken a serial of population movements which were undoubtedly crucial inwards forming both peoples in addition to states. The full general style inwards these migrations was toward the south. We tin can hypothesize several reasons. The Almoravids have got often been given credit for a stimulating southward movement, but to a greater extent than likely in that location was a longer term pressure level both from nomadic groups inwards the Sahara in addition to from the slower processes of climatic change. Just as the pump of medieval Republic of Ghana was inwards an surface area that could non back upward a large urban centre today, so too, the major political pump inwards northwest Senegambia, Jolof, has, inwards the 20th century, had to a greater extent than Fulbe pastoralists than Wolof.
The i exception to the southward motion was the Mandinka migration which moved out of the
Republic of Mali heartland inwards the l3th century to settle the The Gambia river area.
There are 3 stages inwards early on Sereer history: the motion of proto-Sereer from the north, the formation of novel political institutions amongst the arrival of Malinke immigrants inwards Siin, in addition to the creation of a afterward in addition to to a greater extent than complex polity inwards Saalum. Jean Boulègue has persuasively argued that the lastly of these 3 events tin can live dated to the belatedly 15th or early on 16th century. The origins of Siin are a goodness flake earlier. Jolof traditions refer to it as i of the founding states of the Jolof empire in addition to it clearly existed when the inaugural of all Portuguese navigators arrived . On the other hand, it tin can in all probability live dated good after the formation of Republic of Mali inwards the mid-13th century. It is reasonable to approximate that the gelwaar migration, which led to the creation of Siin took spot inwards the l4th century, though an before appointment is non impossible. When the Gelwaar arrived inwards Siin, the early on Sereer were already there. The fact that in that location are few Malinke words inwards Sereer would suggest that the Gelwaar were only catalysts inwards the procedure of province formation, in addition to that though they provided the ruling matrilineage in addition to novel institutions, they were speedily absorbed inwards a much larger Sereer-speaking population. It is clear that on the banks of the The Gambia River, the Malinke migrants tended to like shooting fish in a barrel assimilate pre-existing inhabitants patch due north of the Saalum, they were so few inwards numbers that they left relatively picayune impact exterior of the political system. This does non give us a precise thought of when the inaugural of all Sereer arrived. It is likely that they did non all acquire inwards at the same time. It is so also likely that most of the migration that brought them due south took spot before the l4th century. Father Henri Gravrand has suggested the l2th or l3th
century. In the absence of to a greater extent than precise chronological data than is at nowadays available, this seems quite logical, though it is non impossible that futurity query volition force this in addition to other dates dorsum a picayune further.
Oral traditions speak of before inhabitants called Socé. Though often translated as Mandinka, it is likely that this is only a generic term for before peoples. In whatsoever case, these before peoples have got left picayune evidence of their history too the Cangin languages in addition to the rock circles found close the Gambia. It is likely that the surface area was non densely populated in addition to that they were relatively chop-chop assimilated past times the new-comers except inwards the hinterland of Republic of Cape Verde peninsula.
Serer girl
The tradition of origin of Siin, which has been reported inwards a number of places involved a Mandinka colonization nether Mansa Waali Jon. These traditions are fairly consistent, though in that location is an alternative tradition which seems to live of picayune importance. The variants of the principal tradition are non ever consistent on why Mansa Waali Jon left Kaabu, but they are on many other particulars.
They are consistent on the association of him amongst his 3 sisters: Kular O Meo, Kin o Meo in addition to Siin o Meo. The migrating political party crossed the The Gambia in addition to settled inaugural of all at Kular, a hamlet on a tributary of the The Gambia nigh forty km from the ocean. From in that location they went to Sourou inwards the oral cavity of the Saalum, in addition to after several other stops, went to Jaxanor on the Sangomar peninsula in addition to and then finally to Mbisel, less than 10 km from the coast exactly southeast of Joal. Though the diverse accounts of this migration study it as a brusk trip, it in all probability took spot over many years, mayhap several generations in addition to involved a scattering of Malinke colonies through the surface area due north of the Gambia. Kular was founded during this migration as was Jilor, in addition to a whole serial of miniscule states. The tradition is in all probability an business organisation human relationship of the colonization of the western portion of what is at nowadays Sine-Saloum region.
After arriving at Mbisel the immigrants held wrestling matches, after which the champion, Bugar Biram Fay was married to Siin O Meo. It is from the offspring of this spousal human relationship inwards the uterine line that Buur Siins have got descended. Descent is purely matrilineal though patrilineal links seem to have got been valuable inwards edifice alliances inwards whatsoever struggle for power. The 2nd, 3rd in addition to quaternary Buur are described as sons of Bugar Biram in addition to Siin O Meo. The expansion of Siin seems to have got been relatively rapid. The version presented past times the belatedly Buur Siin Mahecor Diouf suggests that Maissa Waly settled his retainers at Faajut in addition to Jong in addition to incorporated Simal, Jilas in addition to Mbisel. (This listing is non necessary exlcusive). These places are within twenty km of the coast. Waagaan Maysa (for Mansa) seems to have got been a major colonizer, for he is supposed to have got founded villages as far away as Patar, (60 km from Mbisel) in addition to close the afterward NE frontier. The uppercase of Siin also moved eastward in addition to north, though unlike traditions disagree on the speed.
Serer missy from The Gambia
The Serer kingdoms
Main articles: Kingdom of Sine, Kingdom of Saloum, in addition to Kingdom of Baol Serer kingdoms included the Kingdom of Sine in addition to the Kingdom of Saloum. In add-on to these twin Serer kingdoms, the Serers also ruled inwards the Wolof kingdoms such as Jolof, Waalo, Cayor in addition to Baol. The Kingdom of Baol was originally an old Serer Kingdom ruled past times the Serer paternal dynasties such as Joof family, the Njie family, etc. in addition to the Wagadou maternal dynasty prior to the Battle of Danki inwards 1549. The Faal (var: Fall) paternal dynasty of Cayor in addition to Baol that ruled after 1549 next the Battle of Danki were originally Black Moors (Naari Kajoor). Prior to the Faal dynasty of Cayor in addition to Baol, these 2 kingdoms were ruled past times the Serer people amongst the patrilineages "Joof" or Diouf, Faye in addition to Njie, in addition to the maternal lineage of Wagadou – members of the royal families from the Republic of Ghana Empire (proper "Wagadou Empire") who married into the Serer aristocracy.
Serer girl
The Last Serer Kings
The lastly kings of Sine in addition to Saloum were Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (also spelt : Mahecor Diouf) in addition to Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof (also spelt : Fodé N’Gouye Diouf or Fode Ngui Joof) respectively. They both died inwards 1969. After their deaths, the Serer Kingdoms of Sine in addition to Saloum were incorporated into independent Senegal which gained its independence from French Republic inwards 1960. The Serer kingdoms of Sine in addition to Saloum are 2 of few pre-colonial African Kingdoms whose royal dynasty survived upward to the 20th century.
King of Sine, Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof. Reign : c. 1825 - 1853.
Economy
The Serers practise trade, agriculture, fishing, boat edifice in addition to creature husbandry. Traditionally the Serer people have got been farmers in addition to Earth owners. Although they practise creature husbandry, they are generallly less known for that, as inwards the past, Serer nobles entrusted their herds to the pastoralist Fulas, fifty-fifty today. However, they are known for their mixed-farming. Trade is also a recent phenomenon amidst some Serers. For the Serers, the soil (where their ancestors lay inwards rest) is really of import to them in addition to they guard it amongst jealousy. They have got a legal framework governing every aspect of life fifty-fifty Earth police force amongst strict guidelines. Apart from agriculture (and other forms of production or business such as creature husbandry, angling especially amidst the Serer-Niominka, boat building, etc.), some occupations especially merchandise they viewed as vulgar, mutual in addition to ignoble. Hence inwards the colonial era, especially amidst the Serer nobles, they would hire others to do the trading on their behalf (e.g. Moors) acting as their middle men.
Food
The Serer's favourite nutrient is called Chere (also "Chereh" etc.) inwards the Serer linguistic communication - (pounded coos). They command all the phases of this dish from production to preparation. Other ethnic groups (or Serers), tend to purchase it from Serer women marketplace traders or contract it out to them especially if they are asset major ceremonial events. Chere is really versertile in addition to tin can live eaten amongst fermented milk or cream in addition to saccharide as a breakfast cereal or prepared exactly as a criterion couscous.
Pounding millet inwards Serer village
Social organization
The Serer Kings in addition to Earth owners (Maad, Maad a Sinig, Maad Saloum or Lamane or fifty-fifty Barr, Bour or Bur, as used past times some mainly non-Serers when referring to Serer kings) were at the top of the social strata. The damage "Buur Sine" in addition to "Buur Saloum" (King of Sine in addition to King of Saloum respectively) are Wolof damage when referring to Serer Kings. "Buur" or "Bur" are non Serer damage but Wolof terms. When Serers refer to their kings they say Maad, Mad or sometimes Maat. The Serer kings divided their capacity as follows (not inwards monastic tell of importance): the King of Sine Maad a Sinig or Maad Saloum appointed the chiefs of provinces named "Lamane", of "Serer" or "Guelowar" origin (pre 1335 Lamanes were non mere province Chiefs but kings, also the Guelowars became Serers in addition to had Serer surnames). The commutation authorities is appointed which included the lingeer (queen usually the king's woman parent or sister), the Farba Kaba (chief of the army) in addition to the Great Jaraff (head of the noble council responsible for electing the kings from the ruling family). Other notable titles included the Buumi or Bumi (of Serer origin pregnant inheritor). The give-and-take (Bumi) is also found inwards Wolof, but it is Serer inwards origin. They were members of the Royal Family in addition to were eligible to succeed after the decease of Kings. The "Buur Kevel" or "Buur Geweel" (the Head Griot of the King). This someone was also a rather of import figure inwards the Royal Court as good as inwards wars. Not only did he kept the history in addition to genealogy of the royal dynasty, he was also the advisor to the King. The "Buur Kevel(s)" or "Buur Geweel(s)" were really wealthy in addition to powerful. They had the mightiness to destroy a royal dynasty if they chose to do so. Their other role included accompanying kings to battles; advising kings when in addition to how to launch a state of war against some other kingdom; what the King should eat; how to walk; what to wear; whom to give audience to; whom to employ in addition to whom to sack etc.
All the kings that ruled Serer Kingdoms had Serer surnames, amongst the exception of the Mboge in addition to Faal paternal dynasties whose reigns are really recent in addition to they did non render many kings.
Serer Old lady. Courtesy .linkupafrica.
Family totems
Each Serer theatre unit of measurement has a totem ("Taana"). Totems are prohibitions as good as guardians. They tin can live animals, plants etc. For illustration the totem of the Joof theatre unit of measurement is the antelope. Any brutality against this creature past times the Joof theatre unit of measurement is prohibited.
The African warthog. The totem in addition to symbol of the Faye theatre unit of measurement is the African warthog, symbolizing courage in addition to leadership inwards Serer mythology.
This honour gives the Joof theatre unit of measurement holy protection. The totem of the Njie theatre unit of measurement is the lion; the totem of the Sène theatre unit of measurement is the hare in addition to for the Sarr theatre unit of measurement is the giraffe in addition to the camel.
The totem in addition to symbol of the Joof theatre unit of measurement is the antelope, symbolizing grace, royalty, wisdom, difficult piece of work in addition to protection inwards Serer mythology.
Religious belief
Serer religious beliefs covert ancient chants in addition to poems, veneration of in addition to offerings to deities as good as spirits (pangool), astronomy, initiation rites, medicine, cosmology in addition to the history of the Serer people. The Serer people have got a faith or Fat Roog ("the way of the Divine"). In Serer religion, Mon is the solar daytime of rest. Cultural activities such as Njom or "Laamb" (Senegalese wrestling), weddings etc. are also prohibited on Thursday
The Serer people believe inwards a supreme deity called Roog (or Rog) in addition to sometimes referred to as Roog Sene ("Roog The Immensity" or "The Merciful God"). Serer tradition deals amongst diverse dimensions of life, death, infinite in addition to time, ancestral spirit communications in addition to cosmology. There are also other lesser gods, goddesses in addition to supernatural spirits or genie (pangool or nguus) such as the fangool Mendiss (or Mindis), a woman someone protector of Fatick Region in addition to the arm of the sea that bears her name; the god Tiurakh (var : Thiorak or Tulrakh) – god of wealth, in addition to the god Takhar (var : Taahkarr) – god of justice or vengeance. Roog is the creator deity in addition to is neither the devil nor a genie, but the lord of the creature.
Roog is the really embodiment of both manly someone in addition to woman someone to whom offerings are made at the pes of trees, such as the sacred baobab tree, the sea, the river such as the sacred River Sine, inwards people's ain homes or community shrine etc. Roog Sene is unreachable perhaps to a lesser extent past times the Serer high priests in addition to priestesses (Saltigue), who have got been initiated in addition to possess the cognition in addition to mightiness to organise their thoughts into a unmarried cohesive unit. However, Roog is ever inwards sentry of its children in addition to ever available to them.
Serer people
In Serer, Roog Sene is the lifeblood to which the incorruptible in addition to sanctified soul returns to eternal peace after they depart the living world. Roog Sene sees, knows in addition to hears everything, but does non interfere inwards the day-to-day affairs of the living world. Instead, lesser gods in addition to goddesses deed as Roog's assistants inwards the physical world. Individuals have got the costless volition to either live a goodness in addition to spiritually fulfilled life inwards accordance amongst Serer religious doctrines or waver from such doctrines past times living an unsanctified lifestyle inwards the physical world. Those who live their lives opposite to the teachings volition live rightfully inwards the afterlife.
Ancestral spirits in addition to saints
For the ordinary Serers, they addressed their prayers to the pangool (the Serer ancestral spirits in addition to saints) as they are the intermediaries betwixt the living world in addition to the divine. An orthodox Serer must rest faithful to the ancestral spirits as the soul is sanctified as a outcome of the ancestors' intercession betwixt the living world in addition to the divine. The pangool have got both a historical significance as good as a religious one. They are connected to the history of the Serer past times virtue of the fact that, the pangool is associated amongst the founding of Serer villages in addition to towns as a grouping of pangool would accompany hamlet founders called "lamane" (or laman - who were their ancient kings) as they create their journeying looking for Earth to exploit. Without them, the lamane exploits would non have got been possible. In the religious sense, these ancient lamanes created shrines to these pangool, thereby becoming the priests in addition to custodians of the shrine. As such, "they became the intermediaries amidst the land, the people in addition to the pangool".
Whenever whatsoever fellow member of the lamanic lineage dies, the whole Serer community celebrates inwards honour of the exemplary lives they had lived on ground inwards accordance amongst the teachings of the Serer religion. Serer prayers are addressed to the pangool who deed as intercessors betwixt the living world in addition to the divine. In addressing their prayers to the pangool, the Serers chant ancient songs in addition to offering sacrifices such as bull, sheep, goat, chicken or harvested crops.
Cosmology
Image depicting Serer cosmogony. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 representation of the universe. The tree worlds : the invisible world, the terrestrial world in addition to the nocturnal world
One of the most of import cosmological stars of the Serer people is called Yoonir. The "Star of Yoonir" is portion of the Serer cosmos. It is really of import in addition to sacred in addition to exactly i of many religious symbols inwards Serer faith in addition to cosmology. It is the brightest star inwards the nighttime sky, Sirius. With an ancient heritage of farming, "Yoonir" is really of import in addition to sacred inwards Serer religion, because it announces the inaugural of all of flooding in addition to enables Serer farmers to start planting seeds. The Dogon people of Republic of Mali telephone call upward it "Sigui", whilst inwards Serer it is called "Yoonir" - represented inwards the shape of the "Pangool" (interceders amongst Roog - the Supreme Deity) in addition to "Man". It is before this lawsuit where the Serer High Priests in addition to Priestesses known as Saltigue get together at the "Xoy" annual Divination Ceremony where they predict the course of instruction of the wintertime months amidst other things relevant to the lives of the Serer people. The Pangool (singular : Fangool) are ancestral spirits (also ancient Serer Saints inwards Serer religion) represented past times snakes.
Yoonir, symbol of the Universe, a Star amongst 5 points, outlined diagonals: Pentagram.
The peak of the Star (top point) represents the Supreme Deity (Roog). The other 4 points correspond the commutation points of the Universe. The crossing of the lines ("bottom left" in addition to "top right" in addition to "top left in addition to bottom right") pinpoints the axis of the Universe, that all energies pass. The top dot is "the dot of divergence in addition to conclusion, the origin in addition to the end". Among the Serers who cannot read or write the Latin alphabet, it is really mutual for them to sign official documents amongst the Star of Yoonir, as the Star also represents "good fortune in addition to destiny"
Religious devotion in addition to martyrdom
While most Serers converted to Islam in addition to Christianity (specifically Roman Catholic), their conversion was after colonization. They in addition to the Jola people were the lastly to convert to these religions. Most of the Serer converts to Islam were through conversion past times choice, non because of defeat inwards state of war i.e. Islamic jihadism. Many soundless follow the Serer faith especially inwards the ancient Kingdom of Sine. Senegal in addition to the The Gambia existence predominantly Muslim countries, most Muslims regard the Serers as stubborn for refusing to abandon their faith inwards favour of Islam.
The Serers have got also battled many prominent African Islamic jihadists over the centuries. Some of those similar Maba Diakhou Bâ is considered a national hero in addition to given a saint similar condition past times Senegambian Muslims. He himself was killed inwards battle fighting against the Serer King of Sine - Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof on xviii July 1867 at The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune commonly known as The Battle of Somb.
At the surprised attacks of Naodorou, Kaymor in addition to Ngaye, where the Serers were defeated, they killed themselves rather than live conquered past times the Muslim forces. In these 19th-century Islamic Marabout wars, many of the Serers villagers committed matyrdom, including jumping to their deaths at the Well of Tahompa. In Serer religion, suicide is only permitted if it satisfies the Serer regulation of Jom (also spelt "Joom" which literally way "honour" inwards the Serer language) - a code of beliefs in addition to values that regulation Serer lives.
The surreptitious monastic tell of the Saltigue
Both men in addition to women tin can live initiated into the surreptitious monastic tell of the Saltigue. In accordance amongst Serer religious doctrines, for i to acquire a Spiritual Elder (Saltigue), i must live initiated which is somewhat reserved for a small-scale number of insiders, peculiarly inwards the mysteries of the universe in addition to the unseen world. The Xoy (or Khoy) ceremony is a religious lawsuit in addition to a special lawsuit inwards the Serer religious calendar. It is the fourth dimension when the initiated Saltigue (Serer High Priests in addition to Priestesses) comes together to literally predict the futurity inwards front end of the community. These diviners in addition to healers deliver sermons at the Xoy Ceremony which relates to the futurity weather, politics, economics, in addition to so on. It is a really special lawsuit which brings together thousands of people to Holy Sine from all over the world. Ultra orthodox Serers in addition to Serers who "syncretise" (converts to Islam or Christianity in addition to who mix their newly found faith amongst the old Serer religion) as good as non-Serers such as the Lebou people (who are a distinct grouping but soundless revere the ancient religious practices of their Serer ancestors) amidst others get together at Sine for this ancient ceremony. Serers who live inwards the West sometimes pass months planning for the pilgrimage. The lawsuit goes on for several days where the Saltigue take centre stage in addition to predict the future. The ceremony usually begins inwards the inaugural of all calendar week of June at Fatick.
Serer traditional priest (Saltigue)
Holy ceremonies in addition to festivals
The serer has diverse religious ceremonies in addition to festivals such as Xoy (variation : Khoy), Jobai, Randou Rande, Mindisse, Mbosseh, Mboudaye, Tobaski, Gamo (var : Gamou), Tourou Peithie, Daqaar mboob, Raan Festival, Ndut...etc
The Serers are i of really few communities inwards Senegambia apart from the Jolas who genuinely have got a call for god[s] which is non borrowed from Standard Arabic but indigenous to their language. Tobaski (var : Tabaski) was an ancient Serer hunting festival; Gamo was an ancient Serer divination festival; Korite [from the Serer give-and-take kor was a manly someone initiation rite; Weri Kor was the flavor (or month) Serer males went through their initiation rites. Gamo (comes from the old Serer give-and-take Gamahou, variation : Gamohou). "Eid al kabir" or "eidul adha" (which are Arabic) are unlike from Serer Tobaski, but the Senegambian Muslims loaned Tobaski from Serer faith to force "Eid al Kabir". Gamo also derives from Serer religion.The Standard Arabic give-and-take for it is "Mawlid" or "Mawlid an-Nabi" (which celebrates the nascency of Muhammad). Weri Kor (the calendar month of fasting, "Ramadan" inwards Arabic) in addition to Koriteh or Korité ("Aïd-el-fitr" inwards Standard Arabic which celebrates the cease of the calendar month of fasting) also comes from the Serer language.
Raan Festival
The Raan festival of Tukar takes spot inwards the old hamlet of Tukar founded past times Lamane Jegan Joof (or Lamane Djigan Diouf inwards French speaking Senegal) around the 11th century. It is headed past times his descendants (the Lamanic lineage). The Raan occurs every yr on the 2nd Th after the appearance of the novel Moon inwards April. On the morn of Raan, the Lamane would prepare offerings of millet, sour milk in addition to sugar. After sunrise, the Lamane makes a see to the sacred pond – the shrine of Saint Luguuñ Joof who guided Lamane Jegan Joof after he migrated from Lambaye (north of Sine). The Lamane would create an offering to Saint Luguuñ in addition to spends the early on morn inwards ritual prayer in addition to meditation. After that, he makes a tour of Tukar in addition to perform ritual offerings of milk, millet in addition to vino as good as small-scale animals at key shrines, trees, in addition to sacred locations. The people create their way to the chemical compound of the principal Saltigue (the Serer high priests in addition to priestess – who are the "hereditary pelting priests selected from the Lamane's lineage for their oracular talent").
Ndut initiation rite
The Ndut is a rite of passage as good as a religious instruction commanded past times Serer faith that every Serer (an ethnic grouping found inwards Senegal, the The Gambia in addition to Mauritania) must go through i time inwards their live time. The Serer people existence an ethnoreligious group, the Ndut initiation rite is also linked to Serer culture. From the minute a Serer kid is born, instruction plays a pivotal role throughout their life cycle. The ndut is i of these phases of their life cycle. In Serer society, instruction lastly a lifetime in addition to starts from infancy to old age.
The call Ndut comes from the linguistic communication of the Ndut people, a sub-group of the Serer people. In a religious sense, it way nest. It is a spot of sanctuary, in addition to the spot where Serer boys lodge inwards training for their circumcision. These boys are called njuli (initiates). The give-and-take njuli comes from the Serer give-and-take juul (variations : juu) which way a picayune boy's penis. Because of its religious connotations, the give-and-take has been borrowed past times the Wolof to designate a Muslim someone (juulit)
There are 2 main types of Ndut initiation rites. The inaugural of all concerns the circumcision for Serer boys whilst the 2nd concerns the intiation of Serer girls. Serer faith in addition to civilization forbids the circumcision of Serer girls (Female genital mutilation). Only Serer boys are circumcised. Serer girls have their initiation through njam or ndom (the tatooing of the gums). Preparation for the initiation starts early on inwards childhood. In many cases, boys are circumcised when they arrive at 13 years old. However it is non uncommon for some to live circumcised when they are xix to 26 years old. Likewise, Serer girls have their initiation when they are 11 to xviii years.
The operate of this initiation is to grade the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is also to learn immature Serers how to live good, brave in addition to honourable citizens. In Serer society, a Serer human being who has non undergone the Ndut iniation rite is non deemed to live man. It is also taboo for a Serer adult woman to hook upward amongst a Serer human being who has non been circumcised. In a religious in addition to hygienic dot of view, an uncircumcised penis is deemed uncleanly in addition to impure. Likewise, inwards old Serer culture, a Serer adult woman who has non undergone the njam was non deemed to live a existent woman. Though prejudice against Serer women who have got non undergone the njam is less prevalent nowadays due to modernity, prejudice against Serer men who have got non undergone circumcision soundless prevails inwards Serer culture.
The training for the Ndut takes several years, in addition to involves the participation of the whole theatre unit of measurement in addition to lineages (both maternal in addition to paternal) as good as the community. It is a long procedure where physical, sychological, spiritual in addition to economical factors all come upward into play, inwards training for the kid before the actual deed of circumcision (for boys) or njam (for girls). The entire theatre unit of measurement play a vital role inwards preparing the kid for this journey.
Before a Serer man child is circumcised, he must create a populace pronouncements called "Kan boppam" inwards Serer. This populace pronouncements is made inwards the shape of a poesy form ("ciid" inwards Serer language) or song. One of these chants is given below:
"Duma daw Saala Saala maa ko dige" (I volition non avoid the knife because I requested it)
In the initiation of both Serer boys in addition to girls, Serer women play an of import role. Although women are forbidden to participate inwards the actual deed of circumcision or to go inwards the Ndut (the nest sanctuary), the boy's woman someone theatre unit of measurement play an of import role before in addition to after the deed of circumcision. They are portion of the theatre unit of measurement unit that helps the kid to prepare for the circumcision. It is non only the manly someone relatives who helps the child, but the whole family. The child's paternal aunt (his father's sister) would give a bracelet (usually silver) to the kid to live worn on his left arm as a sign of goodness luck. In most cases, it is the begetter who give the kid this bracelet as protection. Just after the circumcision, the boy's woman parent would sometimes fifty-fifty pectus feed the kid for the lastly time. This pectus feeding deed is symbolic of rebirth after death, in addition to requires "the ingestion of lifegiving nourishment from the mother". Thus the adult woman is seen as a giver of life in addition to the protection of life. The importance of women is best preserved inwards the Serer mythology of Mama ("the grandmother" inwards Serer language) :
"Mama swallows those who have got undergone initiation in addition to and then spits them out again. She is an invisible spirit for the initiates (in her presence, the initiates must lower their heads in addition to closed their eyes). Mama appears as shortly as the circumcised men have got began to chant, amongst all their strength, the songs which are dedicated to her."
The construction of a Serer girl's initiation is somewhat similar to the construction of a Serer boy's initiation. For a Serer girl, the njam surgery is performed past times an elderly adult woman amongst her helpers. These elderly women have got undergone the surgery themselves. One of the caput of these women is called the njamkat. She is the i who volition perform the functioning (tattoo of the gums). The circumcision of Serer boys is also performed inwards a structured situation. It involves the circumciser in addition to his helpers as good as a someone who supervises the operation. This supervisor is the master copy of the circumcision ("kumax" inwards Serer). He is the eldest manly someone inwards the community in addition to must possess all the qualities of a goodness kumax, which include : generosity, supportive in addition to patience. All the men involved inwards the rite of passage must have got undergone the functioning themselves. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 man child in addition to his historic menstruation grouping are usually circumcised together, nether the guidance of the selbe (the someone who accompanies the children to live circumcised). They shape a pact of brotherhood.
The edifice where the circumcision takes spot is called the ndut (nest). It is a temporary hut far away from the town or village. It is temporary because the hut must live onslaught give the axe exactly after the initiation. The burning of the ndut is symbolic. It represents that the sanctuary the initiates have got been living inwards for the past times 3 months, closed off from the exterior world was only a dream, an artificial spot that does non be inwards existent life. However, they tin can refer dorsum to the dream in addition to utilisation what they have got learned from the dream when faced amongst the dangers of existent life. It is also taboo for a kid to attend the same ndut where his begetter has received his circumcision. Upon arrival inwards this sacred place, the boys chant the names of the Pangool (singular : Fangol, Serer saints in addition to ancestral spirits) :
"Fadid, Fango, Invey ngara, Fadid, Fangol Invey ngara" (come here, Fangol nosotros arrived. Come here, Fangol).
Reciting this poesy acknowledges the ancestors who have got long departed, in addition to are called upon to come upward close in addition to protect the children from whatsoever bad spirit or evil that may befall the ndut especially at night
The ndut is also a spot for education. In classical ndut teachings, initiates acquire to acquire nigh themselves, squad work, how to live upstanding citizens, history of the Serer people, the supernatural world, Serer creation myth, the cosmos, mysteries of the universe in addition to the formation of the stars etc. Every morning, a dream interpretation exercise takes place. These exercise guide the children as to how to analysis each other's dreams as good as their own, in addition to helps them prepare their skills of clairvoyancy. It is also a spot where they have their sexual activity education, especially amidst the older members of the initiates. These immature men are told non to engage inwards sexual activities amongst women until their functioning has healed. The ceremony of washing is also emphasised. This helps inwards the healing process. The inaugural of all ceremony of washing takes spot close the ndut. Washing symbolizes purification.
Children compose songs, sing in addition to trip the calorie-free fantastic together. This exercise helps them to forget the actual circumcision pending. It also develops their artistic in addition to squad working skills. Friendships in addition to brotherhood are formed which lastly a lifetime. Most of these songs are religious inwards nature. It is from these religious songs that the njuup tradition derives from (a conservartive Serer music, in addition to the progenitor of mbalax)
After years of preparation, comes the actual deed of circumcision for boys or njam for girls. This is where they evidence their honour according to the Serer regulation of Jom - a code of beliefs in addition to values that regulation Serer lives. Jom inwards Serer way honour. The kid must present no signs of anxiousness or fright. They must present bravery from start to finish, in addition to must non twitch or outcry during the operation. If the kid shows signs of nervousness or fright exactly before the operation, the functioning volition non go ahead. It way that the child's theatre unit of measurement have got non prepared the kid sufficiently for this operation. The parents are judged according to the child's behaviour. In these circumstances, the kumax or njamkat volition enquire the theatre unit of measurement to take the kid in addition to reassure him or her in addition to then convey them dorsum later. If the kid has been reassured past times the theatre unit of measurement in addition to then brought dorsum afterward for the functioning but they are soundless anxious, in addition to then the functioning is cancelled. Serer faith dictates that, inwards circumstances similar these, the kid should non live humiliated. Instead, they should live encouraged in addition to supported amongst words of praise in addition to improve prepared for the functioning adjacent time.[3] In spite of these religious commandments, the Serer people existence governed past times the code of Jom, it was non uncommon for some Serer parents in addition to theatre unit of measurement members to commit suicide because of what they viewed as humiliation or dishonour of the theatre unit of measurement name. Suicide is only permitted if it satisfies the Jom regulation (see Serer religion).
If the man child shows no sign of anxiety, he is encouraged to opened upward the tissue roofing the caput of the penis. In Serer, this is called "war o sumtax" (to kill the foreskin). The give-and-take "war" (as inwards War Jabi) way to kill inwards Serer. The man child to live circumcised would spot on a mortar amongst his legs opened. He must muster the courage to do this on his ain in addition to should non live forced. The mortar symbolises the feminine world, in addition to after the man child has been circumcised, he must never sit down on a mortar again. Before the circumciser starts the operation, he enquire the man child for forgiveness. He would utter the give-and-take waasanaam (please forgive me), in addition to the man child would usually response waasanaaong (I forgive you). This is a symbolic gesture of respect, communion in addition to spirituality. It shows that the circumciser is good aware of the hurting he is nigh to inflict, as he has undergone the functioning himself in addition to whatsoever error may outcome inwards decease in addition to tars his professional person reputation forever.
The blade is sterilized before the actual circumcision inwards monastic tell to avoid infection. After the foreskin has been removed, a special form of pulverization is applied on the penis to avoid infection in addition to assist inwards the healing process.
After several weeks, usually 3 months, the initiates complete their rite of passage in addition to go home. The ndut is set a blaze. Children have presents from theatre unit of measurement members. In pre-colonial times, the boys would perform a trip the calorie-free fantastic inwards front end of the Serer kings in addition to the ease of the royal theatre unit of measurement who would inwards plough give them presents for their courage
Games (Wrestling "Njom")
Senegalese wrestling called "Laamb" or Njom inwards Serer originated from the Serer Kingdom of Sine. It was a preparatory exercise for state of war amidst the warrior classes. That style of wrestling (a fell in addition to fierce form) is totally unlike from the sport wrestling enjoyed past times all Senegambian ethnic groups today, nevertheless the ancient rituals are soundless visible inwards the sport version
Serer wrestling. Rituals in addition to regalia based on Serer tradition.
. Among the Serers, wrestling is classified into unlike techniques in addition to each technique takes several years to master. Children start immature trying to master copy the basics before moving on to the to a greater extent than advance techniques similar the "mbapatte", which is i of the oldest techniques in addition to totally unlike from modern wrestling. Yékini (real name: "Yakhya Diop"), who is a professional person wrestler inwards Senegal is i of the top wrestlers proficient inwards the "mbapatte" technique. Lamba in addition to sabar (musical instruments) are used as music accompaniments inwards wrestling matches as good as inwards circumcision dances in addition to royal festivals. Serer wrestling crosses ethnic boundaries in addition to is a favourite pastime for Senegalese in addition to Gambians alike.
Serer wrestling (Njom)
Music
According to Ali Colleen Neff "The Serer people are known especially for their rich cognition of vocal in addition to rhythmic practices that infuse their everyday linguistic communication amongst complex overlapping cadences in addition to their ritual amongst intense collaborative layerings of vocalization in addition to rhythm."
Serer adult woman performing Sabar dance. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Sabar (drum) tradition associated amongst the Wolof people originated from the Serer Kingdom of Sine in addition to spread to the Kingdom of Saloum.
Kid dancing to Sabar sounds. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Wolof people who migrated to Serer Saloum picked it upward from in that location in addition to spread it to Wolof Kingdoms. Each motif has a operate in addition to is used for unlike occasions. Individual motifs correspond the history in addition to genealogy of a particular theatre unit of measurement in addition to are used during weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals etc.
Sabar dance. Courtesy http://gewel.files.wordpress.com/
The Njuup (progenitor of Mbalax) in addition to Tassu traditions (also Tassou) (progenitor of rap music) both originated from the Serer people. The Tassu was used when chanting ancient religious verses. The people would sing in addition to then interweave it amongst a Tassu.
The Junjung : the Serer state of war drum of Sine (19th century)
The belatedly Serer Diva Yandé Codou Sène who was the griot of the belatedly in addition to erstwhile president of Senegal (Leopold Sedar Senghor) was proficient inwards the "Tassu". She was the best Tassukat (one who Tassu) of her generation. Originally religious inwards nature, the griots of Senegambia regardless of ethnic grouping or faith picked it upward from Serer religious practices in addition to soundless utilisation it inwards unlike occasions e.g. marriages, naming ceremonies or when they are exactly singing the praises of their patrons. Most Senegalese in addition to Gambian artists utilisation it inwards their songs fifty-fifty the younger generation similar "Baay Bia". The Senegalese music legend Youssou N'Dour who is also a Serer, uses "Tassu" inwards many of his songs.
Serer drummers from the hamlet of Keur . By Tostan
Attire
The Serer traditional attire is called Serr. It is commonly woven past times Serer men in addition to believed to convey goodness luck amidst those who habiliment it. The Serer people have got religious attire, patch Christians may habiliment a cross on their necks, the Serers utilisation something belonging to their ancestor, such as the pilus of an ancestor or an ancestor’s treasured belonging, which they plough into juju in addition to habiliment either on their someone or visibly on their necks.
Serer girl
Medicine, harvest in addition to offerings
The Serers also have got an ancient cognition of herbalism which is passed downwards in addition to takes years to acquire. The Senegalese authorities has set a schoolhouse in addition to centre to preserve this ancient cognition in addition to learn it to the young. The CEMETRA (Centre Expérimental de Médecine Traditionnelle de Fatick) Membership lone consist of at to the lowest degree 550 professional person Serer healers inwards the Serer part of Sine-Saloum.
Several traditional practices linked amongst Earth in addition to agricultural activities are known, 2 examples are described below:
Prediction ceremonies organized past times the Saltige, who are considered to live the custodians of indigenous knowledge. Such meetings are aimed at providing data in addition to alert people nigh what volition give off inwards the hamlet during the adjacent rainy season.
Preparation of sowings, a ceremony called Daqaar mboob aimed at ensuring goodness millet or groundnut production. For this purpose, every grower has to obtain something called Xos, farther to a competitive ceremony consisting of hunting, racing, etc
Serer people amongst herbs asset their children. Courtesy .linkupafrica.
Taboos
Murder:In the past, where someone kills some other person, the victim’s theatre unit of measurement have got the correct to either forgive or seek vengeance. Again, the murderer in addition to his theatre unit of measurement volition get together at a local centre headed past times the Chief or the palace headed past times the King. Before this judgement, the murderer's theatre unit of measurement volition prepare some nutrient (millet) to live shared amidst the community in addition to the victim’s family. The victim’s theatre unit of measurement volition nominate a rigid human being armed amongst a pike amongst a slice of cooked lamb or beef at the cease of it. This assassinator taking his instruction from the victim’s theatre unit of measurement volition run towards the murderer who has at nowadays got his oral cavity opened upward waiting for his judgement. If the assassinator killed the murderer amongst his spear, in addition to then that is the cease of it, the victim’s theatre unit of measurement have got made their judgment. After that, the nutrient that had been cooked would non live eaten in addition to everyone would disperse. From that solar daytime on, the families are strangers to each other. If on the other manus the assassinator ran in addition to gently feed the murderer amongst the slice of meat sticking at his spear, in addition to then that signals that the victim’s theatre unit of measurement have got forgiven the murderer. In that case, the community would relish the repast in addition to the 2 families would live sealed as i in addition to sometimes fifty-fifty hook upward amongst off their children to each other.
Serer people.
Adultery:Adultery is dealt amongst past times the Serer jurisprudence of MBAAX DAK Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 TIIT (the dominion of compensation). If a married adult woman had engaged inwards adultery amongst some other man, both adulterers would live humiliated inwards unlike ways. The wronged manly someone spouse (the husband) would have got taken the undergarment of the other manly someone in addition to hang it out on his theatre to present that the manly someone lover has broken custom past times committing adultery amongst his wife. He would acquire the most hated someone inwards Serer society. Everyone would sneer at him; no theatre unit of measurement would desire to hook upward amongst into his theatre unit of measurement in addition to he would live ex-communicated. This was in addition to is seen as the most humiliating sense for whatsoever manly someone adulterer. The Serers existence governed past times the codes of honour called Gorie in addition to Jom, many men have got been known to take their ain lives because they couldn’t acquit the humiliation anymore. As for the cheating wife, her undergarment would non live displayed as the manly someone adulterer, because inwards Serer civilization women are held inwards high esteem in addition to given respect. However, she would also live humiliated but inwards a unlike form. When women marry, they plait their pilus inwards a particular style. Only married women tin can have got that style. This is a symbol of their status. They acquire the best in addition to most honourable amidst women. By committing adultery, her woman someone relatives would unplait her hair. Again, this is so humiliating in addition to degrading for a married adult woman that many women have got been known to commit suicide rather than human face upward the shame. The wronged human being tin can forgive both his married adult woman in addition to his wife’s lover if he chooses to do so. The adulterers in addition to their respective families must get together at the king, principal or elder’s chemical compound to formally seek forgiveness. This volition live inwards front end of the community because the rules that regulation society have got been broken. It is upward to the wronged spouse to forgive. The doctrine extends to both married men in addition to women. Protection is given to the wronged spouse regardless of his or her gender.
Premarital relationship: Where a immature human being in addition to a adult woman found engaged inwards premarital relationships, both were exiled to avoid bringing shame to the family, fifty-fifty if pregnancy resulted from that courtship.
Serer women
Death in addition to Afterlife
In Serer when a someone dies in that location is no sky or hell for them. The immortality of the soul in addition to reincarnation (ciiɗ inwards Serer) is a strongly held belief inwards Serer religion. The pangool are canonised[where?] as holy saints, in addition to volition live called upon in addition to venerated, in addition to have got the mightiness to intercede betwixt the living in addition to the divine. Acceptance past times the ancestors who have got long departed in addition to the mightiness to intercede amongst the divine is as closed to sky after i passes over. Rejection past times the ancestors in addition to becoming a lost in addition to wandering soul is as closed to hell inwards Serer Religion.
Painting of Serer lastly resting spot amongst Serer grave diggers. The top points are directed towards the gods. (1821)
Mummification in addition to Cult of the Upright Stones
The dead, especially those from the upper echelons of society were mummified inwards monastic tell to prepare them for the afterlife (Jaaniiw). They were accompanied past times grave goods including gold, silver, metal, their armour in addition to other personal objects. Mummification is less mutual at nowadays especially post service independent Senegal. The dead were buried inwards a pyramid shaped tomb. The Serer griots play a vital in addition to religious role on the decease of a Serer King. On the decease of a Serer king, the Fara Lamb Sine (the principal griot inwards the Serer Kingdom of Sine) would bury his treasured drum (the junjung) amongst the king. His other drums would live played for the lastly fourth dimension before their burial inwards the ground facing the east. The griots in addition to then chant ancient songs marked past times sadness in addition to praise for the departed king. The lastly fourth dimension this ceremony occurred was on 8 March 1969 next the decease of the lastly manly someone monarch of Sine – Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (Serer: Maye Koor Juuf)
Wassu Stone Cirles, Senegal
The cult of the Upright Stone, such as the Senegambian rock circles, which were in all probability built past times predecessors of the Serer, were also a spot of worship. Late rite megaliths were carved planted in addition to directed towards the sky.
Fatou Diome is a Serer tribe adult woman in addition to Senegalese writer, known for her bestselling novel The Belly of the Atlantic, published inwards 2001. Her piece of work explores immigrant life inwards France, in addition to the human relationship betwixt French Republic in addition to Africa. Fatou Diome currently lives inwards Strasbourg, France.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serer_people
Serer Creation Story
Serer Creation floor based on a sacred text posits that, the Universe in addition to everything inwards it were created past times Roog (or Koox amidst the Cangin), in addition to the creation of Planet world was a outcome of a swamp which the inaugural of all tree grew within. The inaugural of all 3 worlds created through a mythical egg in addition to nether the principles of chaos were: the waters of the underworld, the air including the higher world in addition to earth. These 3 were the inaugural of all primordial worlds created past times the supreme existence through thought, spoken communication in addition to action. Planet world was non created until long after the creation of these worlds. The contentious points are, which of the main sacred trees inwards Serer society (below) grew non exactly first, but also within the primordial swamp on Earth:
1. Saas (var: Sas) - Acacia albida
2. Nquƭ (var: Ngud or NGu) - Guiera senegalensis
3. Somb - Prosopis africana a species of Prosopis
4. Nqual (var: Ngaulor NGawal) - Mitragyna inermis portion of Rubiaceae theatre unit of measurement of the genus Mitragyna
5. Mbos - Gardenia ternifolia
Sereer woman
The importance of these trees are crucial to the formation of Earth, at to the lowest degree inwards the Serer worldview in addition to their genesis are addressed inwards their relevant sections. Being the inaugural of all tree does non necessarily equate to existence the inaugural of all living thing on Earth. In the creation myth, animals such as the jackal, hyena, the serpent in addition to ostrich figure prominently inwards the competing creation narrative. In some narratives, trees in addition to animals merge inwards monastic tell to justify their legitimacy. These mythical animals may live seen as sacred in addition to totems, inwards the Serer totemic in addition to sentient worldly-view of animals in addition to nature inwards general. The significance of trees inwards the Serer creation myth does non hateful the habitation spot of the supreme deity, neither do they hateful the habitation spot of the devil. They are habitation places for the sanctified ancestral spirits (Pangool). The cult of the tree is symbolic inwards Serer religion. The feminine world also played a crucial role inwards the creation procedure of the Universe in addition to the first-humans. This is linked to the Serer philosophy of beauty in addition to Serer-numbers found inwards Serer religious symbolism, amongst number 3 symbolizing the feminine world, number 4 the masculine world in addition to number 7 (3 + 4) representing remainder in addition to perfection, something the Serers seek to attain inwards their daily lives in addition to the environs they discovery themselves in.
Before the existence of the Universe, Roog existed past times itself. There was cipher but quiet in addition to darkness. The Serer notion of remainder in addition to perfection illustrates the creation of the higher spiritual monastic tell in addition to corresponds to the motif of chaos. Its creation was the union of manly someone in addition to woman someone principles, amongst Roog, the supreme transcendental regulation entity, becoming the embodiment of an androgynous Godfather in addition to Godmother. However, it is from the woman someone constituent of the supreme being: "Noo tiig tew" ("out of a woman someone womb" - ex utero), that the divine brought forth the ancestors of modern humans, amongst a female, existence the inaugural of all to live created. There was a mythical spoken communication − the inaugural of all word[s] uttered past times the supreme being. All the competing versions attest to that. This myth is the full general consensus in addition to represents the absolute truth inwards Serer primordial time. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 major competing myth, also based on chaos, postulates that, in that location was originally a serial of explosions. However, it agrees pretty much amongst the accepted persuasion that trees in addition to animals were the inaugural of all to live created. Explosion inaugural of all arose inwards the vegetable kingdom in addition to the inaugural of all tree Somb, according to this myth, bursted, which the seeds of all the works life species inwards the world sprang out (from its trunk) roofing Planet world amongst life. In all versions, Roog appears as both the creator in addition to demiurge.
Serer adult woman carrying firewood Sine-Saloum, Senegal. © Joe Lasky Photography
Creation of the Universe
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax in addition to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep
The Serers relates the creation myth in addition to the role of spoken communication inwards the formation of the Universe. Two Serer damage expresses the mythical creation word: "A nax" in addition to "A leep". The erstwhile is a brusk narrative for a shorth myth or proverbial aspect in addition to is equivalent to a verb. The afterward (A leep) is to a greater extent than advance in addition to details the mythical creation give-and-take in addition to the creation itself, introducing the myth amongst the phrase: "Naaga reetu reet" (so it was inwards the beginning), before narrating the event. From a global perspective, the 2 roughly corresponds to verb in addition to logos, especially when communicating fundamental religious instruction relating to the supreme deity in addition to the creation of the Universe. They shape the construction in addition to sources nether which the creation narrative is based. "A leep", the logos, is fixed.
The creation of the Universe is based on several parts (see below):
1. the construction which sets the ground of the narrative in addition to the significance of the mythical give-and-take cited
past times the supreme existence (see above);
2. the creation procedure based on Serer-numbers;
3. the genesis of the Universe;
4. the prologue of the primordial myth based on 3 key elements: water, air in addition to earth;
5. the primordial sea in addition to the formation of Planet Earth;
6. the rotational displace around the axis of the world, the creation of trees in addition to works life life;
7. the creation of animals;
8. the creation of humans in addition to the inaugural of all manly someone in addition to woman someone twain whose children in addition to descendants went on to populate the world;
9. the crisis that befell Planet world in addition to the separation of human being in addition to animal, in addition to why the domestic dog became man's friend;
10. intervention of Roog in addition to the procedure of divine intervention inwards the diverse stages of the creation in addition to after the initial disorder;
11. Serer representation of the Universe – the 3 worlds: the invisible world from above, the diurnal terrestrial world in addition to the nocturnal world.
Process of the creation (Serer-number 3)
The source of the Universe is attributed to the feminine in addition to maternal nature of Roog. In Serer symbolism, the number 3 is attributed to the feminine world. This number is the ingredient of the creation process. There were 3 essential elements, 3 parts of the cosmos in addition to 3 worlds. This tripple beat of Roog in addition to the cosmos is also found inwards women as the Serer myth relates it:
"Roog a binda adna noo tiig tew (Roog has created the world of its feminine nature)."
The phrase "Tiig Tew" is attributed to the feminine body of maternity in addition to is equivalent to the full general saying of Mother Earth. The phrase "No tiig tew" translates to "out of a woman someone womb" - ex utero. The linguistic communication hither is symbolic. The Serer faith in addition to oral tradition confers to Roog some rather realistic aspects of the initial creation. There were 3 phases inwards the gestation of the creatures within the devine being:
1. past times thought - within the living divine egg, Roog developed the forms in addition to beings to create. It set the foundations in addition to signs for things to come.
2. past times give-and-take - Roog started the gestation menstruation in addition to provided everything past times give-and-take for the smoothen realization of its plan.
3. past times activity - through its maternal nature, Roog opened-up in addition to projected the embryo in addition to placenta inwards a similar fashion as inwards childbirth.
Roog did non create, nor did it engender all beings of all kinds. It only created the archetypes, non the paradigm of each species, but 7 archetypes namely :' the 3 essential elements (air, ground in addition to water) in addition to the top 4 seeds (the inaugural of all tree, inaugural of all creature in addition to the inaugural of all human twain - female, in addition to then male.
Genesis of the Universe (mythical words)
The genesis of the Universe is found inwards "A nax" in addition to "A leep". Which posits that: "In the beginning, in that location was cipher but darkness in addition to quiet until the pre-existent being, Roog, began the genesis of the world" [the Universe]. The Serer oral tradition does non speak of Roog's gestation, in all probability due to cultural taboo, but only when the mythical give-and-take was uttered in addition to what was uttered past times the supreme being, which is found inwards Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax. According to Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax, the inaugural of all mythical words spoken past times Roog were:
“WATER! AIR! EARTH! ”
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep details the scene of the primordial fourth dimension inwards the next terms:
"A leep à joon maaga
a roxondox o maaga,
a gad'wa roog,
a saay'a lang ke."
Which translates to:
The Words saltation into space,
He carried the sea on his head,
the firmament on his shoulders,
the ground inwards his hands.
The mythical words established the 3 worlds (water, air in addition to earth) based on the prologue of the Serer genesis provided past times Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax. In Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep, it gives the monastic tell inwards which they were created in addition to elaborated on it. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep posits that, amongst the words of Roog, the 3 worlds (the Universe) began to take shape. The inaugural of all to live created was the deep sea waters (waters of the underworld); the 2nd was air including the high heavens (Kuul na, inwards Serer) such as the sun, the Moon in addition to the stars; in addition to tertiary was earth. However, the world was non i of the inaugural of all primordial worlds to live formed. It volition take a long fourth dimension before the waters in addition to the world were separated.
First swamp in addition to creation of world (Nqaul)
The creation of Planet world is based on the myth of Nqaul (a type of tree - mitragyna inermis). In this myth, the formation of the world was started past times a swamp. Swamps are integral to Serer civilization in addition to traditions in addition to have got parallels amongst this Nqaul. The foundation of Serer villages, towns, homes, etc., inwards many cases, began amongst a swamp, fifty-fifty today. Nqaul is also important inwards the history of the Serers. At a fourth dimension when rainfall were plentiful, during the rainy season, the founders of ancient Serer villages in addition to towns were often surprise when the inaugural of all rainfalls brought flooding (see Saltigue). Calibrated archaeological dating have got shown that, many of the places they had chosen to settle adjacent to were shoals. Serer tradition states, on i occasion, the flooding caused severe harm resulting inwards many people losing their homes, crops in addition to nutrient they had farmed. After the damage, the people who escaped returned to assess the harm in addition to commiserated each other. They recalled an ancient myth − the myth of Nqaul:
"Ko adoox a adax Nqaul" (You start similar the inaugural of all of Nqaul).
This phrase evokes the primordial swamp in addition to the Nqaul tree which grew within the original swamp. This tradition is soundless retained past times the Serers as the saying is so widespread inwards Serer country. It is a unlike form of tree to Saas (acacia albida). Whilst some Serer sources postulates that the Saas was the inaugural of all tree on Earth, the Serer oral tradition states that the Saas was non Nqual (the original tree inwards the swamp). Instead, Saas is attributed to i of the sacred trees useful for overall-bodily health. Another sacred tree − the Nquƭ, is also thought to have got been the inaugural of all tree. However, the full general consensus is that the Nquƭ which has the properties to cure snakebite grew on the river banking concern whilst Nqual grew within the primordial swamp.
Rotational motion around the axis of the world
Further information: Serer religion#Serer cosmology
According to the Serer narrative, this initial islet was non static, but animated past times a whirl around the axis of the world. The Serers were able to symbolize the Earth's axis in addition to the whirl inwards a geometrical diagram. In Serer cosmology, the diagram depicts 2 crossed lines representing the rotational displace in addition to the intersection points representing the axis of the world. One of the lines depicts the axis running from eastward to west, the other from due north to south. Simultaneously, they are the Empyrean Heaven where the supreme deity is said to have got given way to the inaugural of all elements. In the myth, Roog is portrayed as the mythical deity who somehow "turned its self on". As the deity rotate inwards space, its rapid motions expanded amongst the primordial world it had inaugural of all created. Roog's displace also affected the axis of the cosmos. The vital energies it had emitted, rotated inwards a spiral displace thereby creating the celestial objects.
Since the fourth dimension of the ancient Serer Lamanes, the Serer people have got represented the axis of the world inwards the shape of a stele, symbolizing the steles of Roog. In the Serer home, sometimes inwards the courtyard, they correspond the most sacred spot of the theatre servicing as the centre of gravity of divine energies in addition to i of the poles of the coronation. In the home, these steles are made of wooden slabs, forming a sacred wood. Sometimes they are raised steles supported past times 3 rods in addition to sometimes they are exactly greenish trees. There symbolism tin can live celestial or terrestrial depending on the organisation of rods that surround them. If in that location are twelve rods arranged inwards a circle, they symbolize the celestial world, 4 rods forming a foursquare symbolizes the earthly world. They are ever built based on the tenets of Serer symbolism, in addition to shape the theatre unit of measurement shrine devoted to the supreme being.
Creation of trees in addition to vegetation
Nqaul
The creation of the inaugural of all trees in addition to vegetation are preserved inwards the Serer oral tradition. The Serer faith offering guidance based on the primordial seed. This has been a affair of interpretation, in addition to such, in that location are competing versions as to which trees were inaugural of all created in addition to the monastic tell inwards which they appeared. In Serer society, trees are viewed as sacred entities in addition to some trees are afforded higher religious condition depending on the Pangool (the ancient Serer saints in addition to ancestral spirits represented past times snakes) affiliated amongst them, their medicinal in addition to spiritual value to Serer life, etc. Some Serer families are also associated amongst for sure Pangool (singular: Fangool). The Serer priestly shape (the Saltigues), guardians of Serer religion, sciences in addition to ethics, soundless cannot concord on which tree was inaugural of all created on world nor the monastic tell inwards which the inaugural of all trees appeared.
Nqaul: Known past times diverse name, its electrical flow scientific call is Mitragyna inermis in addition to is portion of Rubiaceae theatre unit of measurement of the Genus Mitragyna (2012). The barks, leaves in addition to roots of the tree are used inwards many parts of West Africa for human in addition to veterinarian medicine. Found inwards Senegal to the Congo mainly inwards oftentimes flooded river banks in addition to overflowing plains.
These differences are in all probability due to the vast areas the proto-Serers i time inhabited. At present, the Nqaul (proper: NGawul, var: Ngaul or - mitragyna inermis) in addition to Nquƭ tree represents the orthodox in addition to prevailing Serer view, hence inwards the myth of Earth's creation, a planet which was supposed to have got come upward nigh as a outcome of a primordial a swamp, the Nqaul tree grew within the swamp whilst the Nquƭ grew on the river banking concern thereby making them the inaugural of all trees on world according to the Serer creation mythology, amongst Nqaul taking precedence as it grew within the primordial swamp. In the creation myth, Saas is afforded high spiritual in addition to medicinal condition as i of the ancient trees, in addition to shape portion of Serer representation of the Universe. However, it was non the original tree, in addition to it was the tree that fell inwards "disgrace" after it tried to "abuse its powers".
Apart from existence the inaugural of all tree in addition to linked to Earth's creation, many of the original narratives of Nqaul has been lost to history. In Serer country, it is used both as a medicinal in addition to veterinarian works life for curing diverse ailments. The leaves are used against fever, hypertension in addition to to get the intestine; bark decoction for diuretic in addition to to stimulates the intestines against hypertension in addition to fever, etc. The barks are also applied to wounds inwards monastic tell to improve the healing process.
Nquƭ
The Nquƭ tree (proper: NGuƭ, variation: Ngud - guiera senegalensis) is highly prized for its medicinal properties in addition to is used for curing unlike kinds of illnesses, wounds in addition to snakebites. Traditional Serer healers specializing inwards snakebites often utilisation the dried pulverization inwards their therapies.
In the Serer narrative, the roots of the tree were believed to displace inwards the underworld for survival. After the initial trees were created, in addition to then came other trees. These novel trees would ship their roots to the closest Nquƭ inwards monastic tell to feed from it before starting their overwintering. After waiting out the wintertime months, the nourishment they had received from the Nquƭ prior to their overwintering increased their torso growth. At that time, trees moved in addition to talked. They were migratory trees. They sank deep into the underworld during the solar daytime in addition to reappeared at night. The tree is seen as the "tree of luck in addition to goodness health". In the hamlet of Lang o Maak (now portion of present-day Senegal), the tree is venerated: xu'doox o'baal (big guiera senegalensis tree inwards the shape of a pot). At the fourth dimension of the ancients, the tree appeared i nighttime in addition to everyone saw it. Someone tried to cutting it downwards in addition to he ended upward dead.
The Serers believed that, all trees are similar human beings in addition to animals out of the same divine placenta in addition to part the same fate in addition to destiny.
playing djembe drum, Sine-Saloum
Saas
The Saas tree (in Serer in addition to some Cangin languages, var: Sas) is the acacia albida tree.
Serer advocates for Saas postulates that, the Saas is the tree of life, in addition to therefore, the origin of life on Earth. Others reject that view, in addition to posits that Saas was non the tree that grew within the primordial swamp in addition to therefore, non the original tree. However, Saas is afforded religious in addition to medicinal condition useful for overall bodily wellness in addition to is viewed as i of the ancient trees but non the original tree. Like the Nqual tree, many of the original narratives have got been lost to history. In these contrasting views, some scholars of Serer tradition on the origins of life postulates that, the Saas narrative seems to fit the wider West African creation myth inwards damage of behaviour in addition to judgement, in addition to whatsoever scholar of Serer mythology on the origins of life cannot overlook the importance of Saas'.
In this myth, the transcendence is reported to have got infused amongst the acacia seed vital for energy, in addition to the Saas played a pivotal role inwards the transmission of life. It is believed that, the Saas was i time a living tree. The narrative went on to say that, women who wanted to give nascency went to it because it was considered to live a lucky tree inwards the wider Serer mythology in addition to legend. Newborns were also presented to the Saas inwards monastic tell to convey goodness luck, long life, goodness wellness in addition to prosperity to the child’s life. In similarity, if an creature went close Saas it was destined to live a long life. According to the myth, the Saas loved human beings in addition to perhaps too much. It would sometimes lower its thorny ends so people tin can give it a hug. Anyone who saw that straight off knew the Saas wanted their company. It did non displace until sunset. It healed the wounded past times its barks existence rubbed on the haemorrhage wound. The Saas eventually became exhausting for people when it started to abuse its supernatural powers. It is to a greater extent than often than non viewed as the tree that fell inwards disgrace. The ancients called it past times the call Nyas, a call which has 2 meanings: scar or clot. The Myth of Saas soundless retains a for sure grade of importance especially when it concerns the demand for vital unloose energy such as: during growth, at the fourth dimension of marriage, inwards sickness in addition to after death. It is also viewed past times many as the fertility tree. In the Serer representation of the Universe, the Myth of Saas forms portion of the geometric diagram.
Fertility tree
The Saas is believed to possess fertilizing qualities which is concentrated inwards its greenish branches in addition to moisture. These fertilizing components may only live abstracted past times the utilisation of its ain symbol, communicated through prayer. At the nascency of a child, a branch of Saas was deposited at the top of an enclosure where the kid in addition to his/her woman parent remains inwards seclusion for 8 days (the Bat ceremony). The ritual was to ward of evil spirits in addition to as such, a small-scale Saas from a crossroad was chosen. The ritual demands the branch to live placed at the top of the enclosure when the kid is asleep, whilst the someone performing the ritual cite the appropriate prayers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 small-scale stick of Saas is also worn on the waist past times immature boys in addition to girls inwards monastic tell to preserve their futurity fertility. At weddings, a stick of the works life is deposited nether the bed of the newlywed inwards monastic tell to improve the fertility of the couple.
Actress Awa Sene Sarr is from Serer tribe
Saas also played a major role inwards ancient Serer funerals. As good as accompanying the dead amongst grave goods, a stick of Saas was placed within the tomb of a dead Serer. The operate of this ritual was to assist the dead displace on to Jaaniiw (the abode of souls). If this ritual was non performed, the souls of the dead are believed to rest inwards the living world to the dismay of the living. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stick of Saas (with the Serer-viaticum) inwards their tomb helps them inwards their journeying to the adjacent life. When Serer men complete off burying the dead, they used to launder their hands inwards a calabash placed at the entrance of the house. This calabash contained branches of Saas soaked inwards water. Unlike the trees of the savannah that lose their leaves during the dry out season, the Saas is greenish throughout the dry out in addition to rainy seasons. In effect, the Saas was in addition to soundless is considered past times the Serers as a tree of life.
The Saas tree has an economical value to the Serers. Its dual economical role benefits both the agricultural in addition to pastoral Serers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Saas tree inwards a land of millets increases millet production. The leafs fertilizes the soil, the branches in addition to fruit deed as a sort of meadow which saves air thereby preventing Serer herds from starvation. There is also a human relationship betwixt Saas density per hectare in addition to the demographic pressure level per hectare. An abundant Saas allows crop rotation in addition to intensive farming such as the triangular Diohine-Ngayokhem-Ñakhar (parts of Serer country). In spite of the allegations levied against it past times the ancients, many Serers soundless believe Saas to live the tree of life, the sacred in addition to the transcendence.
Mbos
Based on the myth of Mbos (gardenia ternifolia), the mbos was the inaugural of all tree created past times the supreme being. However, it grew in addition to kept growing until it reached the supreme being. The creator deity got angry amongst it, cutting off its caput in addition to said: "Tree of mbos, homecoming to Earth". Shamed past times the words of the deity, the mbos tree chop-chop returned to ground amongst its branches intertwined so that no i tin can climb it or give nether its shadow. When Roog created the ancestors of modern humans (maak - the keen or elder), these ancient beings according to the myth hid nether the mbos tree. After the creation of these beings, Roog created the dong (the younger). These novel beings, wondered the ground trying to discovery the maak, whom they found hidden nether the mbos tree. From that solar daytime on, the mbos tree became much inwards demand for making protective charms. In Serer symbolism, the mbos is the symbol of protection. Mbos way miscarriages, as inwards the vocal chanted at nighttime past times the initiates inwards Ndut classical teachings: Wagoxaam Mbos (I locked myself inwards the Mbos), a vocal amongst hidden meaning.
The baobab tree (mbudaay-baak) also holds keen religious significance amidst the Serers in addition to inwards Serer religion. Like most revered trees inwards Serer mythology, before this tree tin can live cutting (which is really rare), it is customary to cite the incarnation prayer (jat, muslaay, leemaay) to the axe before cutting the tree down. In the myth, the baobab is seen as a "migratory tree" in addition to thus linked to the inaugural of all trees on Earth. It tin can also live an alter in addition to inwards for sure circumstances, a sacred burial place.
Somb
Main articles: Serer ancient history, Mummification in addition to the Cult of Upright Stones, in addition to Somb
After the ancients lost confidence inwards the Saas, the Somb tree (prosopis africana a species of prosopis) was adopted. The Somb is i of the largest in addition to most mysterious trees found inwards Serer country. Its wood is really difficult in addition to resistant to rot. It is harder than cailcedrat in addition to Okoumé. It is the same wood found inwards the Serer tumuli that are soundless intact for over a M years. The pegs lining the burial sleeping accommodation of the Serer notables mummified in addition to interned inwards their tombs have got non been non eaten away past times termites in addition to are soundless intact inwards spite of the passage of time. In 1976-8, Descamp in addition to his squad carried out an archaeological digging of these ancient sites. Gold, silver, armour (a golden pectoral inwards particular), metallic in addition to other grave goods were found inwards these burial chambers. The town Somb, inwards present-day Senegal, took its call from this tree. The Somb tree is the symbol of immortality inwards Serer religious symbolism. The Somb is viewed as the Tree of Life past times most Serers who adhere to the tenets of Serer religion. That is the orthodox view. In the creation myth, it is the only tree that provides a rigid challenge to the Nqual tree. While Nqual was the inaugural of all 3 on world since it grew within the primordial swamp, the Somb tree, is the seed that produced it in addition to all the works life species that populated the world.
The creation of Somb past times the supreme existence is found within the hermeneutics of Serer faith in addition to traditions. By thought, Roog inaugural of all plotted the shapes of all the trees or works life species yet to come. Through the mythical words, Roog fashioned its placenta on the primordial seed − the seed of the Somb tree. Within this seed, Roog placed all the works life species including their reproductive energies − manly someone in addition to female. Through its feminine principle, Roog opened upward in addition to "projected the germ of Somb" which became the bearer of all the works life species found on ground in addition to the underworld. The Somb seed penetrated the earth, the placenta of Roog where it took root in addition to grew. Growing from this placenta, it kept all the works life species within its trunk. When it became a large tree, its torso swelled diminutively in addition to opened upward as if past times caesarean department or explosion. From this event, it opened upward all the works life species found on Earth, in addition to the rotational motion of the Universe scattered them all over the world. Thus, the vegetable seeds fashioned inwards the divine egg in addition to deposited inwards the Somb, brought forth past times Roog, were projected into infinite at the fourth dimension of the explosion of Somb. This is how the world began to live covered amongst grass, plants in addition to trees. Thus the vegetable seeds were modeled within the supreme existence (Roog) in addition to its outputs ex utero. The primordial mythical tree − Somb, was the vector in addition to transmitter of these seeds, carrying their ain principles of reproduction. Fertalized past times these germs of life, the wetland was carpeted amongst vegetation in addition to the inaugural of all forests came into being.
Creation of animals (Ɓoxo-koƥ)
There are 2 main varying versions regarding the creation of the inaugural of all animals (non-humans). In both versions, the jackal is believed to live the inaugural of all creature on Earth, in addition to inwards accordance amongst the prevailing Serer view. Though in that location are differences inwards the interpretation, they converge on for sure points inwards the wider agreement of the jackal's significance inwards Serer mythology. In i aspect, the jackal tin can live viewed as an Earth-diver sent to world past times Roog, inwards another, as a fallen prophet for disobeying the laws of the divine. In i narrative, the myth does non advert it past times name, but only allude to it or when it does, the negative connotations are made obscure, because of its erstwhile closeness to the divine before it was disgraced for disobeying the laws of Roog from whose womb it grew out of.
The creation of the original animals comes from the myth of Ɓoxo-koƥ (var: "o ɓoox o koƥ" or "boxo-kob") which translates to: the domestic dog of the woods (the jackal).
In the inaugural of all narrative, the creation was marked past times the emergence of the acacia in addition to the jackal. The next narrative render farther data on the behaviour of the jackal though obsecurely:
"The [jackal], was the inaugural of all on Earth.
And it volition live the last.
Roog sent his messenger to Earth.
To which it volition convey all mankind.
The messenger went around the Earth.
It came dorsum saying":
"Nothing is there.
Only the [jackal] remains."
The narrative provides a 2nd indication of the demeanor of the jackal during the crisis of the inaugural of all creatures created past times Roog. As i of the inaugural of all animals on world that sprang out of inaugural of all divine placenta, it desicicated the subsequent placenta from which the adjacent stage of Roog's creation where to sprang out of. The text is deliberately obscure. Respect for the supreme existence in addition to all the entities incurred inwards the genesis of the Universe is key inwards Serer faith in addition to tradition as good as the jackal myth which was closed to Roog before existence transformed into the domestic dog of the woods (or pale fox according to some). This is why it is non named, but only past times allusion. The jackal was the inaugural of all intelligent creature on earth, before the arrival of humans. It is believed that volition soundless rest on ground after human beings have got returned to the divine. The Serers believe that, non only does it know inwards advance who volition die, but it traces the tracks inwards advance of those who volition go to funerals. The movements of the jackal are carefully observed, because the creature is viewed as a seer who came from the transcendence in addition to maintains links amongst it. Although believed to live rejected inwards the bush past times other animals in addition to deprived of its original intelligence, it is soundless respected because it dared to resist the supreme existence who soundless keeps it alive.[40]
Issa Laye Thiaw's "myth de la creation de sereers" provides a farther business organisation human relationship on the jackal. In this myth, it is named in addition to damned but the narrative is soundless obscure:
According to the legend of Ɓoxo-koƥ (dog of the woods or "wild dog" (figuritively) - jackal), the jackal was the inaugural of all living thing created past times the supreme deity Roog. The jackal circled the world inwards a solar daytime in addition to 2 of its hands were transformed into paws. The supreme existence gave it the ngud tree (guiera senegalensis) in addition to thus ngud became the inaugural of all tree in addition to the 2nd thing created past times Roog. After the creation of ngud, the nalafun tree (combretum paniculatum) was created to whom the deity told: "Go in addition to hold the ngud tree company, it is lonely". During the life wheel of the nalafun, the tree grow so tall that it headed towards the sky. The supreme existence considered that an affront in addition to gave it a needlelike flick on the caput (mak inwards Serer) in addition to told it: "You are rude. Go! Turn around in addition to go dorsum to where you've exactly came from". After that event, the nalafun never grew tall as it i time did in addition to was ever bent.
"The smallest animals were those who resisted Roog."
Another narrative indicates that, all animals (non-humans) were created past times some shape of world parent, except the jackal. In this myth, Roog went through a menstruation of gestation. By thought, Roog planned this novel creation, the creature world. By the mythical words, Roog realized the divine placenta in addition to the internal gestation of the creature embryo called Mbocor. Roog in addition to then placed inwards the embryo of this animal, which was the largest of the creation, which included the eggs or seeds of all animals to come, including their organisms in addition to reproductive energies. After the gestation period, Roog projected the embryo of the Mbocor on Earth, which carried all the animals species on Earth. The embryo of Mbocor acclimatized to the earth, feeding on grass in addition to water. It grew rapidly reaching a considerable proportion, as it carried within it the germs of creature life. At the lastly stages of the gestation of the eggs in addition to embryos that were within it, the creature ripped apart in addition to released all the species within it. The woman someone animals were created first, some spreading on land, inwards water, the mythical sea, etc. After delivering these animals, the Mbocor died, but creature life which came from the creator deity, spread through the world.
Although Mbocor was sacrificed inwards monastic tell to convey creature life on Earth, the narrative is imprecise on the identity of this animal. Some postulates that it was in all probability the largest creature inwards Africa, perhaps a pachyderm such as: hippopotamus, rhinoceros, elephant, etc. The give-and-take Mbocor way "The Mother" (or "Mother" inwards old Serer) − woman parent of all animals except the jackal. It is also likely that Mbocor is the same as Ɓoxo-koƥ (the domestic dog of the woods − "jackal"). However, at present, nobody knows what form of creature Mbocor was. In whatsoever case, the Ɓoxo-koƥ (i.e. the jackal) is believed past times most Serers who adhere to the tenets of Serer faith to live the inaugural of all living thing that the deity Roog (or Koox) position on Earth.
The tree in addition to the serpent
See also: U.S. of A. headed past times ancient Serer Lamanes, Lamane, in addition to Pangool
The serpent is linked to Serer cosmology in addition to mythology. The serpent itself is the symbol of the Pangool (ancient Serer saints or ancestral spirits). Fangool, the singular of Pangool way serpent inwards Serer language. The Yaal Pangool are the masters of the cult. In Serer mythology, in that location is a human relationship betwixt trees in addition to the serpent. In the Serer religion, the reincarnation of souls is a strongly held belief. When the dead acquire out the world of the living, their souls or "double" transforms into an animal, usually a snake, hence why it is taboo inwards Serer civilization to kill snakes. The Serer faith posits that, the souls of the dead must create their way to Jaaniiw (the abode of goodness souls). The transformation into snakes (usually a dark snake) is i of the inaugural of all phases of their sweat to arrive at Jaaniiw. As they transform themselves into snakes, they enshroud inwards trees. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 ophidian hiding inwards a tree has 2 main symbolic meanings. It tin can either hateful that a someone has died in addition to his soul has reincarnated (ciiɗ inwards Serer language) or a someone may die. If the afterward is the case, in addition to then killing a ophidian would trigger their early on death.
The ngaan mbul tree (celtis integrifolia) or a mboy xa nafad inwards particular, holds keen significance inwards this reincarnation process. This tree supports the dual serpent-man, beneath which is a large hole where the undead take residence
Like the serpent in addition to other animals, the cayman in addition to the manatee also holds significance inwards Serer mythology. The cayman is the guardian of the secrets of the past times whilst the mantee holds the secrets of the future.
Origin of the stars (Serer numbers)
The Serer business organisation human relationship regarding origins of the stars is found inwards Serer cosmology, especially the Star of "Yoonir" (in Serer in addition to Cangin) to a greater extent than commonly known as the Star of Sirius, Serer-numbers in addition to symbolism. Yoonir (Sirius) is the Serer representation of the Universe in addition to the transcendence. Its 5 branches symbolize humans on Earth, standing upward amongst their heads held high, their hands raised, which symbolizes piece of work in addition to prayer. The star is spread across the heavens in addition to on world figuratively, symbolizing the sign of the supreme deity (Roog or Koox) in addition to the image of man. In Serer-numbers, 3 of import numbers came into play at the fourth dimension of the initial creation: number 3, number 4 in addition to number 7. Number 3 represents the feminine world as good as the divine; number 4 represents the masculine world as good as humans, in addition to number 7 represents the divine inwards human beings, which is the perfect number in addition to represents remainder or harmony. Number 3 evokes the celestial world in addition to is represented past times a circle. As inwards the Serer home, the twelve rods arranged inwards a circle around the stele of Roog symbolizes the infinite enveloped past times the powers of the divine. Number 3 is thus the symbolic number of Roog whilst number 4 evokes the human in addition to terrestrial world (the visible world). This Earthly world is represented past times 2 crossed lines facing the 4 commutation points. In add-on to Serer culture, it is for this religious ground why Serer women are allowed to participate inwards all religious, political in addition to royal institutions, because they part the same number amongst the divine who created the Universe through its feminine principle. For the Serer men, their number is 4. Fixed to the 4 commutation points of the Earth, they were the "Masters of the Earth" (the Lamanic class).
The origins of the stars offers a somewhat contradictory account, in addition to is linked to a pact betwixt the ostrich in addition to the divine. According to the myth, the ostrich stood on a sandy valley looking around the wooded savannah that stretched around her. Feeling that the fourth dimension had come upward to perform the immemorial gesture of its kind, it was immobilized due to the threats posed to its offspring. Each fourth dimension it had managed to enshroud its eggs from other animals but on this occasion, a deer was determined to have got its offspring. Feeling powerless against the beast before her, the ostrich asked for Roog's protection in addition to the supreme deity intervened past times creating the stars, which inspired her to take her inaugural of all stroke. Inspired past times the powers of the deity, the ostrich drew 5 trails on the ground representing the stars of the heavens. The ostrich in addition to then invaded this infinite in addition to deposited her eggs within the star, roofing them amongst sand. After that act, it cited the next prayer, placing herself in addition to her offspring nether the protection of the divine:
In Serer In English linguistic communication
"Xu xabatna, ba mup! "Who opens his oral cavity volition closed it again!
Xu retna, ba gar! Who closes his oral cavity volition opened upward it more!
Xu garna, ba ret! Who comes, he volition non return!
Xu nutna ba ga! Who goes, he volition homecoming again!
Xu ga'na, ba nut! Who closes his eyes, that way more!
Adna, kitim kiris! Who sees, his eyes volition live closed forever!
Mending meles! Earth! Engulfed them inwards the dark!
Wegoram a nun a Roog, Without number in addition to without remission!
Wagerna Roog, ba waag na mi tig!" I enclose you, inwards the call of Roog!
They are powerless against Roog!
Nothing tin can live against me"
The other animals were unable to deed against the offspring of the ostrich enclosed past times the star thank you lot to Roog, who offered them total protection. Powerful predators also came to devour the eggs but they could non cross the lines engraved on the sand. The myth went on to say that a dark shepherd witnessed the hatching eggs. After the divergence of the ostrich amongst her offspring, he came to the scene in addition to discovered the star engraved on the spot where the eggs hatched. He understood that the star protected the eggs of the ostrich amongst the assistance of the supreme deity. It is for this ground Serer mums evoke the ostrich inwards their prayers for the protection of their children on their divergence to some other country.
Apart from evoking the ostrich, the myth plays a important role inwards the adoption of the novel religious symbol (the star) in addition to its transmission to humankind. It is higher upward all "the inaugural of all of the eggs" of the ostrich. The Star Yoonir is a religious symbol inwards the Serer religion. Its 5 branches are marked in addition to observed inwards the classical Ndut teachings. It is a Serer star in addition to the symbol of the Serer people of Sine. It has religious, medicinal in addition to nationalistic connotations amidst the Serers.
brahima Moctar Sarr is a Serer in addition to Mauritanian journalist in addition to politician. Running as an independent, he placed 5th inwards the March 2007 presidential election, in addition to he has been the President of the Alliance for Justice in addition to Democracy/Movement for Renewal (AJD/MR) since August 2007.
The Dominicus (Gulooxar)
Guloxaar is a psalm devoted to the Sun-god as the ancestors of the Serer people used to worship the Dominicus – many soundless do (see also Serer ancient history). The give-and-take Guloxaar inwards uncomplicated Serer way the Sun. In a religious sense, it way "one who is bound to come". The Dominicus itself existence a star, it is attached to the Serer creation myth. The oldest in addition to most surreptitious prayer is devoted to the Dominicus (excerpt):
Verse 1
In Serer In English
Wataa dun! You rising inwards the light!
Mudaa dun! You set inwards the light!
Dun a jof! In your light, everything is right!
Verse 2
In Serer In English
Gulooxar! Gulooxar! You! Who is never late!
Tu! Dunare! Dunare! You! Illuminate, illuminate!
We dun! Thou, light!
Mee dun! Me inwards your light!
Kuu waagoonga gullin, That which tin can delay thee,
Fat a waag na mi tig! take mightiness over me!
Ndaa kuu Waageeroonga gulin But what tin can non delay thee,
Baa waag na mi tig! has no mightiness over me!
T hese surreptitious prayers are only revealed to immature Serers on their journeying to some other country. It is only recited inwards the morn in addition to at night, at sunrise in addition to sunset. The 2nd poesy is a prayer of adoration. Beyond the star is the master copy of the Solar System who is evoked. The supreme existence is represented past times the Sun. The Sun's brilliant calorie-free is exactly the epiphany of its being. The prayer has mystical connotations.
First pelting (Ngam)
The myth of Ngam ("Ngam jam, o yas jam") narrates the inaugural of all fourth dimension pelting (the essence of life) appeared on planet earth. This narrative describes the lawsuit inwards a chaotic manner.According to this myth, the inaugural of all lawsuit was the opening of the heavens past times Roog. When the heavens were opened, the sky threatened amongst heavy in addition to shadowy clouds. Tornado occurring inwards a straight line, swept through everything inwards its path, bearing thunder inwards the clouds. Bright lightning rendered the darkness, in addition to the waters of the heavens inaugural of all littered past times the wind, splashed inwards every direction, before turning into regular, refreshing in addition to nourishing showers.
The saying Ngam jam, o yas jam (rain inwards peace! Sow inwards peace) is the inaugural of all give-and-take Serer farmers utter during the inaugural of all rain. It is also the way the Serers wishing each other happy New Year. As good as an expression, it also a religious prayer. The inaugural of all pelting of the flavor is a pact betwixt the transcendent mightiness in addition to humanity. It is a sign of life which continues to live transmitted past times this tutelary power, which has long respected the pact. Custom dictates that, the inaugural of all 3 steps on the damp ground of the inaugural of all pelting to live made barefooted inwards monastic tell to connect amongst woman parent nature. The begetter or the woman parent of the theatre unit of measurement would live given a calabash of the H2O of the inaugural of all rain, for the whole theatre unit of measurement to drink. This H2O is holy in addition to is viewed as sacred which would protect them from all misfortunes that may occur during the rainy season. Under the Saas tree, containers were placed nether it to collect the H2O that touches the tree. This H2O was used for bathing as a sign of protection.
Creation of human beings
First human couple
Before humans existed, in that location were 3 stages inwards the creation of the Universe in addition to each of these steps followed a consistent order. The inaugural of all stage was the inaugural of all 3 elements: air, ground in addition to water. The mythical words of Roog found inwards Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nax, led to the formation of the heavens, ground in addition to the sea. The 2nd stage of the creation was the primordial trees (i.e. Somb, Nqaul, Nquƭ, etc.,). The tertiary stage was the creation of the creature world: the jackal in addition to "Mbocor" (which way "The Mother") - woman parent of all animals except the jackal. In each of these phases, in addition to before the creation of the inaugural of all human couple, the supreme deity did non straight create each species, but only the primogenitors who in addition to then went on to populate the world amongst all the species of works life in addition to creature life. The same was the instance at the creation of the inaugural of all humans. By thought, the supreme deity planned for the creation of human beings (a woman someone in addition to a male). By words, Roog went through a gestation stage which signalled the gestation of human being in addition to woman, paired within the divine placenta. Through its maternal nature, Roog projected a woman someone in addition to manly someone human existence as inwards childbirth. The inaugural of all human was a female, named YAAB. The 2nd human was a manly someone named YOP (var: YOB).
YAAB in addition to YOP were the inaugural of all humans that walked the world according to the narrative. The ancient in addition to sacred hamlet of Yaabo-Yabo (var: Yaboyabo or YABO-YABO, inwards present-day Senegal) also derives its call from this couple.
Serer elderly woman
Ark of Yaabo-Yabo
The ark of Yaabo-Yabo is believed to live an ancient relic. It is said that the inaugural of all humans on world (YAAB in addition to YOP - woman someone in addition to manly someone respective) boarded this ark when they left the Empyrean Heaven after their creation past times the supreme deity (Roog). This relic is believed to live nether the guardianship of Yaabo-Yabo, i of the sacred villages inwards Serer religion. However, it is i of the sacred Serer relics which holds keen religious significance.
The relic be to the introduce which is good respected. Most Serer houses have got inwards their possession[citation needed] ancient relics from the past times including article of furniture which are jealousy guarded. Some are religious patch others are secular. The ark of Yaabo-Yabo is inwards wood, believed to live made from the Somb tree. In the Serer pre-colonial Kingdom of Sine, it is called MAAK (var: Maak), except inwards Diohine (a erstwhile territory of Sine inwards Serer country) where it is called Badir. Guarded past times the elders, it is shaped similar a bench. It is believed that, when YAAB in addition to YOP were born to Roog inwards its Empyrean Heaven, they were deposited inwards an ark in addition to carried downwards to Earth. YAAB was the inaugural of all to acquire inwards as she was the inaugural of all born in addition to then followed past times YOP. When they arrived on Earth, the original twins made contact amongst Mother world who would nourish them.
Historical figures
The legend of Unan in addition to Ngoor in all probability dates dorsum to the Iron Age, amongst Unan existence the adult woman in addition to Ngoor the man. Although non the inaugural of all human twain that the supreme deity Roog (or Koox) had created, similar the legend of Jambooñ in addition to Agaire (see the Point of Sangomar), they shape a fundamental portion of Serer mythology. The legend agress pretty much amongst the full general consensus that a woman someone was created inaugural of all in addition to then a male. But inwards this narrative, it attempts to spot Unan in addition to Ngoor as the inaugural of all human couple.
"The inaugural of all human existence created past times Roog was a woman.
She lived naked, where Roog had placed her.
She slept on the ground at night,
bitten past times the fleas of the earth.
She could non sleep.
Roog moved her to some other place.
At that time, she was alone.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 human being finds her in addition to asks: "What do you lot eat? From the earth?
What do you lot drink? Water?"
The adult woman responded: "I do non know what I swallow :because I'm non hungry.
I do non have got H2O to drink."
He asks her name. She say: "Unan."
She leaves him to live elsewhere.
The human being followed her for several years [winter years].
She gave the call Ngoor to the man,
for the human being is he who comes to the adult woman for company.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 blacksmith found Unan in addition to Ngoor.
He said to them: "I tin can create iron, so you lot tin can work" [the earth].
They forged a hoe in addition to a machete.
The Pangool came in addition to spoiled the work.
The blacksmith made them protective talismans"
The talismans were to protect them from the supernatural existence that had entered their realm.
The call Unan way i who pile millet, figuratively, "the norisher". Ngoor (or Ngor) is a call for a virile man. These names denote the business office of the adult woman in addition to the human being but they are non their existent names. The narrative evokes the inaugural of all humans created past times Roog amongst a woman someone existence the first, in addition to the trials they had faced. It also evokes the call of Roog, regarded as the Omnipotence, whom through his paternal nature, acted as a goodness begetter in addition to moved the adult woman to a to a greater extent than comfortable spot when she complained nigh her discomfort. It shows that he is ever available to his children. The appearance of the human being initially surprised the woman, whom she named Ngoor (virile), yet, they afterward became companions in addition to procreated.
Crisis in addition to reorganization of the Universe
Crisis
Originally, all the animals on world lived together amongst human beings in addition to trees inwards harmony. However, this peaceful habitation of the world came to an needlelike cease when i of the lions impregnated a missy causing her to give nascency to a monkey, a one-half man-half beast. The manly someone society of this distant past times were furious in addition to summoned all the animals to a hearing inwards monastic tell to determine the culprit. The king of beasts fearing for the penalty that it may have from these men, refused to spot itself as the i responsible for the deed until a domestic dog pointed it out as the culprit. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 state of war broke out betwixt the human population, the non-human animals in addition to the trees. The humans were victorious in addition to drove the animals inwards the bush except the domestic dog who became man's companion. However, the crisis did non cease there, as this narrative from Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leep shows:
"A conflict broke out betwixt all beings.
Trees, animals in addition to men were killing each other.
Roog intervened in addition to punished them all.
He reduced the size of men, who were originally giants.
He paralyzed in addition to rendered the trees dumb in addition to blind.
But he did non homecoming them deaf.
That is why the trees no longer see, no longer move, no longer speak, but they hear.
Roog rendered the animals mad.
The smallest resisted Roog.
But man’s spirit was the cleverest.
Through his spirit, he dominated all these beings."
The narrative reflects human hostility towards animals especially the lion, "the savage beast". The original crusade of the state of war also identifies the monkey, whose predecessors inwards that ancient past times is believed to live closer to humans, similar all animals in addition to plant, from the same divine placenta."
It also represents a microcosm of the slaughtering of animals past times humans, accompanied past times their dogs inwards their hunting camps subsequent to the initial creation. Not only did men hunted animals, but trees cutting downwards those closest to them in addition to animals killed each other, as found inwards the myth of the hyena in addition to the talking tree. This disorder led to Roog's direct intervention in addition to its reoganisation of the Universe which the narrative says would have got repercussions for Planet Earth.
Roog's reorganisation of the Universe
After the initial crisis on Planet world where humans, animals in addition to plants fought against each other, Roog intervened in addition to punished them all. The tradition states that, Roog was the begetter in addition to woman parent of its creation who initially afforded some liberty to its inaugural of all creation. However, after the inaugural of all disorder, Roog organised the world on novel foundations. That reorganisation was non a 2nd creation but it would have got profound effects on the Universe in addition to peculiarly on Earth. Roog manifested its powers in addition to volition proceed to manifest it. Serer phrases such as "Roog lone is king" in addition to "We all come upward from the manus of Roog" are examples of conscience conclusion of divine intervention inwards the events of life, as inwards the destiny of nations in addition to human kind. Roog volition live introduce inwards the activities of humans in addition to the cosmos. Though the trees were the hardest hitting past times their immobility, trees were afforded special status, such as the tree of life, mightiness to heal, homes to for sure spiritual entities in addition to mightiness to take heed humans beings fifty-fifty the Pangool. They are the object of honour inwards Serer society. Deforestation inwards Serer Earth is almost unheard of.
Animals were also severely affected past times Roog's judgement. Although rendered wild in addition to "mad", they soundless retain their instinct, though their relations amongst humans would live changed forever. Some became human pets others retained their liberty away from human habitation. Despite this separation, animals are respected in addition to would shape portion of Serer temism.
Humans were the to the lowest degree affected. The only thing they have got lost was their original size in addition to duration of life. Along amongst existence giants, the inaugural of all humans were believed to have got had larger eyes in addition to bigger bones than the present. Roog did non touching the human spirit. Instead, it allowed them to prepare their minds in addition to position their ain branding on Earth.
Representation of the Universe
In Serer cosmogony, the Universe is represented schematically. There were 3 worlds: the invisible world from above; the diurnal terrestrial world in addition to the nocturnal world. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 geometric representation of these 3 worlds shape the Serer star. The invisible world from higher upward is the source of energies in addition to life. The diurnal Earthly world (e.g. the sun) is divided into 2 strands: the Saas tree symbolizing the tree of life in addition to human beings assisted past times the nocturnal world (the Pangool). The nocturnal world depicts the role of the moon, the Pangool (ancient Serer saints in addition to ancestral spirits), Ciid (proper, var: Ciiƭ or Cyid, the disembodied souls inwards search of re-hominisation or reincarnation) in addition to "Jaaniiw" or "Honolu" (the sacred abode of the departed souls). After a sacrifice of domestic animals and/or offering of millet to the Pangool in addition to ancestors, vital energies are returned.
The invisible world from above
The invisible world represents the vital energies which originates from the transcendent powers of Roog, which spreads worldwide. The supreme existence is the source of all life inwards the cosmos as good as human beings. In the world of Roog, for sure entities in addition to elevated humans are afforded sacredness in addition to called upon to live amongst Roog. They shape the demi-goods, saints in addition to ancestral spirits (Pangool), etc
The diurnal terrestrial world
The diurnal terrestrial world is represented around a network of topical or utopian transcendence. Topically, it is centred around the sacred, people or accessible places. Utopianly, it resides inwards the imagination. There are 2 types of people on Earth: visible human beings in addition to the invisble, living far away from human beings amongst their ain paths in addition to habitation place. These invisible people, reside inwards the subterranean world.
The nocturnal world (Jaaniiw)
Jaaniiw is the abode where the souls of the dead go. Their star is non the Sun (the star which illuminates the diurnal world), but the Moon which illuminates the activities of the nighttime in addition to beings of the night. Flying from Jaaniiw to Ciid, their aim is to homecoming to ground for a novel course of instruction of human evolution.
"As today a Moslem Head of province volition consult the "sacred wood", in addition to offering inwards sacrifice an ox or a bull, I have got seen a Christian woman, a practicing medical doctor, consult the sereer "Pangol" [the snakes of the sacred wood]. In truth, everywhere inwards Black Africa, the "revealed religions" are rooted inwards the animism which soundless inspires poets in addition to artists, I am good placed to know it in addition to to say it [...]" Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Influence inwards Senegambian culture
Just as the Serer faith has influenced the religious beliefs of Senegambia, Serer mythology has also influenced Senegambian culture. Some of the most revered fine art inwards Senegambia, peculiarly inwards Senegal where the Serers create upward the tertiary largest ethnic grouping are based on Serer mythology, legends in addition to culture. Some of these include the works of Safi Faye (i.e. Mossane in addition to Kaddu Beykat), works of inaugural of all president of Senegal the belatedly Léopold Sédar Senghor ("Chants pour Signare", a poesy form inspired past times the legend of Jambooñ in addition to Agaire at the Point of Sangomar, "Chants d'ombre" in addition to "Aux tirailleurs Sénégalais morts pour la France"). The Sangomar legend also inspired president Senghor to call the Senegalese presidential plane purchased inwards 1978 after Sangomar. Other works influenced past times Serer mythlogy, lengend in addition to civilization include: Fama Diagne Sène's "Mbilem ou le baobab du lion" (a controversial play which alienated the Serer priestly shape - the Saltigues), Yandé Codou, la griotte de Senghor past times Yandé Codou Sène, Papa Amadou Fall in addition to Cheikhou Coulibaly's Yatal Gueew’ (‘widening the circle’) for the 2001 Senegalese election campaingne, the mbalax which originated from the Serer njuup tradition, popularised past times Youssou N'Dour in addition to other Senegalese artists (see Ndut initiation rite), etc. From a global perspective, they include the piece of work of Catherine Clément, Steve Cox in addition to Ros Schwartz's - Theo's Odyssey.
Joof (Diouf) Family
Joof (English spelling inwards the Gambia) or Diouf (French spelling inwards Senegal in addition to Mauritania) is a surname typically Serer. This surname is also spelt Juuf or Juf (in the Serer language). They are the same people. The differences inwards spelling is due to the fact that, Senegal was colonized past times France, patch the The Gambia was colonized past times Britain. Although spelt differently, they are pronounced the same way. The totem in addition to symbol of the Joof theatre unit of measurement is the antelope, the symbol of grace, royalty, wisdom, difficult piece of work in addition to protection inwards Serer mythology. The call of their clan is "Njoofene" variations: "Njuufeen" or "Njufeen" (in Serer).
Members of this theatre unit of measurement had ruled over many of the pre-colonial kingdoms of Senegambia, including the Kingdom of Sine, the Kingdom of Saloum in addition to the Kingdom of Baol. The royal princesses (Lingeers) from the Joof theatre unit of measurement were also given inwards spousal human relationship to the pre-colonial kings in addition to princes of Senegambia. Some of these included the kings of Jolof, kings of Waalo, kings of Cayor in addition to Baol (after 1549 next the Battle of Danki). From these marriages, they provided many heirs to the thrones of these kingdoms. Although usually associated amongst Serer royalty, the Joof theatre unit of measurement also figure prominently inwards Serer religious affairs.
History of the Joof family
The Wagadou Period
The Joof theatre unit of measurement is i of the old families of Senegambia. Serer oral tradition speaks of a noble called Lamane Jegan Joof, possessor of a large herd of livestock in addition to estate who was also a farmer. He migrated from Lambaye next an declaration amongst his relative, the manly someone monarch of Lambaye. The dispute concerned the governance of Lambaye in addition to over-taxation of his herd which he considered unjust. As such, he decided to caput due south in addition to founded Tukar amongst his younger blood brother Ndik Joof. The tradition in addition to then went on to say that, he had a boy called Sosseh Joof (Socé Diouf) who was the heir of Tukar. Some scholars have got proposed that, Tukar (and many of its surrounding villages such as Njujuf, Sob, etc., which were founded past times Lamane Jegan Joof making them portion of his estate in addition to colony) at nowadays a rather large hamlet inwards present-day Senegal, is an ancient hamlet in addition to good before the Guelowar menstruation (1335 next the alleged Battle of Troubang, many variations inwards spelling, including Turubang) in addition to placed the foundation of these villages inwards the 11th century, if non earlier. There was inwards fact no "Battle of Troubang". In reporting this tradition, Henry Gravrand did non notice that this is genuinely a description of the 1867 (or 1865) Battle of Kansala.The Joof theatre unit of measurement had ruled Tukar for many centuries, inherited from their ancestor Lamane Jegan Joof through the Serer Lamanic custom, a rather strict custom of Serer Earth police force in addition to inheritance. In 2004, Lamane Njaga Dibor Ndoffene Joof (Lamane Diaga Dibor Ndofene Diouf) was the lastly lamane of Tukar.
In the early on history of the Republic of Ghana Empire to its end, the royal princesses of the Empire married into the Serer aristocratic families, some of these included Joof family. These royal princesses belonged to the maternal clan Wagadou (Bagadou inwards Serer language). With the Joof paternal clan, they ruled the Kingdom of Baol in addition to provided many kings from the patrilineage Joof (the Joof paternal dynasty of Baol). Some of these kings include Boureh Joof (Bouré Diouf), Guidiane Joof (Guidiane Diouf), Ma Joof, Jinak Dialane [probably Gnilane] Joof, Maguinak Joof, etc. These kings preceded the Guelowar menstruation past times at to the lowest degree 2 or 3 centuries in addition to long before the Fall paternal dynasty of Baol in addition to Cayor who inherited the throne around 1549 after the Battle of Danki. The full general consensus is that, after the demise of the Joof paternal in addition to Wagadou maternal dynasties of Baol amongst other Serer paternal dynasties who jointly ruled Baol, the Fall paternal dynasty succeeded them, hence the inaugural of all Damels in addition to Teignes (titles of the kings of Cayor in addition to Baol, respectively) from the Fall patrilineage were of Wagadou maternal descent. They only married into the old royal theatre unit of measurement in addition to succeeded to the throne.
The Guelowar Period
The Guelowar menstruation starts from 1350 during the reign of the inaugural of all Guelowar manly someone monarch of Sine - Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali in addition to ends inwards 1969 after the decease of the lastly manly someone monarch of Sine in addition to Saloum (Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof in addition to Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof respectively).
Maysa Wali in addition to his theatre unit of measurement (the maternal clan Guelowar) fled Kaabu inwards 1335 after the Battle of Troubang. They were defeated past times the Ñaanco maternal dynasty of Kaabu (their extended relatives) in addition to were granted asylum inwards the Kingdom of Sine past times a Serer noble Council called The Great Council of Lamanes. Having served as legal advisor to this noble Council for xv years, Maysa Wali managed to win the confidence in addition to trust of the Council in addition to the mutual people. He was nominated in addition to elected past times the Council in addition to the people as manly someone monarch of Sine. He was the inaugural of all Guelowar manly someone monarch of Sine. He gave his sisters inwards spousal human relationship to the Serer nobility which sealed the union betwixt Serer in addition to Guelowar. It was the offsprings of these marriages betwixt the old Serer paternal noble clans in addition to the Guelowar maternal clan of Kaabu that ruled the kingdom of Sine in addition to afterward Saloum. In this Guelowar period, the Joof theatre unit of measurement (one of the oldest Serer paternal noble clans) provided many kings inwards the Kingdoms of Sine in addition to Saloum (the Joof paternal dynasty of Sine in addition to Saloum). The Joof theatre unit of measurement also founded 3 royal houses as follows (in the monastic tell of foundation):
The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof (also known as Keur Bouré Gnilane)
The Royal House of Jogo Siga Joof (also known as Keur Diogo Siga)
Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof, from The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof, King of Sine from c. 1898 to 1924.
The Royal House of Semou Njekeh Joof (also known as Keur Semou Djiké or Keur Semou Ndiké)
They all describe their descent to Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof (also known as Bour Ndaah Ndiémé Diouf or Ndaah Njeeme Juuf) - the manly someone monarch of Laah (or Laa) inwards Baol, around the 13th century. Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof was the begetter of Maad Niokhobai Joof (also manly someone monarch of Laa) who was the begetter of the Great Maad Patar Kolleh Joof (also: Bour or Buur Patar Kholé Diouf or Bour Patar Kholleh Diouf) - the conqueror of Baol. Maad Patar Kolleh Joof was the inaugural of all of the Joof theatre unit of measurement to hook upward amongst a Guelowar (Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali's niece). From that spousal human relationship he had Maad a Sinig Niokhobai Mane Nyan Joof (Niokhobaye Mane Niane Diouf) in addition to Maad a Sinig Gejopal Mane Nyan Joof (Guédiopal Niane Mane Diouf), who were the inaugural of all kings of Sine during the Guelowar menstruation from the patrilineage Joof. Their blood brother Jaraff Boureh Gnilane Joof (Diaraf Bouré Gnilane Diouf) was non a manly someone monarch of Sine, but a Jaraff (equivalent of Prime Minister), who gave his call to the inaugural of all Royal House of the Joof Dynasty (in the Guelowar period) in addition to it is from that "The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof" derived from, which provided several kings inwards Sine in addition to Saloum. The Joof Dynasty that succeeded to the throne of Saloum came from Sine.
Historic battles involving this family
This tabular array lists some of the historic battles of Senegambia involving the kings or princes belonging to this theatre unit of measurement :
| Name of the battle | Member of the clan | Opponent | Reason for the battle | Victor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Battle of Nganiane | Maad Patar Kholleh Joof (The Conqueror) | Teigne of Baol (King of Baol) | Empire building | Maad Patar Kholleh Joof[21] |
| The Battle of Diakhao | Maad a Sinig Jogo Gnilane Joof | Mamadou Koungo (ofKoungheul) | Religion | Maad a Sinig Jogo Gnilane Joof[22] |
| The Battle of Mbellondiaré | Maad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof (assisting theDamel of Cayor) | Teigne of Baol | Dynastic state of war betwixt the Damel of Cayor (king of Cayor) in addition to Teigne of Baol | Maad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof in addition to the Damel of Cayor[23] |
| The Battle of Sanghaie | Maad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof | Teigne of Baol | Empire building | Maad a Sinig Amakodou Samba Joof |
| The Battle of Gagnane | Maad a Sinig Jogoy Gnilane Joof | Damel-Teigne Lat Soukabe Ngoneh Jaay Fall | Empire building | Damel-Teigne Lat Soukabe Ngoneh Jaay Fall |
| The Battle of Ndoffène | The Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof (Thewarlord) | Maad a Sinig Njaak Faye | The Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof was fighting for the succession of his immature son Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof | The Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof |
| The Battle of Tioupane | The Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof | Maad a Sinig Ama Kumba Mbodj in addition to his younger blood brother Barka Mbodj | The Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof was fighting for the succession of his immature boy Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof | The Sandigue Ndiob Niokhobai Joof |
| The Battle of Logandème | Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof | Louis Faidherbe (French governor of Senegal) Émile Pinet-Laprade | Resistance against French colonialism | France |
| The Surprise of Mbin o Ngor (This was non an opened upward battle but a surprise attack, also known asMbeetan Keur Ngor). | Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof | Maba Diakhou Bâ, Damel-Teigne Lat Jor Ngoneh Latir Jobe and their Marabout armies | Religion, vendetta in addition to empire building | Indecisive. The marabout ground forces withdrew when reinforcement finally arrived, but caused severe harm before retreating. |
| The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune(also known as The Battle of Somb) | Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof | Maba Diakhou Bâ, Damel-Teigne Lat Jor Ngoneh Latir Jobe and their Marabout armies | Religion, vendetta in addition to empire building | Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof |
Genealogy
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 brusk genealogy showing the descendants of Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof.
Descendants of Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof
Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof (king of Laa, Baol, c. 1290) │ Maad Niokhobai Joof (king of Laa, Baol) │ __________________________________________│ │ Maad Patar Kholleh Joof (The Conqueror) = ? = Lingeer Mane Nyan (king of Laa (Baol) in addition to Teigne of Baol) │ (1) │ (daughter of Sine o Mev Manneh (Guelowar) │ │ (2) │ │_____________________________________________ │ │ Jaraff Boureh Gnilane Joof │ (Jaraff in addition to prince of Sine) │ │ _________________________________________________________________________│ │ ┌───────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Maad a Sinig Niokhobai Mane Nyan Joof │ Lingeer (king of Sine) │ Siga Pal Mane Nyan Joof │ Maad a Sinig Gejopal Mane Nyan Joof (king of Sine) Status inwards Serer religion
The Joof theatre unit of measurement figure prominently inwards Serer religion. Many of the Serer Pangool (saints in addition to ancestral spirits) came from this family. Though associated amongst Serer royalty, this family's interest inwards Serer religious affairs are found within the hermeneutics of Serer faith in addition to traditions. Some of the sacred Serer sites regularly venerated were founded or headed past times this theatre unit of measurement which underpins their interest inwards the Pangool cult. Some of these venerated sites includes Tagdiam, residence of Maad Semou Njekeh Joof who is associated amongst the cult of Tagdiam; in addition to Tukar, founded past times Lamane Jegan Joof. In the Serer religious calendar, the Raan festival which takes spot i time a yr after the novel Moon is held inwards Tukar.
Personalities amongst the surname Joof, Diouf, Juuf or Juf
The surname Joof, Diouf, Juuf or Juf is carried past times several personalities, some of which include:
Royalty
Kingdom of Baol
Lamane Jegan Joof, founder of Tukar inwards the medieval era (11th century)
Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof, manly someone monarch of Laa (Baol; c. 1290)
Maad Patar Kholleh Joof (The Conqueror), manly someone monarch of Laa (Baol) in addition to Teigne of Baol (c. 14th century)
Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Saloum
Maad Saloum Semou Jimit Joof, manly someone monarch of Saloum (reigned 1898-1924)
Maad Saloum Ndeneh Jogop Joof, manly someone monarch of Saloum (reigned 1901–11)
Maad Saloum Semou N'Gouye Joof, manly someone monarch of Saloum (reigned 1911–13)
Maat Saloum Gori Joof, manly someone monarch of Saloum (reigned 1913–19)
Maad Saloum Mahawa Choro Joof, manly someone monarch of Saloum (reigned 1919–35)
Maad Saloum Fode N'Gouye Joof, manly someone monarch of Saloum (reigned 1935–69)
Kingdom of Jolof
Lingeer Penda Kumba Ngouille Joof, queen consort in addition to queen woman parent of Jolof (wife of Bour ba Jolof Bakan Tam Boury Nabou Njie, manly someone monarch of Jolof, 1768–69)
Kingdom of Cayor
Manguinak Joof, appointed Ber Jak of Cayor (equivalent of Prime Minister) past times his inaugural of all cousin Damel Amari Ngoneh Sobell Fall after he assisted him defeat the manly someone monarch of Jolof at the Battle of Danki (1549).
Royal houses (Guelowar period)
The Royal House of Boureh Gnilane Joof, the inaugural of all royal theatre founded past times the Joof theatre unit of measurement during the Guelowar period. Founded past times Jaraff Boureh Gnilane Joof inwards the 14th century.
The Royal House of Jogo Siga Joof, the 2nd royal theatre founded past times the Joof family. Founded past times Maad a Sinig Jogo Gnilane Joof c. 16th century. Unlike the other 2 royal houses, this royal theatre did non render many kings.
The Royal House of Semou Njekeh Joof, the tertiary in addition to lastly royal theatre founded past times the Joof family. This royal theatre was founded past times Maad Semou Njekeh Joof inwards the 18th century.
Academic world
Ismaïla Diouf, professor of mathematics at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Sénégal)
Mamadou Diouf, Senegalese historian, professor at the University of Michigan
Arona N'doffène Diouf, professor at the University of North Carolina
Sylviane Diouf, historian in addition to author
Cheikh Diouf, historian in addition to essayist
Marcel Mahawa Diouf, a Senegalese historian, theologian in addition to author on Serer religion, traditions in addition to history.
Babacar Sédikh Diouf, a Senegalese historian in addition to author on Serer history
Politic
Abdou Diouf. The 2nd president of Senegal in addition to Secretary General of Francophonie.
Abdou Diouf
Ngalandou Diouf (1875–1941), Senegalese politico of the colonial era in addition to parliamentarian of the French Chamber of Deputies
Coumba Ndoffène Diouf, Senegalese politico who held several cabinet posts. Former Foreign Minister of Senegal, Minister of Public Health in addition to Social Affairs.
George St. Clair Joof (1907–1955), Gambian politico in addition to barrister
Lucretia St. Clair Joof (1913–1982), Gambian politico in addition to the inaugural of all adult woman inwards the House of Representatives (the Gambia)
Diaraf Diouf (1925–2006), Senegalese politico in addition to engineer, who held several ministeral posts before in addition to after Senegal's independence.
Jacques Diouf, Senegalese politico Director-General of The Food in addition to Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
Madior Diouf (born 1939) Senegalese politico in addition to professor of literature at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop. Member in addition to leader of the National Democratic Rally.
Mame Birame Souleymane Diouf (also Mame Biram Souleyman Diouf), Senegalese politician, economist in addition to Deputy Mayor of Sokone (Senegal).
Ibra Diouf, fellow member of The Pan-African Parliament
Jacques Diouf, Serer human being in addition to Senegalese politico Director-General of The Food in addition to Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
Legal profession
Some of these legal professionals have got ventured into politics but they are to a greater extent than known for their legal than for their political business :
Alhaji Bai Modi Joof (1933–1993) (Alhaji B.M. Joof), Gambian barrister, legal adviser to the The Gambia Press Union in addition to defender of costless speech. Commonly known as Lawyer Joof (not to live confused amongst the younger Joseph Henry Joof, who is also known as Lawyer Joof), younger blood brother of Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof.
Joseph Henry Joof (born 1960), Gambian barrister, attorney full general in addition to politician.
Medicine
Professor Boucar Diouf, fellow member of the International Society of Nephrology, fellow member of the African board of the Commission for the Global Advancement of Nephrology (COMGAN), fellow member of the African Associations of Nephrology, President in addition to founder-member of the Senegalese Society of Nephrology (SESONEPH)
Sports
Robert Diouf, professional person Senegalese wrestler in addition to erstwhile champion.
El-Hadji Diouf (born: 1981), Senegalese footballer, winner of many cups as good as the BBC African Footballer of the Year: (2002) playing for NPower Championship side Leeds United.
Dame Diouf, erstwhile professional person footballer in addition to elderberry blood brother of El-Hadji Diouf
Pa Malick Joof (born 1985), Gambian, professional person footballer, erstwhile squad fellow member of SV Wilhelmshaven
Mamadou Diouf, professional person footballer in addition to fellow member of the Football Club de Metz
El Hadji Diouf (footballer born 1988) (not live confused amongst the other El-Hadji Diouf) also a professional person footballer
Mamadou Diouf, professional person basketball game participant in addition to a fellow member of the Senegalese basketball game team
Pape Diouf (proper: Mababa Diouf (born 1951), erstwhile journalist in addition to president of Olympique de Marseille (2005–2009)
Serer man, Pape Diouf
Mame Biram Diouf, Senegalese footballer in addition to participant for the High German guild Hannover 96 as good as the Senegalese team.
Mame Tacko Diouf (born 1976), Senegalese 400 metres hurdler.
Mame Diodio Diouf (born 1984) Senegalese women's basketball game player.
Serer native El-Hadji Diouf (born: 1981), Senegalese footballer, winner of many cups as good as the BBC African Footballer of the Year: (2002) playing for NPower Championship side Leeds United.
Music in addition to entertainment
Boucar Diouf, Senegalese humorist
Élage Diouf, musician, percussionist in addition to composer, naitive of Dakar, fellow member of The Diouf brothers (Les frères Diouf) a Senegalese band.
Pape Abdou Karim Diouf, blood brother of Élage Diouf in addition to band fellow member of The Diouf brothers
Mouss Diouf (born 1964), actor
Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof pictured as a Scout Master inwards the colonial era. Gambian nationalist in addition to opponent of the British direction inwards colonial times.
Hella Joof, actress in addition to manager (of Gambian descent).
Mamadou Diouf, erstwhile vet at nowadays instrumentalist in addition to song-writer
Mouss Diouf, celebrated Senegalese actor
Visual arts
The Definition of fine art is really broad. This department listing the names of visual artists (in its narrowest definition) who part this surname :
Cheikh Diouf, professional person artist. His piece of work is primarily based on African art, winner of many awards
Business in addition to commerce
Abdoulie Joof, a Gambian tycoon, commonly known as Lie Joof, implicated inwards several controversies including the financing of a coup d'etat to overthrow president Yahya Jammeh.
Multi-discipline
The next listing gives the names of personalities amongst this surname who are experts inwards a diversity of professions, in addition to are as known for each of these professions. Their professional person life is so broad in addition to varied that they tin can non live easily described past times a unmarried category :
Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (1924–2011), a Gambian Statesman, author, historian, politician, merchandise unionist, nationalist, broadcaster, etc.
Other
The Diouf brothers (Les frères Diouf), music band from Senegal. The band consists of Élage Diouf (El Haji Fall Diouf) in addition to Pape Abdou Karim Diouf
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