Music He was called Ndyadyane Ndyaye, and his descendants were called Ndiayes or Njie, and these led to ruling families of Wolof, Mali according to this mythical legend. These include the role that marriage plays in the family formation in the Wolof society, what the economic background of the plural marriages is, and which traditions describe the marriage ceremony of the Wolof culture. Therefore, priority is first given to marriage to a maternal uncles daughter. Entertainment When she moves, the tinkling sound is supposed to deflect. "The Marriage Traditions of Wolof Culture." PDF file. Linguistic Taboo in African Marriage Context: A Study of the Oromo Laguu. Nordic Journal of African Studies 11.2 (2002): 224-235. This aspect makes family a very important dimension in the economic wellbeing of the Wolof people. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [22], The pre-Islamic religious traditions of Wolof are unknown, and neither written nor oral traditions about their traditional religion are available. Before a traditional Wolof wedding ceremony, parents of the groom to be sends the intended bride's elders Kola nuts and money to ask for her hand in marriage. Have you ever been a flower girl, a bridesmaid, or caught the bouquet at a friends wedding? Privacy Policy. With these firearms, the intensity and violence of Wolof slave raids (and conflicts with other ethnic groups in general) increased. The Wolof people are found in North Eastern part of Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia. Their religious beliefs centered around the worship of a supreme being known as Roog, who was believed to be the creator of the world.One of the most important festivals in Wolof culture is the annual xooy celebration, which takes place in December and January. Their history and cultural traditions date back thousands of years, making them one of the most fascinating and vibrant tribes in West Africa. The marriage traditions of the Wolof people show a clear picture of how the Wolof people regard family relationships and their expected contribution to the wellbeing of society. This fun wedding tradition dates back to the 14th century. [8][9][10] Wolofs joined the various competing Sufi Muslim movements in the 20th century, particularly those belonging to the Mouride and Tijaniyyah Islamic brotherhoods. Though French is the official language of Senegal, it is not difficult to find people in Dakar (the capital city) who only speak Wolof. Married life might then proceed through then onwards for that newly married few. Free Essay Examples Database. Although this scenario has slightly changed with time, this practice is still prevalent in rural areas albeit with some minor adjustments. Settling with the marabouts met imbibing their culture and traditions hence 99.9% of Wolof people became Muslim. November 28, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-marriage-traditions-of-wolof-culture/. [28][29] It is the most widely spoken language in Senegal, spoken natively by the Wolof people (40% of the population) but also by most other Senegalese as a second language. (2019, November 28). InlandTown 3. Although traditions play an important role, history has shown us that its okay to get a little creative when it comes to planning your special day. Clearly, the family unit is a fundamental unit of the Wolof culture, and apart from being a building block for society, it defines the economic status of a man. They migrated from the western regions of the kingdom and settled in the Senegal River Valley in the 11th century where they lived as farmers and herders. Weddings Here is a picture of a group of women in beautiful colorful dresses waiting. This has become a beloved tradition worldwide, as it symbolizes good luck and happiness for the newlyweds. [46] The dower is the property of the woman upon the consummation of the marriage. [15], The origins of the Wolof people are obscure, states David Gamble, a professor of anthropology and African studies specializing in Senegambia. griot, Mande jeli or jali, Wolof gewel, West African troubadour-historian.The griot profession is hereditary and has long been a part of West African culture.The griots' role has traditionally been to preserve the genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions of their people; praise songs are also part of the griot's repertoire.Many griots play the kora, a long-necked harp lute . In some cases, the rigid traditional systems in which the parents make all the decisions concerning matters of marriage are still witnessed (Melching 68). Scholars carry out these research studies in the quest to trace the historical development of the different cultures because it is believed that humankind descended from a single ancestry, and thus all people must have shared one culture at one time. IvyPanda. Celebrations of love look different all over the world, so in honor of Valentines Day we looked at the incredible traditions of 10 different countries. However, in the contemporary times, different parts of the world are littered with different cultural groupings. inec This would be accomplished after colorful traditional wedding rituals meant to free the marriage of evil and make it fruitful and successful. Wolof people are the largest ethnic grouping in Senegal (35% of the Senegalese Neighbors would walk down the streets and bang their pots and pans to make as much noise as possible throughout the village in order toscare away evil spirits. Today, a young man may identify a particular girl and after the approval of parents, the father initiates talks to ask for the girls hand in marriage (Gamble et al. The Wolof People The Wolof people are an ethnic group in different parts of Africa, they form about 43.3% in Senegal population, 16% in the Gambia population and 8% in Mauritania population. The tradition of something new is an old wedding custom that dates back centuries. [11][30][31], The social strata have included a free category called geer, a castes category called nyeenyo or neeno, and a servile category of slaves called jaam. Similarly, a West African rice dish is known in English as Jollof rice. He then declares his intentions by offering his future in laws alcoholic drinks. The xooy is a time of great celebration and joy, and is an important moment in the Wolof calendar. Trainee Wolof manual, Dakar: Peace Corps, this season. Tal Tamari, an anthropological researcher at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris, suggests that a corollary of the rising slavery system was the development and growth of a caste system among Wolofs by the 15th century, and other ethnic groups of Africa by about the 13th century. Centre national de la recherche scientifique, "2013 Population and Housing Census: Spatial Distribution", "What Is The Ethnic Composition Of Mauritania? [47][48], The Wolof people are traditionally settled, farmers and artisans. Something old represents continuity. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. The population of the particular world is constituted by a range of social groupings and nationalities. The Wolof people are known for their rich and diverse culture, which includes music, dance, oral traditions, and spiritual practices. All of these customs are expected at modern weddings, but these wedding traditions actually date back to ancient times. The wedding tradition of tying cans to the bumper of the wedding car comes from the French custom of throwing acharivari for the couple. Over time the sheaths of wheat have been replaced with flowers that are scattered along the path that leads up to the altar. ", When Talk Isn't Cheap: Language and Political Economy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wolof_people&oldid=1137220874, Short description is different from Wikidata, "Related ethnic groups" needing confirmation, Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 13:09. [16], With the Arab conquests of West Africa in last centuries of the 1st millennium CE, one theory states that the Wolof people were forced to move into north and east Senegal where over time villages and towns developed into autonomous states such as Baol, Kayor, Saloum, Dimar, Walo, and Sine the overall ruling state being that of Jolof who came together voluntarily to form the Jolof Empire. [7][14] In English, Wollof and Woloff[4] are found, particularly in reference to the Gambian Wolof; for English-speakers, the spelling Wollof is closer to the native pronunciation of the name. [39] She places the development and spread of castes in these societies to about the 10th century, because slave capture, slave trade, and slave holding by elite families across the Sahel, West Africa, and North Africa was an established institution by then, and slavery created a template for servile relationships and social stratification. delta state Although it was traditionally permissible for a young man to marry a paternal aunts daughter, the importance attached to the stability and success of the family unit among the Wolof ensured that the first priority was given to marriage to a maternal uncles daughter. Anambra State Government (ANSG) Consequently, most cultures exhibit elements of different cultures from other parts of the world. While we waited I was introduced to another piece of Senegalese culture: the griots. Older French publications frequently employ the spelling Ouolof; up to the 19th century, the spellings Wolluf, Volof, and Olof are also encountered, among rarer variants like Yolof, Dylof, Chelof, Galof, Lolof, and others. 28 November. Buhari [8] During Victorian times, a pageboy was responsible for carrying a brides train down the aisle along with a prayer book. Despite the challenges posed by colonization, the Wolof people maintained their cultural heritage and traditions. However, religious practice often contains local elements. Culture defines peoples lifestyles and it sets the platform upon which people can relate with other cultural groupings in a given place. FG November 28, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-marriage-traditions-of-wolof-culture/. [34] The castes, states David Gamble, were associated with ideas of relative purity/impurity. Although this scenario has slightly changed with time, this practice is still prevalent in rural areas albeit with some minor adjustments. ASUU IvyPanda. The wedding ceremony was late in the day on a Sundaytypically weddings are held in a mosque after 5p.m. Do you want to stay informed about how you can help fight against extreme poverty? Their religious beliefs centered around the worship of . Marriage between the two groups is generally not permissible. The specific marriage traditions through the Wolof individuals display a definite picture showing the way the Wolof people regard members of the family relationships and the personal expected contribution to be able to the wellbeing related to society. Culture in general makes the wide part of research that can not be analyzed effectively with this papers; consequently, this papers concentrates on wedding ceremony customs of Wolof individuals.