In Senegal, the Wolof are the largest ethnic group (~43.3%), while elsewhere they are a minority. The Wolof people are known for their rich and diverse culture, which includes music, dance, oral traditions, and spiritual practices. The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below. Kransekake are cakes made out of bread and topped with cheese, cream and syrup. Originating from an Old English rhyme that went, 'Something olde, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe', this tradition bears plenty of symbolism. Marriage between the two groups is generally not permissible. Its final demise at the hands of French colonial forces in the 1870s1890s also marks the beginning of the formation of Senegal as a unified state. Have you ever been a flower girl, a bridesmaid, or caught the bouquet at a friends wedding? 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. Young Boys now Use Diapers and Sanitary Pads as Drugs. Although it allowed for a young man to marry a paternal aunts daughter. Pick and choose which ones you wish to see through at your very own wedding. 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. Obi of Onitsha The Wolof ethnic group (or Jollof, Jolof as they are sometimes known) in Gambia make up 16% of the population and are the third largest ethnic group. Since cakes represent fertility, Ancient Romans would bake wheat cakes and break them over the brides head. However, in the contemporary times, different parts of the world are littered with different cultural groupings. [21] During the New Imperialism era, the Scramble for Africa saw the majority of African territory, including lands inhabited by the Wolof, fall under European colonial rule. Also known as a bridal registry, it was a way for the couple to choose their fine china and silver for their big day. [25] The assaults of the 18th and 19th century jihads, states Lapidus, paved the way for massive conversions to Islam, yet not a nearly universal conversion. Need a custom Research Paper sample written from scratch by Because 2022 weddings are such a personal reflection of each couple, couples are pretty divided on the value of the traditional American wedding customs. [43][50], Occupation is traditionally based on gender and inherited caste. [8] Something old represents continuity. [8] In the 19th century, as the colonial French forces launched a war against the Wolof kingdoms, the Wolof people resisted the French and converted to Islam. This specific observation implies that in home with numerous spouses, the individual takes the specific credit score for that particular prosperity which goes to any or all their own wives. anambra citizens In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health. [6][7] In the Gambia, about 16% of the population are Wolof. 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. The pre-Islamic religious traditions of Wolof are unknown, and neither written nor oral traditions about their traditional religion are available. Cassava is also grown, but it has been a source of income for the Wolof farmers. This research paper on The Marriage Traditions of Wolof Culture was written and submitted by your fellow Cattle are also raised, not for food, but milk, tilling the land, and as a reserve of wealth. In some cases, the rigid traditional systems in which the parents make all the decisions concerning matters of marriage are still witnessed (Melching 68). Print. It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. [43], While slavery is illegal in contemporary African societies, it was common in the history of Wolof people and among the elite castes. Roter Wedding (GC3D529) was created by sashito on 2/22/2012. We utilize security vendors that protect and Typically, the chief is also a Muslim religious leader, called seri (marabout). [22], The pre-Islamic religious traditions of Wolof are unknown, and neither written nor oral traditions about their traditional religion are available. The bride parents consult with their daughter and together they consent to or reject this proposal. Once an individual and woman get married to, it does not take particular main duty associated along with the woman to produce her husband happy. This favors the idea that such measures provided the best and most stable marriages. "Wolof" is the name by which the people refer to themselves, and it is also the name of their indigenous language. as a people are largely Muslim and they practice Islam as religion. Social relationships within a village are based on hierarchy, while disputes are typically settled with intermediaries and Muslim tribunals headed by an Islamic judge called a qadi. Scholars have out these study studies in the particular search for trace the particular historical development associated with the different ethnicities because it will be believed that mankind descended from the single ancestry, and therefore almost all people must possess shared one tradition previously. Itty Okopide Therefore, priority is first given to marriage to a maternal uncles daughter. 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. The institution associated with marriage is a good intrinsic section of the Wolof culture. Web. During the Roman age, a common custom was to tie the bride and grooms hands together during the ceremony. Although their root is obscure, the Wolof people are believed to have originated from Ghana Empire, which was one of the largest and most powerful empires in West Africa. What was different? At the top were the royal rulers, below them were the regionally or locally dominant noble lineages who controlled territories and collected tribute, and below them were commoner freeborn called the baadoolo or "lacking power". However, religious practice often contains local elements. Most are located in the West African countries of Senegal and The Gambia. Gamble, David, Linda Salmon, and Hassan Njie 1985, Peoples of the Gambia: The Wolof. [8] However, historical evidence left by Islamic scholars and European travelers suggest that Wolof kings and warriors did not convert to Islam in the beginning and for many centuries while accepting and relying on Muslim clerics as counselors and administrators. 32). This fun wedding tradition dates back to the 14th century. Settling with the marabouts met imbibing their culture and traditions hence 99.9% of Wolof people became Muslim. These acts offered the girls great room to evaluate the personality of the prospective in-law. During the ceremony, a small payment consisting of kola nuts and money was made to the brides family, thus making the marriage legally binding (Gamble et al. By signing you agree to ONE's privacy policy, including to the transfer of your information to ONE.org's servers in the United States. [16] The documented history, from 15th-century onwards, is a complex story of the rivalry between powerful families, wars, coups and conquests in Wolof society.[18]. As a result, the couple would avoid being cursed on theirwedding day. This aspect causes one to want to know the kind of social environment in which this culture is practiced and why it would be subject to more Western influence than other cultures in the region. If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. By the early 18th-century, all sorts of charges and petty crimes resulted in the accused being punished for the slave strata. This paper seeks to explore the culture of the Wolof people with emphasis on their marriage traditions. Rural Wolof people eat beef rarely, typically as a part of a ceremonial feast. This observation implies that in a home with many wives, the man takes the credit for the wealth that belongs to all his wives. Mbaya, Maweja. Weddings Nordic Journal related to African Studies 11. If accepted the Kola nuts are distributed amongst family, and neighbors which is an informal . This practice was founded on the idea that parents were more suited to choose what was best for their children due to the accumulated wisdom and experience (Mbaya 226). Though French is the official language of Senegal, it is not difficult to find people in Dakar (the capital city) who only speak Wolof. The traditional wedding cake also had a strange beginning. In Ancient Rome, the purpose of having bridesmaids at a wedding was to protect the bride. Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-marriage-traditions-of-wolof-culture/. The Wolof people are the largest ethnic grouping in Senegal as they form about 35% of the Senegalese populace and about 12% of the Gambian populace (Diop 112). This wedding tradition dates back to the origin of arranged marriages. Culture recognizes peoples lifestyles plus it sets system exactly where people can keep company with other social groups in the provided place. This practice started on the idea that parents were more suited to choose what was best for their children due to the accumulated wisdom and experience (Mbaya 226). If the payment is made in full, the couple is considered legally divorced and may remarry without any problems (Gamble et al. 32). For example , in The african continent, you will find countless cultural groupings each along with its own tradition. This trend was your norm within the countryside settings, but there has been adjustments where young adults residing in cities marry at later on ages. Later politico-religious changes, such as those brought during the Wolof Empire era, introduced major changes in the social structure among the Wolofs and many other ethnic groups, including a shift to a patrilineal system. The Wolof are a large ethnic group with a population of several million. An intriguing aspect of these arrangements was that the intervention of diviners was sought to determine if the marriage was feasible before marriage actually took place (Gamble et al. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Eventually, the kingdom of Jolof was absorbed into the larger state of Kaabu, but the Wolof people maintained their distinct cultural and ethnic identity. 32). Photo credit: Andrea Calodolce Germany At this type of point, the child was expected in order to furnish the lady and her mom with gifts in order to win their devotion (Gamble et ing. [43][44], Marriages are endogamous. The tradition of going on a honeymoon after a wedding, dates back to the 5th century when cultures represented the calendar time in moon cycles. Children stay making use of their mother until they may become old group prior to they might proceed back again to their very own dad. populace) and in Gambia they are about 12% of the Gambian populace. To form a stronger and stable family unit, the Wolof people believed that cross-cousin marriage (young man marrying a maternal uncles daughter) was the best form of marriage they are matrilineal in nature. [42][43], A single compound may have multiple huts, with a patrilocal male as its head, with a different wife and her children in each hut in polygynous households. [citation needed]. Millet has been the typical staple, while rice a secondary staple when rains are plenty. Southern folklore says that to prevent rain on your big day, you should bury the beverage upside down at the wedding site one month before and dig it up after the ceremony to enjoy. (LogOut/ Ames, David. The population of the world is constituted by an array of cultural groupings and ethnicities. It's a Small size geocache, with difficulty of 1, terrain of 1.5. Print. Family members flank the happy couple clothed in blue traditional dress.] [43][45] Dowery among the Wolof people is paid in the form of a brideprice. Linguistic Taboo inside African Marriage Platform: Research from the specific Oromo Laguu. [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. The Monetary Base of Wolof Polygamy. In recent years, however, the expansion of peanut cultivation and an acceleration towards urbanization has motivated many of the Wolof to spread out into Cote d'Ivoire and Mali. [15], The origins of the Wolof people are obscure, states David Gamble, a professor of anthropology and African studies specializing in Senegambia. Something borrowed offers borrowed happiness. Some villages in contemporary times share agricultural machinery and sell the peanut harvest as a cooperative. A compound traditionally operates a joint kitchen, but if there are internal disputes then each family unit cooks separately. 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. Prior to the arrival of Europeans to regions inhabited by the Wolof, slaves there were either born into slavery or enslaved via purchase or capture in warfare. These new colonial regimes moved to outlaw slavery, and by the 1890's the French authorities in West Africa had largely abolished the institution. Traditional marriage in Wolof culture is such a unique one where the maternal influence play a major role. However, these slave raids eventually began to subside as European and American governments progressively outlawed their nations' involvement in the slave trade. Wolof people are the largest ethnic grouping in Senegal (35% of the Senegalese Under such marriage arrangements, the bride and the groom did not have much of an influence over what happens. Print. The Wolof people are found in North-Eastern part of Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia. [47][48], The Wolof people are traditionally settled, farmers and artisans. [42], Wolof villages consist of a cluster of compounds. Print. Something new symbolises optimism for the future. [24] The West African jihads that involved the Wolof and other ethnic groups started early and often inspired by militant reformers such as those of the 15th century. One longstanding wedding tradition revolves around a bride's attire. (LogOut/ The arrival of European colonizers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had a profound impact on the Wolof people and their kingdom. The wedding party might then escape in order to the grooms substance. [40][41], The Wolof are primarily rural (~75%), living in small villages. 2023 Provide Commerce. election After identifying the right girl, the father of a young would man would enlist the help of a 3rd party to function as a go-between. MONDAY MUSINGS: CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE. The tradition of having groomsmen as part of the wedding, comes from the ancient tradition of kidnapping the bride. It defines their perception of how the world should be inhabited. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Wolof people are perhaps best known for the Kingdom of Jolof, which was one of the most powerful and influential states in West Africa from the 14th to the 19th century. Introduction / History. 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. Melching, Molly. (2019) 'The Marriage Traditions of Wolof Culture'. [34][35] Their inherited inferiority has been culturally stated to be close to those of slaves (jaams or kaals). The Wolof constitute a large ethnic group inhabiting the West African country of Senegal, a former French colony, and Gambia, a former British colony. news Marry me inside Africa: African Basic principles, Bloomington: AuthorHouse, this season. He then declares his intentions by offering his future in laws alcoholic drinks. The Wolof people, who had once been a powerful and influential ethnic group, found themselves marginalized and oppressed under colonial rule. If the brides parents agree to the union, then the groom must gift the bride with three black cows and two sheep. 32). Women of the pottery caste group, also help in steps involved in making pottery.[43]. Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day, according to English folklore. CBN With these firearms, the intensity and violence of Wolof slave raids (and conflicts with other ethnic groups in general) increased. President Muhammadu Buhari The Wolof More and more, couples are opting to include specific cultural traditions on their wedding day, and 43% of couples say that they are including at least one or a few meaningful cultural . The style of the Wolof jewelry collection is called kayor and was worn by Ngone Latir, the mother of the last king of Senegal. [7], The Wolof people, like other West African ethnic groups, historically maintained a rigid, endogamous social stratification that included nobility, clerics, castes, and slaves. Anambra State Government (ANSG) It's located in Berlin, Germany.Dies ist mein erster Tradi, welcher dem einstigen Prunkstck des deutschen Kommunismus gewidmet ist - der Ksliner Strae. Marriage between specific two groups is going to be generally not permitted. 2. Sumaiya Ismail Linguistic Taboo in African Marriage Context: A Study of the Oromo Laguu. Nordic Journal of African Studies 11.2 (2002): 224-235. [39] According to Victoria B. Coifman, a professor of Afro-American and African studies, historical evidence suggests that the Wolof people were a matrilineal society before the 14th-century. Globacom Griots are West African storytellers and musicians who tend to show up (uninvited) to big events like weddings to try to make some money. Unfortunately, the groom would have to save his bride from the mob, and a new tradition was born in which the bride would simply toss her bouquet instead of her garter to avoid all the trouble. This assertion implies that to the Wolof people, a family is an important unit, which forms a building block for other social units into which the Wolof society is organized. The villagers detained him; he settled among them and became the one who settled disputes and sovereign authority. To form a stronger and stable family unit, the Wolof people believed that cross-cousin marriage (young man marrying a maternal uncle's daughter) was the best form of marriage - they are matrilineal in nature. If a woman at some point feels that her marriage life is unbearable, she can go back to her kin and refuse to come back. Wolof ceremonial traditions Ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms, while not unique, have traditional elements distinctive to the Wolof. The common marriage age with regard to the Wolof was your early twenties with regard to boys and past due teens for females (Gamble et al. Getty Images. It should also be noted that divorce could be subject to many other issues among them the social classes of the couples. Print. The Jolof or Wolof Empire was a medieval West African state that ruled parts of Senegal and the Gambia from approximately 1350 to 1890. Wolof women are usually difficult workers in addition they attempt to build up prosperity through looking after individual farms as well as helping their partners within the family members farms. [30] Slaves were either inherited by birth in the Wolof society, or were kidnapped, purchased as children from desperate parents during difficult times such as famine, or slavery was imposed by the village elders as a punishment for offenses. [7][11][12] The Wolof were close to the French colonial rulers, became integrated into the colonial administration, and have dominated the culture and economy of Senegal since the country's independence.[13]. Thus, marriage soon became necessary as a way to ensure the survival of their offspring. Weddings can be very elaborate, involving feasting and dancing for days within a community, they can be very simple, or they can even be performed in huge marriage ceremonies involving many different couples. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Senegambian branch of the NigerCongo language family. [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. These types of include the part that marriage performs in the family members formation in the particular Wolof society, exactly what the economic history of the dual marriages is, plus which traditions explain wedding ceremony ceremony from the Wolof culture. In addition to religion as a causal factor for polygamy, the traditional Wolof culture considered many wives as a sign of wealth and consequently, a source of pride and prestige; consequently, about 45% of Wolof men are polygamous (Ames 396). The placement of the ring on the fourth finger came from the Egyptians who believed that it was the finger that contained the vein that connects to the heart. 41. 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