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Serer religion

December 28, 2022

The Serer religion, or a ƭat Roog ("the way of the Divine"), is the original religious beliefs, practices, and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in West Africa. The Serer religion believes in a universal supreme deity called Roog (or Rog). In the Cangin languages, Roog is referred to as Koox (or Kooh[1]), Kopé Tiatie Cac, and Kokh Kox.[2]

The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia region. In the 20th century, around 85% of the Serer converted to Islam (Sufism),[3][4] but some are Christians or follow their traditional religion.[5] Traditional Serer religious practices encompass ancient chants and poems, veneration of and offerings to deities as well as spirits (pangool), initiation rites, folk medicine, and Serer history.

Beliefs

Divinity

Main articles: Roog, Koox, Kopé Tiatie Cac, and Cosmogony in the Serer creation myth

The Serer people believe in a supreme deity called Roog (or Rog) and sometimes referred to as Roog Sene ("Roog The Immensity" or "The Merciful God").[6] Serer tradition deals with various dimensions of life, death, space and time, ancestral spirit communications and cosmology. There are also other lesser gods, goddesses and supernatural spirits or genie (pangool or nguus[7]) such as the fangool Mendiss (or Mindis), a female protector of Fatick Region and the arm of the sea that bears her name; the god Tiurakh (var : Thiorak or Tulrakh) – god of wealth, and the god Takhar (var : Taahkarr) – god of justice or vengeance.[8][9] Roog is neither the devil nor a genie, but the Lord of creation.[10]

Roog is the very embodiment of both male and female to whom offerings are made at the foot of trees, such as the sacred baobab tree, the sea, the river such as the sacred River Sine, in people's own homes or community shrine etc. Roog Sene is reachable perhaps to a lesser extent by the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue), who have been initiated and possess the knowledge and power to organise their thoughts into a single cohesive unit. However, Roog is always in watch of its children and always available to them.[11]

Divinity and humanity

In Serer, Roog Sene is the lifeblood to which the incorruptible and sanctified soul returns to eternal peace after they depart the living world. Roog Sene sees, knows and hears everything, but does not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the living world. Instead, lesser gods and goddesses act as Roog's assistants in the physical world. Individuals have the free will to either live a good and spiritually fulfilled life in accordance with Serer religious doctrines or waver from such doctrines by living an unsanctified lifestyle in the physical world. Those who live their lives contrary to the teachings will be rightfully punished in the afterlife.[12]

Ancestral spirits and saints

Main article: Pangool
See also: Intercession of Saints in the Serer religion

Ordinary Serers address their prayers to the pangool (the Serer ancestral spirits and saints) as they are the intermediaries between the living world and the divine. An orthodox Serer must remain faithful to the ancestral spirits as the soul is sanctified as a result of the ancestors' intercession between the living world and the divine. The pangool have both a historical significance as well as a religious one. They are connected to the history of the Serer by virtue of the fact that the pangool is associated with the founding of Serer villages and towns as a group of pangool would accompany village founders called "lamane" (or laman – who were their ancient kings) as they make their journey looking for land to exploit. Without them, the lamane exploits would not have been possible. In the religious sense, these ancient lamanes created shrines to these pangool, thereby becoming the priests and custodians of the shrine. As such, "they became the intermediaries among the land, the people and the pangool".[13]

Whenever any member of the lamanic lineage dies, the whole Serer community celebrates in honour of the exemplary lives they had lived on earth in accordance with the teachings of the Serer religion. Serer prayers are addressed to the pangool who act as intercessors between the living world and the divine. In addressing their prayers to the pangool, the Serers chant ancient songs and offer sacrifices such as bull, sheep, goat, chicken or harvested crops.

Afterlife

See also: Reincarnation in the Serer religion and Concept of Hell in African Religions

The immortality of the soul and reincarnation (ciiɗ in Serer[14]) is a strongly held belief in Serer religion. The pangool are canonised[where?] as holy saints, and will be called upon and venerated, and have the power to intercede between the living and the divine. The Serer strive to be accepted by their ancestors who have long departed and to gain the ability to intercede with the divine. Failure to do so results in rejection by the ancestors and becoming a lost and wandering soul.[10][15]

Family totems

Each Serer family has a totem ("Taana"). Totems are prohibitions as well as guardians. They can be animals and plants among other beings. For example, the totem of the Joof family is the antelope. Any brutality against this animal by the Joof family is prohibited. This respect gives the Joof family holy protection. The totem of the Njie family is the lion; the totem of the Sène family is the hare and for the Sarr family is the giraffe and the camel.[16][17]

The secret order of the Saltigue

Main article: Saltigue
See also: Divination in the Serer Religion and Rainmaker in the Traditional African religion

Both men and women can be initiated into the secret order of the Saltigue (Spiritual Elder). In accordance with Serer religious doctrines, for one to become a Saltigue, one must be initiated which is somewhat reserved for a small number of insiders, particularly in the mysteries of the universe and the unseen world. The Xooy (Xoy or Khoy) ceremony is a special religious event in the Serer religious calendar. It is the time when the initiated Saltigue (Serer High Priests and Priestesses) come together to literally predict the future in front of the community. These diviners and healers deliver sermons at the Xooy Ceremony which relates to the future weather, politics, economics, and so on.[18] The event brings together thousands of people to Holy Sine from all over the world. Ultra orthodox Serers and Serers who "syncretise" (mix Islam or Christianity with the old Serer religion) as well as non-Serers such as the Lebou people (who are a distinct group but still revere the ancient religious practices of their Serer ancestors) among others gather at Sine for this ancient ceremony. Serers who live in the West sometimes spend months planning for the pilgrimage. The event goes on for several days where the Saltigue take centre stage and the ceremony usually begins in the first week of June at Fatick.

Holy ceremonies and festivals

See also: Ndut initiation rite
 
The symbol of the Ndut initiation rite.
  • Xooy (variation: Xoy or Khoy)
  • Jobai
  • Randou Rande
  • Mindisse
  • Mbosseh
  • Mboudaye
  • Tobaski
  • Gamo (var: Gamou)
  • Tourou Peithie[19]
  • Daqaar mboob[20]
  • Raan Festival
  • Ndut

Raan festival

The Raan festival of Tukar takes place in the old village of Tukar founded by Lamane Jegan Joof (or Lamane Djigan Diouf in French speaking Senegal) around the 11th century.[21][22] It is headed by his descendants (the Lamanic lineage). The Raan occurs every year on the second Thursday after the appearance of the new moon in April. On the morning of Raan, the Lamane would prepare offerings of millet, sour milk and sugar. After sunrise, the Lamane makes a visit 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 make an offering to Saint Luguuñ and spends the early morning in ritual prayer and meditation. After that, he makes a tour of Tukar and perform ritual offerings of milk, millet and wine as well as small animals at key shrines, trees, and sacred locations. The people make their way to the compound of the chief Saltigue (the Serer high priests and priestess – who are the "hereditary rain priests selected from the Lamane's lineage for their oracular talent").[23]

Religious law

Day of rest

In Serer religion, Monday is the day of rest. Cultural activities such as Njom or "Laamb" (Senegalese wrestling) and weddings are also prohibited on Thursday.[10]

Marriage

Courting for a wife is permitted but with boundaries. Women are given respect and honour in Serer religion. The woman must not be dishonoured or engaged in a physical relationship until after she has been married. When a man desires a woman, the man provides the woman gifts as a mark of interest. If the woman and her family accept, this then becomes an implied contract that she should therefore not court or accept gifts from another man whose aim is to court her.[24][25]

Premarital relationship

Were a young man and a woman found engaged in premarital relationships, both are exiled to avoid bringing shame to the family, even if pregnancy resulted from that courtship.[24]

Adultery

Adultery is dealt with by the Serer jurisprudence of Mbaax Dak A Tiit (the rule of compensation).[26] If a married woman engaged in adultery with another man, both adulterers are humiliated in different ways. The wronged male spouse (the husband) is entitled to take the undergarment of the other male and hang it outside his house to show that the male lover had broken custom by committing adultery with his wife. The lover would be shunned from the Serer society; no family would want to marry into his family and he would be excommunicated. This was and is seen as extremely humiliating; many male Serers have been known to take their own lives because they couldn't bear the humiliation.[24][27] The public display of undergarments was not applied to women; when women marry in Serer society, they braid their hair in a particular style, which is restricted to married women – it is a symbol of their status, which is highly valued in Serer society. An adulteress's female relatives unbraid her hair. This is so humiliating and degrading for a married woman that many women have been known to commit suicide rather than endure the shame.[24][27] The wronged man can forgive both his wife and her lover if he chooses to. The adulterers and their respective families must gather at the king, chief, or elder's compound to formally seek forgiveness. This will be in front of the community because the rules that govern society have been broken. The doctrine extends to both married men and women. Protection is given to the wronged spouse regardless of his or her gender.[28][27]

Murder

 
Serer final resting place with Serer grave diggers. The top points are directed towards the gods. (1821)

In the past, where someone kills another person, the victim's family have the right to either forgive or seek vengeance. Again, the murderer and his family will gather at a local centre headed by the Chief or the palace headed by the King. Before this judgement, the murderer's family will cook some food (millet) to be shared among the community and the victim's family. The victim's family will nominate a strong man armed with a spear with a piece of cooked lamb or beef at the end of it. This assassin taking his instruction from the victim's family will run towards the murderer who has now got his mouth open waiting for his judgement. If the assassin killed the murderer with his spear, then that is the end of it, the victim's family have made their judgment. After that, the food that had been cooked would not be eaten and everyone would disperse. From that day on, the families are strangers to each other. If on the other hand the assassin ran and gently feed the murderer with the piece of meat sticking at his spear, then that signals that the victim's family have forgiven the murderer. In that case, the community would enjoy the meal and the two families would be sealed as one and sometimes even marry off their children to each other.[28][29]

Religious attire

Serers may wear an item belonging to their ancestor, such as the hair of an ancestor or an ancestor's treasured belonging, which they turn into juju on their person or visibly on their necks.[30]

Medicine, harvest and offerings

The Serers also have an ancient knowledge of herbalism which is passed down and takes years to acquire.[31][32] The Senegalese government has set a school and centre to preserve this ancient knowledge and teach it to the young. The CEMETRA (Centre Expérimental de Médecine Traditionnelle de Fatick) Membership alone consist of at least 550 professional Serer healers in the Serer region of Sine-Saloum.[33]

Several traditional practices linked with land and agricultural activities are known, two examples are described below:

  • Prediction ceremonies organized by the Saltige, who are considered to be the custodians of indigenous knowledge. Such meetings are aimed at providing information and warning people about what will happen in the village during the next rainy season.
  • Preparation of sowings, a ceremony called Daqaar mboob aimed at ensuring good millet or groundnut production. For this purpose, every grower has to obtain something called Xos, further to a competitive ceremony consisting of hunting, racing, etc.[31]

Influence on Senegambia

As the old pagan festivals are borrowed and altered by Christianity which came later,[34] the names of ancient Serer religious festivals were also borrowed by Senegambian Muslims in a different way to describe genuine Islamic festivals in their own language. The Serers are one of very few communities in Senegambia apart from the Jolas who actually have a name for god[s] which is not borrowed from Arabic but indigenous to their language.[35] Tobaski (var : Tabaski) was an ancient Serer hunting festival; Gamo was an ancient Serer divination festival; Korite [from the Serer word kor[36]] was a male initiation rite; Weri Kor was the season (or month) Serer males went through their initiation rites. Gamo (comes from the old Serer word Gamahou, variation : Gamohou). "Eid al kabir" or "eidul adha" (which are Arabic) are different from Serer Tobaski, but the Senegambian Muslims loaned Tobaski from Serer religion to describe "Eid al Kabir". Gamo also derives from Serer religion.[37][38] The Arabic word for it is "Mawlid" or "Mawlid an-Nabi" (which celebrates the birth of Muhammad). Weri Kor (the month of fasting, "Ramadan" in Arabic) and Koriteh or Korité ("Aïd-el-fitr" in Arabic which celebrates the end of the month of fasting) also comes from the Serer language.

Mummification and Cult of the Upright Stones

Main articles: Serer ancient history and Timeline of Serer history

The dead, especially those from the upper echelons of society, were mummified in order to prepare them for the afterlife (Jaaniiw). They were accompanied by grave goods including gold, silver, metal, their armour and other personal objects. Mummification is less common now, especially post-independence.[39][29][40][41] The dead were buried in a pyramid shaped tomb.[29][42]

The Serer griots play a vital and religious role on the death of a Serer King. On the death of a Serer king, the Fara Lamb Sine (the chief griot in the Serer Kingdom of Sine) would bury his treasured drum (the junjung) with the king. His other drums would be played for the last time before their burial in the ground facing east. The griots then chant ancient songs marked by sadness and praise for the departed king. The last time this ceremony occurred was on 8 March 1969 following the death of the last king of Sine – Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (Serer: Maye Koor Juuf).[43]

 
Yoonir, symbol of the Universe.[44][45]

The cult of the Upright Stone, such as the Senegambian stone circles, which were probably built by predecessors of the Serer,[46][47][48][49] were also a place of worship. Laterite megaliths were carved, planted, and directed towards the sky.[50][51][52]

Cosmology

 
Serer cosmogony. A representation of the universe. The three worlds: the invisible world, the terrestrial world and the nocturnal world.[53]
Main article: Serer creation myth

One of the most important cosmological stars of the Serer people is called Yoonir. The "Star of Yoonir" is part of the Serer cosmos. It is very important and sacred and just one of many religious symbols in Serer religion and cosmology. It is the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius. With an ancient heritage of farming, "Yoonir" is very important and sacred in Serer religion,[54][55] because it announces the beginning of flooding and enables Serer farmers to start planting seeds. The Dogon people of Mali call it "Sigui", whilst in Serer it is called "Yoonir"[56] – represented in the form of the "Pangool" (interceders with Roog – the Supreme Deity) and "Man". It is before this event where the Serer High Priests and Priestesses known as Saltigue gather at the Xooy annual divination ceremony where they predict the course of the winter months among other things relevant to the lives of the Serer people.[57][58] The Pangool (singular : Fangool) are ancestral spirits (also ancient Serer Saints in Serer religion) represented by snakes.

The peak of the Star (top point) represents the Supreme Deity (Roog). The other four points represent the cardinal points of the Universe. The crossing of the lines ("bottom left" and "top right" and "top left and bottom right") pinpoints the axis of the Universe, that all energies pass. The top point is "the point of departure and conclusion, the origin and the end".[45] Among the Serers who cannot read or write the Latin alphabet, it is very common for them to sign official documents with the Star of Yoonir, as the Star also represents "good fortune and destiny".[45]

Religious devotion and martyrdom

See also: Religious persecution of the Serers

While most Serers converted to Islam and Christianity (specifically Roman Catholic), their conversion was after colonization. They and the Jola people were the last to convert to these religions.[59][60] Many still follow the Serer religion especially in the ancient Kingdom of Sine with Senegal and the Gambia being predominantly Muslim countries.[59][60]

The Serers have also battled many prominent African Islamic jihadists over the centuries. Some of those like Maba Diakhou Bâ is considered a national hero and given a saint like status by Senegambian Muslims. He himself was killed in battle fighting against the Serer King of Sine – Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof on 18 July 1867 at The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune commonly known as The Battle of Somb.[61][62]

At the surprise attacks of Naodorou, Kaymor and Ngaye, where the Serers were defeated, they killed themselves rather than be conquered by the Muslim forces. In these 19th-century Islamic Marabout wars, many of the Serers villagers committed martyrdom, including jumping to their deaths at the Well of Tahompa.[63] In Serer religion, suicide is only permitted if it satisfies the Serer principle of Jom (also spelt "Joom" which literally means "honour"[64] in the Serer language) – a code of beliefs and values that govern Serer lives.[65][66]

See also

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Serer religion.

Notes

  1. ^ (in French) Dupire, Marguerite, Sagesse sereer: Essais sur la pensée sereer ndut, Karthala Editions (1994), p. 54, ISBN 2865374874.
  2. ^ (in French) Ndiaye, Ousmane Sémou, "Diversité et unicité sérères : l'exemple de la région de Thiès", Éthiopiques, no. 54, vol. 7, 2e semestre 1991 [1].
  3. ^ Olson, James Stuart (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Greenwood. p. 516. ISBN 978-0313279188.
  4. ^ Leonardo A. Villalón (2006). Islamic Society and State Power in Senegal: Disciples and Citizens in Fatick. Cambridge University Press. pp. 71–74. ISBN 978-0-521-03232-2.
  5. ^ James Stuart Olson (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Greenwood. p. 516. ISBN 978-0-313-27918-8.
  6. ^ (in French) Faye, Louis Diène, Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines (1983), ISBN 2-7236-0868-9. p. 44.
  7. ^ Nguus means genie. See : Kalis, p. 153.
  8. ^ Henry, Gravrand, La civilisation sereer, vol. II : Pangool, Nouvelles éditions africaines, Dakar (1990).
  9. ^ Kellog, Day Otis, and Smith, William Robertson, The Encyclopædia Britannica: latest edition. A dictionary of arts, sciences and general literature", Volume 25, p. 64, Werner (1902).
  10. ^ a b c Verbatim: "le Maître/Seigneur de la créature" (in French) Thaiw, Issa Laye, "La religiosité des Seereer, avant et pendant leur islamisation", in Éthiopiques, no. 54, volume 7, 2e semestre 1991.
  11. ^ Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 205–8.
  12. ^ Fondation Léopold Sédar Senghor, Éthiopiques, Issues 55–56 (1991), pp. 62–95.
  13. ^ Galvan, Dennis Charles, The State Must Be Our Master of Fire: How Peasants Craft Culturally Sustainable Development in Senegal, Berkeley, University of California Press (2004), p. 53, ISBN 0520235916.
  14. ^ Ciiɗ means poetry in Serer, it can also mean the reincarnated or the dead who seek to reincarnate in Serer religion. Two chapters are devoted to this by Faye see: Faye, Louis Diène, Mort et Naissance Le Monde Sereer, Les Nouvelles Edition Africaines (1983), pp. 9–10, ISBN 2-7236-0868-9.
  15. ^ Faye, Louise Diène, Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines (1983), pp. 17–25, ISBN 2-7236-0868-9.
  16. ^ Jean-Marc Gastellu (M. Sambe – 1937 [in]), L'égalitarisme économique des Serer du Sénégal, IRD Editions (1981), p. 130, ISBN 2-7099-0591-4.
  17. ^ (in French) Gravrand Henry, La civilisation sereer, vol. I : Cosaan: les origines, Nouvelles éditions africaines, Dakar (1983), p. 211, ISBN 2723608778.
  18. ^ Sarr, Alioune, "Histoire du Sine-Saloum" (introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker), in Bulletin de l'IFAN, tome 46, série B, nos 3–4, 1986–1987 pp. 31–38.
  19. ^ (in French) Niang, Mor Sadio, [in] Ethiopiques numéro 31" - révue socialiste de culture négro-africaine 3e trimestre, IFAN, (1982) – (From Xoy to Tourou Peithie) [2] 24 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ^ Seck, A.; Sow, I. & Niass, M., "Senegal", [in] "The biodiversity of traditional leafy vegetables", pp. 85–110.
  21. ^ Galvan, Dennis Charles, pp. 108–111 and 122, 304, University of California Press (2004) ISBN 0-520-23591-6.
  22. ^ Bressers, Hans, & Rosenbaum, Walter A., Achieving sustainable development: the challenge of governance across social scales, Greenwood Publishing Group (2003), p. 151, ISBN 0-275-97802-8.
  23. ^ Galvan, Dennis Charles, University of California Press (2004), p. 202, ISBN 0-520-23591-6.
  24. ^ a b c d Thiaw, Issa Laye, La femme Seereer (Sénégal), L'Harmattan, Paris, septembre (2005), pp. 92, 255–65, ISBN 2-7475-8907-2.
  25. ^ La Piallée No. 141. avril 2006. Dakar.
  26. ^ Thiaw, Issa Laye, La femme Seereer (Sénégal), [in] Fatou K. Camara, Moving from Teaching African Cusmary Laws to Teaching African Indigenous Law.
  27. ^ a b c Thaiw, Issa Laye, "La femme Seereer" (Sénégal), L'Harmattan, Paris, septembre (2005), p. 169, ISBN 2-7475-8907-2.
  28. ^ a b Thiaw, Issa Laye, Corporal Punishment in Seereer Customary Law pp. 25–28.
  29. ^ a b c Dupire, Marguerite, "Les tombes de chiens : mythologies de la mort en pays Serer" (Sénégal), Journal of Religion in Africa (1985), vol. 15, fasc. 3, pp. 201–215.
  30. ^ Joshua Project: "What are their beliefs?".
  31. ^ a b Secka, A.; Sow, I., and Niass, M., (Collaborators: A.D. Ndoye, T. Kante, A. Thiam, P. Faye and T. Ndiaye.) Senegal, Horticonsult The biodiversity of traditional leafy vegetables, pp. 85–110 [3][permanent dead link].
  32. ^ Kalis, Simone, Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination chez les Seereer Siin du Sénégal, L'Harmattan, (1997), ISBN 2-7384-5196-9.
  33. ^ (in French). Prometra International, Prometra France. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  34. ^ Biblical Archaeology Society. Bible review, Volumes 18–19. Published by: Biblical Archaeology Society, 2002. ISBN 0-9677901-0-7.
  35. ^ Wade, Amadou, "Chronique du Walo sénégalais (1186-1855)", (trans : B. Cissé), V. Monteil, Bulletin de l'IFAN, Series B, Vol. 26, no. 3/4. 1941, 1964.
  36. ^ Meaning man or male. Variation : gor as in Senghor
  37. ^ Diouf, Niokhobaye, "Chronique du royaume du Sine, suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin (1972)". (1972). Bulletin de l'IFAN, tome 34, série B, no 4, 1972, pp. 706–7 (pp. 4–5), pp. 713–14 (pp. 9–10).
  38. ^ (in French) Brisebarre, Anne-Marie, Kuczynski, Liliane, La Tabaski au Sénégal: Une fête musulmane en milieu urbain, Karthala Editions (2009), pp. 13, 141–200, ISBN 2-8111-0244-2.
  39. ^ Krzyżaniak, Lech; Kroeper, Karla & Kobusiewicz, Michał, "Muzeum Archeologiczne w Poznaniu", Interregional contacts in the later prehistory of northeastern Africa, Poznań Archaeological Museum (1996), pp. 57–58, ISBN 83-900434-7-5.
  40. ^ Diop, Cheikh Anta, The African origin of civilization: myth or reality L. Hill (1974), p. 197, ISBN 1-55652-072-7.
  41. ^ African forum, Volumes 3–4, American Society of African Culture, (1967), p. 85.
  42. ^ (in French) Ndiaye, Ousmane Sémou, "Diversite et unicite Sereres: L'exemple de la Region de Thies" [in] Ethiopiques n°54, revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine, Nouvelle série, volume 7 2e semestre (1991) (Retrieved : 10 May 2012).
  43. ^ (Faye, Louis Diène, Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines (1983), ISBN 2-7236-0868-9) [in] Boyd-Buggs, Debra; Scott, Joyce Hope, Camel Tracks: Critical Perspectives on Sahelian Literatures, Africa World Press (2003), p. 56, ISBN 0865437572 [4] (Retrieved : 10 May 2012).
  44. ^ Gravrand, La civilisation sereer : Pangool p. 20.
  45. ^ a b c Madiya, Clémentine Faïk-Nzuji, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies, "International Centre for African Language, Literature and Tradition", (Louvain, Belgium), pp. 27, 155, ISBN 0-660-15965-1.
  46. ^ Gravrand, Henry, La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal, 1990, p. 77, ISBN 2-7236-1055-1.
  47. ^ Gambian Studies No. 17., "People of The Gambia. I. The Wolof with notes on the Serer and the Lebou", By David P. Gamble & Linda K. Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie, San Francisco (1985).
  48. ^ Espie, Ian, A thousand years of West African history: a handbook for teachers and students, Editors: J. F. Ade Ajayi, Ian Espie, Humanities Press (1972), p. 134, ISBN 0391002171.
  49. ^ (in French) Becker, Charles: Vestiges historiques, trémoins matériels du passé clans les pays sereer. Dakar. 1993. CNRS - ORS TO M (Excerpt) (Retrieved : 28 June 2012).
  50. ^ Diop, Cheikh Anta, The African origin of civilization: myth or reality, L. Hill (1974), p. 196, ISBN 0-88208-021-0.
  51. ^ Gravrand, Henry, La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), pp. 9, 20 & 77, ISBN 2-7236-1055-1.
  52. ^ Becker, Charles, Vestiges historiques, trémoins matériels du passé clans les pays sereer, Dakar (1993), CNRS - ORS TO M.
  53. ^ Gravrand, Henry, Pangool, p. 216.
  54. ^ Berg, Elizabeth L., & Wan, Ruth, Cultures of the World: Senegal, Benchmark Books (New York) (2009), p. 144, ISBN 978-0-7614-4481-7.
  55. ^ Kalis, Simone, "Médecine Traditionnelle, Religion et Divination Chez les Seereer Siin du Sénégal" – La Coonaissance de la Nuit, L'Harmattan (1997), pp. 25–60, ISBN 2-7384-5196-9.
  56. ^ The following is an account of Henry Gravrand's description of the representation of "Yoonir", Serer ancestral links to the "Sahara" and the ancient relics of Thiemassas in modern day Senegal:
    "Fixed towards the sky or drawn on the ground.
    The Star (Yoonir)
    The Sereer symbol of the universe
    The five branches represents
    the black man standing head held high,
    hands raised representing
    work and prayer.
    Sign of God :Image of Man." (Gravrand, "Pangool" p. 21).
  57. ^ Gravrand, Henry, La civilisation Sereer Pangool, Les nouvelles Edition (1990), p. 20.
  58. ^ Madiya, Clémentine Faïk-Nzuji, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies, International Centre for African Language, Literature and Tradition, (Louvain, Belgium), Tracing memory: a glossary of graphic signs and symbols in African art and culture, Canadian Museum of Civilization (1996), pp. 5, 27, 115, ISBN 0-660-15965-1.
  59. ^ a b John Glover. Sufism and jihad in modern Senegal: the Murid order.
  60. ^ a b Conversion to Islam: Military Recruitment and Generational Conflict in a Sereer-Safin Village (Bandia).
  61. ^ Sarr, Alioune, Histoire du Sine-Saloum, Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3–4, 1986–1987, pp. 37–39.
  62. ^ Klein, Martin A., Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847–1914, Edinburgh University Press (1968), pp. 90–91.
  63. ^ Camara, Alhaji Sait, [in] Sunu Chossan formerly Chossani Senegambia (history of Senegambia). GRTS Programs.
  64. ^ It can mean either "heart" or "honour" depending on the context.
  65. ^ Gravrand, Pangool, p. 40.
  66. ^ (in French) Gravrand, Henry : "L'Heritage spirituel Sereer : Valeur Traditionnelle d'hier, d'aujourd'hui et de demain" [in] Ethiopiques, numéro 31, révue socialiste de culture négro-africaine, 3e trimestre 1982 (Retrieved : 10 May 2012).

Bibliography

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  • Faye, Louis Diène, Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1983, pp. 9–44, ISBN 2-7236-0868-9
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  • Thiaw, Issa Laye, La religiosité des Seereer, avant et pendant leur islamisation, in Éthiopiques, no. 54, volume 7, 2e semestre 1991
  • Galvan, Dennis Charles, The State Must Be Our Master of Fire: How Peasants Craft Culturally Sustainable Development in Senegal. Berkeley, University of California Press, 2004, pp. 108–304, ISBN 0-520-23591-6
  • Fondation Léopold Sédar Senghor. Éthiopiques, Issues 55–56. 1991. pp. 62–95
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  • Klein, Martin A, Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847-1914, Edinburgh at the University Press (1968)

December 28, 2022
serer, religion, ƭat, roog, divine, original, religious, beliefs, practices, teachings, serer, people, senegal, west, africa, believes, universal, supreme, deity, called, roog, cangin, languages, roog, referred, koox, kooh, kopé, tiatie, kokh, serer, people, f. The Serer religion or a ƭat Roog the way of the Divine is the original religious beliefs practices and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in West Africa The Serer religion believes in a universal supreme deity called Roog or Rog In the Cangin languages Roog is referred to as Koox or Kooh 1 Kope Tiatie Cac and Kokh Kox 2 The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia region In the 20th century around 85 of the Serer converted to Islam Sufism 3 4 but some are Christians or follow their traditional religion 5 Traditional Serer religious practices encompass ancient chants and poems veneration of and offerings to deities as well as spirits pangool initiation rites folk medicine and Serer history Contents 1 Beliefs 1 1 Divinity 1 1 1 Divinity and humanity 1 2 Ancestral spirits and saints 1 3 Afterlife 2 Family totems 3 The secret order of the Saltigue 4 Holy ceremonies and festivals 4 1 Raan festival 5 Religious law 5 1 Day of rest 5 2 Marriage 5 3 Premarital relationship 5 4 Adultery 5 5 Murder 6 Religious attire 7 Medicine harvest and offerings 8 Influence on Senegambia 9 Mummification and Cult of the Upright Stones 10 Cosmology 11 Religious devotion and martyrdom 12 See also 13 Notes 14 BibliographyBeliefs EditDivinity Edit Main articles Roog Koox Kope Tiatie Cac and Cosmogony in the Serer creation myth The Serer people believe in a supreme deity called Roog or Rog and sometimes referred to as Roog Sene Roog The Immensity or The Merciful God 6 Serer tradition deals with various dimensions of life death space and time ancestral spirit communications and cosmology There are also other lesser gods goddesses and supernatural spirits or genie pangool or nguus 7 such as the fangool Mendiss or Mindis a female protector of Fatick Region and the arm of the sea that bears her name the god Tiurakh var Thiorak or Tulrakh god of wealth and the god Takhar var Taahkarr god of justice or vengeance 8 9 Roog is neither the devil nor a genie but the Lord of creation 10 Roog is the very embodiment of both male and female to whom offerings are made at the foot of trees such as the sacred baobab tree the sea the river such as the sacred River Sine in people s own homes or community shrine etc Roog Sene is reachable perhaps to a lesser extent by the Serer high priests and priestesses Saltigue who have been initiated and possess the knowledge and power to organise their thoughts into a single cohesive unit However Roog is always in watch of its children and always available to them 11 Divinity and humanity Edit In Serer Roog Sene is the lifeblood to which the incorruptible and sanctified soul returns to eternal peace after they depart the living world Roog Sene sees knows and hears everything but does not interfere in the day to day affairs of the living world Instead lesser gods and goddesses act as Roog s assistants in the physical world Individuals have the free will to either live a good and spiritually fulfilled life in accordance with Serer religious doctrines or waver from such doctrines by living an unsanctified lifestyle in the physical world Those who live their lives contrary to the teachings will be rightfully punished in the afterlife 12 Ancestral spirits and saints Edit Main article Pangool See also Intercession of Saints in the Serer religion Ordinary Serers address their prayers to the pangool the Serer ancestral spirits and saints as they are the intermediaries between the living world and the divine An orthodox Serer must remain faithful to the ancestral spirits as the soul is sanctified as a result of the ancestors intercession between the living world and the divine The pangool have both a historical significance as well as a religious one They are connected to the history of the Serer by virtue of the fact that the pangool is associated with the founding of Serer villages and towns as a group of pangool would accompany village founders called lamane or laman who were their ancient kings as they make their journey looking for land to exploit Without them the lamane exploits would not have been possible In the religious sense these ancient lamanes created shrines to these pangool thereby becoming the priests and custodians of the shrine As such they became the intermediaries among the land the people and the pangool 13 Whenever any member of the lamanic lineage dies the whole Serer community celebrates in honour of the exemplary lives they had lived on earth in accordance with the teachings of the Serer religion Serer prayers are addressed to the pangool who act as intercessors between the living world and the divine In addressing their prayers to the pangool the Serers chant ancient songs and offer sacrifices such as bull sheep goat chicken or harvested crops Afterlife Edit See also Reincarnation in the Serer religion and Concept of Hell in African Religions The immortality of the soul and reincarnation ciiɗ in Serer 14 is a strongly held belief in Serer religion The pangool are canonised where as holy saints and will be called upon and venerated and have the power to intercede between the living and the divine The Serer strive to be accepted by their ancestors who have long departed and to gain the ability to intercede with the divine Failure to do so results in rejection by the ancestors and becoming a lost and wandering soul 10 15 Family totems EditEach Serer family has a totem Taana Totems are prohibitions as well as guardians They can be animals and plants among other beings For example the totem of the Joof family is the antelope Any brutality against this animal by the Joof family is prohibited This respect gives the Joof family holy protection The totem of the Njie family is the lion the totem of the Sene family is the hare and for the Sarr family is the giraffe and the camel 16 17 The secret order of the Saltigue EditMain article Saltigue See also Divination in the Serer Religion and Rainmaker in the Traditional African religion Both men and women can be initiated into the secret order of the Saltigue Spiritual Elder In accordance with Serer religious doctrines for one to become a Saltigue one must be initiated which is somewhat reserved for a small number of insiders particularly in the mysteries of the universe and the unseen world The Xooy Xoy or Khoy ceremony is a special religious event in the Serer religious calendar It is the time when the initiated Saltigue Serer High Priests and Priestesses come together to literally predict the future in front of the community These diviners and healers deliver sermons at the Xooy Ceremony which relates to the future weather politics economics and so on 18 The event brings together thousands of people to Holy Sine from all over the world Ultra orthodox Serers and Serers who syncretise mix Islam or Christianity with the old Serer religion as well as non Serers such as the Lebou people who are a distinct group but still revere the ancient religious practices of their Serer ancestors among others gather at Sine for this ancient ceremony Serers who live in the West sometimes spend months planning for the pilgrimage The event goes on for several days where the Saltigue take centre stage and the ceremony usually begins in the first week of June at Fatick Holy ceremonies and festivals EditSee also Ndut initiation rite The symbol of the Ndut initiation rite Xooy variation Xoy or Khoy Jobai Randou Rande Mindisse Mbosseh Mboudaye Tobaski Gamo var Gamou Tourou Peithie 19 Daqaar mboob 20 Raan Festival NdutRaan festival Edit The Raan festival of Tukar takes place in the old village of Tukar founded by Lamane Jegan Joof or Lamane Djigan Diouf in French speaking Senegal around the 11th century 21 22 It is headed by his descendants the Lamanic lineage The Raan occurs every year on the second Thursday after the appearance of the new moon in April On the morning of Raan the Lamane would prepare offerings of millet sour milk and sugar After sunrise the Lamane makes a visit to the sacred pond the shrine of Saint Luguun Joof who guided Lamane Jegan Joof after he migrated from Lambaye north of Sine The Lamane would make an offering to Saint Luguun and spends the early morning in ritual prayer and meditation After that he makes a tour of Tukar and perform ritual offerings of milk millet and wine as well as small animals at key shrines trees and sacred locations The people make their way to the compound of the chief Saltigue the Serer high priests and priestess who are the hereditary rain priests selected from the Lamane s lineage for their oracular talent 23 Religious law EditDay of rest Edit In Serer religion Monday is the day of rest Cultural activities such as Njom or Laamb Senegalese wrestling and weddings are also prohibited on Thursday 10 Marriage Edit Courting for a wife is permitted but with boundaries Women are given respect and honour in Serer religion The woman must not be dishonoured or engaged in a physical relationship until after she has been married When a man desires a woman the man provides the woman gifts as a mark of interest If the woman and her family accept this then becomes an implied contract that she should therefore not court or accept gifts from another man whose aim is to court her 24 25 Premarital relationship Edit Were a young man and a woman found engaged in premarital relationships both are exiled to avoid bringing shame to the family even if pregnancy resulted from that courtship 24 Adultery Edit Adultery is dealt with by the Serer jurisprudence of Mbaax Dak A Tiit the rule of compensation 26 If a married woman engaged in adultery with another man both adulterers are humiliated in different ways The wronged male spouse the husband is entitled to take the undergarment of the other male and hang it outside his house to show that the male lover had broken custom by committing adultery with his wife The lover would be shunned from the Serer society no family would want to marry into his family and he would be excommunicated This was and is seen as extremely humiliating many male Serers have been known to take their own lives because they couldn t bear the humiliation 24 27 The public display of undergarments was not applied to women when women marry in Serer society they braid their hair in a particular style which is restricted to married women it is a symbol of their status which is highly valued in Serer society An adulteress s female relatives unbraid her hair This is so humiliating and degrading for a married woman that many women have been known to commit suicide rather than endure the shame 24 27 The wronged man can forgive both his wife and her lover if he chooses to The adulterers and their respective families must gather at the king chief or elder s compound to formally seek forgiveness This will be in front of the community because the rules that govern society have been broken The doctrine extends to both married men and women Protection is given to the wronged spouse regardless of his or her gender 28 27 Murder Edit Serer final resting place with Serer grave diggers The top points are directed towards the gods 1821 In the past where someone kills another person the victim s family have the right to either forgive or seek vengeance Again the murderer and his family will gather at a local centre headed by the Chief or the palace headed by the King Before this judgement the murderer s family will cook some food millet to be shared among the community and the victim s family The victim s family will nominate a strong man armed with a spear with a piece of cooked lamb or beef at the end of it This assassin taking his instruction from the victim s family will run towards the murderer who has now got his mouth open waiting for his judgement If the assassin killed the murderer with his spear then that is the end of it the victim s family have made their judgment After that the food that had been cooked would not be eaten and everyone would disperse From that day on the families are strangers to each other If on the other hand the assassin ran and gently feed the murderer with the piece of meat sticking at his spear then that signals that the victim s family have forgiven the murderer In that case the community would enjoy the meal and the two families would be sealed as one and sometimes even marry off their children to each other 28 29 Religious attire EditSerers may wear an item belonging to their ancestor such as the hair of an ancestor or an ancestor s treasured belonging which they turn into juju on their person or visibly on their necks 30 Medicine harvest and offerings EditThe Serers also have an ancient knowledge of herbalism which is passed down and takes years to acquire 31 32 The Senegalese government has set a school and centre to preserve this ancient knowledge and teach it to the young The CEMETRA Centre Experimental de Medecine Traditionnelle de Fatick Membership alone consist of at least 550 professional Serer healers in the Serer region of Sine Saloum 33 Several traditional practices linked with land and agricultural activities are known two examples are described below Prediction ceremonies organized by the Saltige who are considered to be the custodians of indigenous knowledge Such meetings are aimed at providing information and warning people about what will happen in the village during the next rainy season Preparation of sowings a ceremony called Daqaar mboob aimed at ensuring good millet or groundnut production For this purpose every grower has to obtain something called Xos further to a competitive ceremony consisting of hunting racing etc 31 Influence on Senegambia EditAs the old pagan festivals are borrowed and altered by Christianity which came later 34 the names of ancient Serer religious festivals were also borrowed by Senegambian Muslims in a different way to describe genuine Islamic festivals in their own language The Serers are one of very few communities in Senegambia apart from the Jolas who actually have a name for god s which is not borrowed from Arabic but indigenous to their language 35 Tobaski var Tabaski was an ancient Serer hunting festival Gamo was an ancient Serer divination festival Korite from the Serer word kor 36 was a male initiation rite Weri Kor was the season or month Serer males went through their initiation rites Gamo comes from the old Serer word Gamahou variation Gamohou Eid al kabir or eidul adha which are Arabic are different from Serer Tobaski but the Senegambian Muslims loaned Tobaski from Serer religion to describe Eid al Kabir Gamo also derives from Serer religion 37 38 The Arabic word for it is Mawlid or Mawlid an Nabi which celebrates the birth of Muhammad Weri Kor the month of fasting Ramadan in Arabic and Koriteh or Korite Aid el fitr in Arabic which celebrates the end of the month of fasting also comes from the Serer language Mummification and Cult of the Upright Stones EditMain articles Serer ancient history and Timeline of Serer history Senegambian stone circles The dead especially those from the upper echelons of society were mummified in order to prepare them for the afterlife Jaaniiw They were accompanied by grave goods including gold silver metal their armour and other personal objects Mummification is less common now especially post independence 39 29 40 41 The dead were buried in a pyramid shaped tomb 29 42 The Serer griots play a vital and religious role on the death of a Serer King On the death of a Serer king the Fara Lamb Sine the chief griot in the Serer Kingdom of Sine would bury his treasured drum the junjung with the king His other drums would be played for the last time before their burial in the ground facing east The griots then chant ancient songs marked by sadness and praise for the departed king The last time this ceremony occurred was on 8 March 1969 following the death of the last king of Sine Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof Serer Maye Koor Juuf 43 Yoonir symbol of the Universe 44 45 The cult of the Upright Stone such as the Senegambian stone circles which were probably built by predecessors of the Serer 46 47 48 49 were also a place of worship Laterite megaliths were carved planted and directed towards the sky 50 51 52 Cosmology Edit Serer cosmogony A representation of the universe The three worlds the invisible world the terrestrial world and the nocturnal world 53 Main article Serer creation myth One of the most important cosmological stars of the Serer people is called Yoonir The Star of Yoonir is part of the Serer cosmos It is very important and sacred and just one of many religious symbols in Serer religion and cosmology It is the brightest star in the night sky Sirius With an ancient heritage of farming Yoonir is very important and sacred in Serer religion 54 55 because it announces the beginning of flooding and enables Serer farmers to start planting seeds The Dogon people of Mali call it Sigui whilst in Serer it is called Yoonir 56 represented in the form of the Pangool interceders with Roog the Supreme Deity and Man It is before this event where the Serer High Priests and Priestesses known as Saltigue gather at the Xooy annual divination ceremony where they predict the course of the winter months among other things relevant to the lives of the Serer people 57 58 The Pangool singular Fangool are ancestral spirits also ancient Serer Saints in Serer religion represented by snakes The peak of the Star top point represents the Supreme Deity Roog The other four points represent the cardinal points of the Universe The crossing of the lines bottom left and top right and top left and bottom right pinpoints the axis of the Universe that all energies pass The top point is the point of departure and conclusion the origin and the end 45 Among the Serers who cannot read or write the Latin alphabet it is very common for them to sign official documents with the Star of Yoonir as the Star also represents good fortune and destiny 45 Religious devotion and martyrdom EditSee also Religious persecution of the Serers While most Serers converted to Islam and Christianity specifically Roman Catholic their conversion was after colonization They and the Jola people were the last to convert to these religions 59 60 Many still follow the Serer religion especially in the ancient Kingdom of Sine with Senegal and the Gambia being predominantly Muslim countries 59 60 The Serers have also battled many prominent African Islamic jihadists over the centuries Some of those like Maba Diakhou Ba is considered a national hero and given a saint like status by Senegambian Muslims He himself was killed in battle fighting against the Serer King of Sine Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof on 18 July 1867 at The Battle of Fandane Thiouthioune commonly known as The Battle of Somb 61 62 At the surprise attacks of Naodorou Kaymor and Ngaye where the Serers were defeated they killed themselves rather than be conquered by the Muslim forces In these 19th century Islamic Marabout wars many of the Serers villagers committed martyrdom including jumping to their deaths at the Well of Tahompa 63 In Serer religion suicide is only permitted if it satisfies the Serer principle of Jom also spelt Joom which literally means honour 64 in the Serer language a code of beliefs and values that govern Serer lives 65 66 See also Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Serer religion Senegal portal Gambia portal Traditional African religion portal Religion portal Africa portal Mauritania portalLamane Saltigue Serer creation myth States headed by ancient Serer Lamanes Timeline of Serer historyNotes Edit in French Dupire Marguerite Sagesse sereer Essais sur la pensee sereer ndut Karthala Editions 1994 p 54 ISBN 2865374874 in French Ndiaye Ousmane Semou Diversite et unicite sereres l exemple de la region de Thies Ethiopiques no 54 vol 7 2e semestre 1991 1 Olson James Stuart 1996 The Peoples of Africa An Ethnohistorical Dictionary Greenwood p 516 ISBN 978 0313279188 Leonardo A Villalon 2006 Islamic Society and State Power in Senegal Disciples and Citizens in Fatick Cambridge University Press pp 71 74 ISBN 978 0 521 03232 2 James Stuart Olson 1996 The Peoples of Africa An Ethnohistorical Dictionary Greenwood p 516 ISBN 978 0 313 27918 8 in French Faye Louis Diene Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines 1983 ISBN 2 7236 0868 9 p 44 Nguus means genie See Kalis p 153 Henry Gravrand La civilisation sereer vol II Pangool Nouvelles editions africaines Dakar 1990 Kellog Day Otis and Smith William Robertson The Encyclopaedia Britannica latest edition A dictionary of arts sciences and general literature Volume 25 p 64 Werner 1902 a b c Verbatim le Maitre Seigneur de la creature in French Thaiw Issa Laye La religiosite des Seereer avant et pendant leur islamisation in Ethiopiques no 54 volume 7 2e semestre 1991 Gravrand Pangool pp 205 8 Fondation Leopold Sedar Senghor Ethiopiques Issues 55 56 1991 pp 62 95 Galvan Dennis Charles The State Must Be Our Master of Fire How Peasants Craft Culturally Sustainable Development in Senegal Berkeley University of California Press 2004 p 53 ISBN 0520235916 Ciiɗ means poetry in Serer it can also mean the reincarnated or the dead who seek to reincarnate in Serer religion Two chapters are devoted to this by Faye see Faye Louis Diene Mort et Naissance Le Monde Sereer Les Nouvelles Edition Africaines 1983 pp 9 10 ISBN 2 7236 0868 9 Faye Louise Diene Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines 1983 pp 17 25 ISBN 2 7236 0868 9 Jean Marc Gastellu M Sambe 1937 in L egalitarisme economique des Serer du Senegal IRD Editions 1981 p 130 ISBN 2 7099 0591 4 in French Gravrand Henry La civilisation sereer vol I Cosaan les origines Nouvelles editions africaines Dakar 1983 p 211 ISBN 2723608778 Sarr Alioune Histoire du Sine Saloum introduction bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker in Bulletin de l IFAN tome 46 serie B nos 3 4 1986 1987 pp 31 38 in French Niang Mor Sadio in Ethiopiques numero 31 revue socialiste de culture negro africaine 3e trimestre IFAN 1982 From Xoy to Tourou Peithie 2 Archived 24 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Seck A Sow I amp Niass M Senegal in The biodiversity of traditional leafy vegetables pp 85 110 Galvan Dennis Charles pp 108 111 and 122 304 University of California Press 2004 ISBN 0 520 23591 6 Bressers Hans amp Rosenbaum Walter A Achieving sustainable development the challenge of governance across social scales Greenwood Publishing Group 2003 p 151 ISBN 0 275 97802 8 Galvan Dennis Charles University of California Press 2004 p 202 ISBN 0 520 23591 6 a b c d Thiaw Issa Laye La femme Seereer Senegal L Harmattan Paris septembre 2005 pp 92 255 65 ISBN 2 7475 8907 2 La Piallee No 141 avril 2006 Dakar Thiaw Issa Laye La femme Seereer Senegal in Fatou K Camara Moving from Teaching African Cusmary Laws to Teaching African Indigenous Law a b c Thaiw Issa Laye La femme Seereer Senegal L Harmattan Paris septembre 2005 p 169 ISBN 2 7475 8907 2 a b Thiaw Issa Laye Corporal Punishment in Seereer Customary Law pp 25 28 a b c Dupire Marguerite Les tombes de chiens mythologies de la mort en pays Serer Senegal Journal of Religion in Africa 1985 vol 15 fasc 3 pp 201 215 Joshua Project What are their beliefs a b Secka A Sow I and Niass M Collaborators A D Ndoye T Kante A Thiam P Faye and T Ndiaye Senegal Horticonsult The biodiversity of traditional leafy vegetables pp 85 110 3 permanent dead link Kalis Simone Medecine traditionnelle religion et divination chez les Seereer Siin du Senegal L Harmattan 1997 ISBN 2 7384 5196 9 Promotion de Medicine Traditionnelles in French Prometra International Prometra France Archived from the original on 5 December 2011 Retrieved 10 May 2012 Biblical Archaeology Society Bible review Volumes 18 19 Published by Biblical Archaeology Society 2002 ISBN 0 9677901 0 7 Wade Amadou Chronique du Walo senegalais 1186 1855 trans B Cisse V Monteil Bulletin de l IFAN Series B Vol 26 no 3 4 1941 1964 Meaning man or male Variation gor as in Senghor Diouf Niokhobaye Chronique du royaume du Sine suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources ecrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin 1972 1972 Bulletin de l IFAN tome 34 serie B no 4 1972 pp 706 7 pp 4 5 pp 713 14 pp 9 10 in French Brisebarre Anne Marie Kuczynski Liliane La Tabaski au Senegal Une fete musulmane en milieu urbain Karthala Editions 2009 pp 13 141 200 ISBN 2 8111 0244 2 Krzyzaniak Lech Kroeper Karla amp Kobusiewicz Michal Muzeum Archeologiczne w Poznaniu Interregional contacts in the later prehistory of northeastern Africa Poznan Archaeological Museum 1996 pp 57 58 ISBN 83 900434 7 5 Diop Cheikh Anta The African origin of civilization myth or reality L Hill 1974 p 197 ISBN 1 55652 072 7 African forum Volumes 3 4 American Society of African Culture 1967 p 85 in French Ndiaye Ousmane Semou Diversite et unicite Sereres L exemple de la Region de Thies in Ethiopiques n 54 revue semestrielle de culture negro africaine Nouvelle serie volume 7 2e semestre 1991 Retrieved 10 May 2012 Faye Louis Diene Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines 1983 ISBN 2 7236 0868 9 in Boyd Buggs Debra Scott Joyce Hope Camel Tracks Critical Perspectives on Sahelian Literatures Africa World Press 2003 p 56 ISBN 0865437572 4 Retrieved 10 May 2012 Gravrand La civilisation sereer Pangool p 20 a b c Madiya Clementine Faik Nzuji Canadian Museum of Civilization Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies International Centre for African Language Literature and Tradition Louvain Belgium pp 27 155 ISBN 0 660 15965 1 Gravrand Henry La Civilisation Sereer Pangool Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal 1990 p 77 ISBN 2 7236 1055 1 Gambian Studies No 17 People of The Gambia I The Wolof with notes on the Serer and the Lebou By David P Gamble amp Linda K Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie San Francisco 1985 Espie Ian A thousand years of West African history a handbook for teachers and students Editors J F Ade Ajayi Ian Espie Humanities Press 1972 p 134 ISBN 0391002171 in French Becker Charles Vestiges historiques tremoins materiels du passe clans les pays sereer Dakar 1993 CNRS ORS TO M Excerpt Retrieved 28 June 2012 Diop Cheikh Anta The African origin of civilization myth or reality L Hill 1974 p 196 ISBN 0 88208 021 0 Gravrand Henry La Civilisation Sereer Pangool Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal 1990 pp 9 20 amp 77 ISBN 2 7236 1055 1 Becker Charles Vestiges historiques tremoins materiels du passe clans les pays sereer Dakar 1993 CNRS ORS TO M Gravrand Henry Pangool p 216 Berg Elizabeth L amp Wan Ruth Cultures of the World Senegal Benchmark Books New York 2009 p 144 ISBN 978 0 7614 4481 7 Kalis Simone Medecine Traditionnelle Religion et Divination Chez les Seereer Siin du Senegal La Coonaissance de la Nuit L Harmattan 1997 pp 25 60 ISBN 2 7384 5196 9 The following is an account of Henry Gravrand s description of the representation of Yoonir Serer ancestral links to the Sahara and the ancient relics of Thiemassas in modern day Senegal Fixed towards the sky or drawn on the ground The Star Yoonir The Sereer symbol of the universe The five branches represents the black man standing head held high hands raised representing work and prayer Sign of God Image of Man Gravrand Pangool p 21 Gravrand Henry La civilisation Sereer Pangool Les nouvelles Edition 1990 p 20 Madiya Clementine Faik Nzuji Canadian Museum of Civilization Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies International Centre for African Language Literature and Tradition Louvain Belgium Tracing memory a glossary of graphic signs and symbols in African art and culture Canadian Museum of Civilization 1996 pp 5 27 115 ISBN 0 660 15965 1 a b John Glover Sufism and jihad in modern Senegal the Murid order a b Conversion to Islam Military Recruitment and Generational Conflict in a Sereer Safin Village Bandia Sarr Alioune Histoire du Sine Saloum Introduction bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker BIFAN Tome 46 Serie B n 3 4 1986 1987 pp 37 39 Klein Martin A Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine Saloum 1847 1914 Edinburgh University Press 1968 pp 90 91 Camara Alhaji Sait in Sunu Chossan formerly Chossani Senegambia history of Senegambia GRTS Programs It can mean either heart or honour depending on the context Gravrand Pangool p 40 in French Gravrand Henry L Heritage spirituel Sereer Valeur Traditionnelle d hier d aujourd hui et de demain in Ethiopiques numero 31 revue socialiste de culture negro africaine 3e trimestre 1982 Retrieved 10 May 2012 Bibliography EditThiaw Issa Laye Myth de la Creation du monde selon les sages Seereer p 45 Dion Salif L Education traditionnelle a travers les chants et poemes sereer Dakar Universite de Dakar 1983 p 344 Gravrand Henry La civilisation sereer vol II Pangool Nouvelles editions africaines Dakar 1990 pp 9 77 ISBN 2 7236 1055 1 Gravrand Henry L Heritage spirituel Sereer Valeur Traditionnelle d hier d aujourd hui et de demain in Ethiopiques numero 31 revue socialiste de culture negro africaine 3e trimestre 1982 Faye Louis Diene Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines 1983 pp 9 44 ISBN 2 7236 0868 9 Kellog Day Otis amp Smith William Robertson The Encyclopaedia Britannica latest edition A dictionary of arts sciences and general literature Volume 25 p 64 Published by Werner 1902 Thiaw Issa Laye La religiosite des Seereer avant et pendant leur islamisation in Ethiopiques no 54 volume 7 2e semestre 1991 Galvan Dennis Charles The State Must Be Our Master of Fire How Peasants Craft Culturally Sustainable Development in Senegal Berkeley University of California Press 2004 pp 108 304 ISBN 0 520 23591 6 Fondation Leopold Sedar Senghor Ethiopiques Issues 55 56 1991 pp 62 95 Gastellu Jean Marc with ref to notes of M Sambe 1937 L egalitarisme economique des Serer du Senegal IRD Editions 1981 p 130 ISBN 2 7099 0591 4 Gravrand Henry La civilisation sereer vol I Cosaan les origines Nouvelles editions africaines Dakar 1983 Sarr Alioune Histoire du Sine Saloum introduction bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker in Bulletin de l IFAN tome 46 serie B nos 3 4 1986 1987 pp 31 38 Niang Mor Sadio IFAN Ethiopiques numero 31 revue socialiste de culture negro africaine 3e trimestre 1982 Seck A Sow I amp Niass M Senegal in The biodiversity of traditional leafy vegetables p 85 110 Bressers Hans amp Rosenbaum Walter A Achieving sustainable development the challenge of governance across social scales Greenwood Publishing Group 2003 p 151 ISBN 0 275 97802 8 18 Thiaw Issa Laye La femme Seereer Senegal L Harmattan Paris septembre 2005 p 169 ISBN 2 7475 8907 2 LA PIAILLEE No 141 avril 2006 Dakar Dupire Marguerite Les tombes de chiens mythologies de la mort en pays Serer Senegal Journal of Religion in Africa 1985 vol 15 fasc 3 pp 201 215 Dupire Marguerite Sagesse sereer Essais sur la pensee sereer ndut KARTHALA Editions 1994 p 54 ISBN 2865374874 Kalis Simone Medecine Traditionnelle Religion et Divination Chez les Seereer Siin du Senegal La Coonaissance de la Nuit L Harmattan 1997 pp 25 60 ISBN 2 7384 5196 9 Biblical Archaeology Society Bible review Volumes 18 19 Published by Biblical Archaeology Society 2002 ISBN 0 9677901 0 7 Wade Amadou Chronique du Walo senegalais 1186 1855 B Cisse trans V Monteil Bulletin de l IFAN Series B Vol 26 no 3 4 1941 1964 Diouf Niokhobaye Chronique du royaume du Sine suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources ecrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin 1972 Bulletin de l IFAN tome 34 serie B no 4 1972 pp 706 7 pp 4 5 pp 713 14 pp 9 10 Krzyzaniak Lech Kroeper Karla amp Kobusiewicz Michal Muzeum Archeologiczne w Poznaniu Interregional contacts in the later prehistory of northeastern Africa Poznan Archaeological Museum 1996 pp 57 58 ISBN 83 900434 7 5 Diop Cheikh Anta The African origin of civilization myth or reality L Hill 1974 pp 9 197 ISBN 1 55652 072 7 American Society of African Culture African forum Volumes 3 4 American Society of African Culture 1967 p 85 Ndiaye Ousmane Semou Diversite et unicite Sereres L exemple de la Region de Thies Ethiopiques n 54 revue semestrielle de culture negro africaine Nouvelle serie volume 7 2e semestre 1991 Becker Charles Vestiges historiques tremoins materiels du passe clans les pays sereer Dakar 1993 CNRS ORS TO M Madiya Clementine Faik Nzuji Canadian Museum of Civilization Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies International Centre for African Language Literature and Tradition Louvain Belgium Tracing memory a glossary of graphic signs and symbols in African art and culture Canadian Museum of Civilization 1996 pp 5 115 ISBN 0 660 15965 1 Berg Elizabeth L amp Wan Ruth Cultures of the World Senegal Benchmark Books NY 2009 p 144 ISBN 978 0 7614 4481 7 Conversion to Islam Military Recruitment and Generational Conflict in a Sereer Safin Village Bandia Klein Martin A Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine Saloum 1847 1914 Edinburgh at the University Press 1968 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Serer religion amp oldid 1121348324, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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