April 2004

World View

The Wolof of West Africa

The British don’t have anything on the Wolof when it comes to long names. “Charles Philip Arthur George” may have been a mouthful for then-Lady Diana Spencer when she married Prince Charles, but the Wolof people of Senegal, West Africa, are keeping up with the Windsors. A Wolof person can have up to four first names, each chosen by the father. The mother can request a certain name and as a sign of tenderness and esteem, the father can bestow that name on the child. A Wolof child is not named until the eighth day after birth when, during a sort-of birthday party, the Muslim cleric whispers the child’s name in his ear.

The father may bestow the child’s names, but the mother carries a very influential role in the family. The Wolof consider that the mother brings the blood, the flesh, the character, the intelligence, and, possibly, a magic power to her children. The father, on the other hand, brings the bones, the nerves, the courage and a magic power that is, however, much less powerful than that of the mother.

Cultural influences
The Wolof people have a history rife with cultural influences from other lands. Their predominant Negro-African background has been infiltrated by influences such as Islam, a religion brought to Senegal by a nomadic tribe, the French who colonized Senegal in the ___00s, and even Portuguese influence appears in the names of some locations in Senegal.
Islam is one of the greatest influences on Wolof culture. Since the 19th century, the Wolof people have adhered almost exclusively to Islam with few exceptions. For example, circumcision, which was practiced in African traditions for centuries, was made compulsory according to Islamic dictate. In the Wolof culture, circumcision is not only a surgery, but also a rite of passage into certain values of the society.

Engagement and marriage
Polygamous marriages also became the jurisdiction of Islamic law. In pre-Islamic Africa, polygamy was a practice without any restrictions. The number of women was only limited by the husband’s financial situation. Some potentates could have up to several hundreds of wives. Under Islam, however, the number of wives for any one man was limited to four, and the Quran encourages multiple wives only if the husband can treat each wife impartially in relation to the first wife.

Generally, Wolof men take a second wife approximately 10 to 15 years after their first marriages when they are about 45 years old and wealthy enough to support multiple wives. The co-spouses normally live within the same housing compound, each occupying her room. Nowadays, you would more and more find that each wife lives separately in separate houses. In principle, the first wife has more authority and responsibility than the others. In the absence of the husband she will command the house.

The first marriage in a traditional Wolof family is arranged by the parents and is preferably to a cousin. Modern marriages are less-often arranged, but are still entered with the parents’ blessings whenever possible. Engagement is official once the young man gives the girl’s family the “first gift,” usually a sum of money. At that point, the girl is no longer allowed to have other boyfriends nor accept any gift from a visitor. Qualities of primary importance to a Wolof man when choosing a bride include beauty, desire to work, obedience, respect to parents and belonging to the same caste.

Death
The Wolof have many euphemisms for the concept of death. Just as American say that someone has “passed on” or “gone to heaven,” the Wolof say that a person “is lost,” “has disappeared,” “is knocked down,” or “has hurt himself” to avoid saying “he is dead.” These euphemisms can be traced to the animistic traditions in which people tried to escape from death by refusing to pronounce its name. The words “death” or “dead” were taboo.

Today, burials follow Islamic rituals: the body of the dead person is washed as a last purifying ablution; he is draped in a white cloth, the color of purity, and his hands are crossed over the chest. The burial takes place as quickly as possible, even at night. The body is carried to the cemetery in a coffin, but it is put in the tomb on the plain ground facing in the direction of Mecca, the Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia. The coffin is only used for transportation and will be re-used for other burials.

Caste system
Wolof society is traditionally built on a caste system, but it is not at all similar to the better-known caste system of India. The most numerous group and, therefore, the most important group, are the geer, sometimes called the “noble free.” These are the farmers who do not have a caste and are "free" because they usually own the land that they cultivate and, therefore, are not slaves to a landowner or king.
Three castes are identifiable in Wolof culture, the griots, the smiths, and the cobblers. The griots have many functions, primarily that of knowing by heart the genealogy of the geer family to which they are attached. These are the artists, musicians, and singers of the culture. The smiths, or “men of metal” are also jewelers who participate in geer family ceremonies. The geer, the griots, and the smiths are all linked together by an implicit social contract according to which the castes should serve the geer and the geer in turn should honor them by financial contribution; however there is no compulsory proportion between service rendered and remuneration received.

The final caste, the cobblers, are the “men of leather.” Their goods and services are not only for the geer and are paid for according to market price rather than by the good will of the geer.

Social solidarity
Social solidarity among the Wolof is a strong value, expressed in the proverb, “Man is the remedy to man.” This sentiment on social value contrasts sharply with the western philosophy expressed by Jean-Paul Satre, “hell, it is the other.”

Hospitality is highly valued. Consequently, any form of selfishness is strongly disapproved by the social ethics. It is considered totally inexcusable if someone abandons a family member or a friend in need.
The close-knit ties of family coupled with the Wolof sense of social solidarity make a formidable foe for any faith other than Islam or practices outside those adopted by the community to infiltrate. Yet, God longs for His name to be glorified among the Wolof of Senegal and Gambia. Will you go to tell them that the face of God looks like Jesus?

Find projects among the Wolof at http://www.thetask.org/students/projects by typing “Wolof” or “Senegal” into the Keyword Search feature.