[34] The castes, states David Gamble, were associated with ideas of relative purity/impurity. While only ever consolidated into a single state structure for part of this time, the tradition of governance, caste, and culture of the Wolof dominate the history of north-central Senegal for much of the last 800 years. In the conventional traditional arrangement, the parents were the ones to decide that their son is ripe for marriage, seek a suitable bride for him, and initiate marriage talks (Agorsah 61). IvyPanda. In traditional Wolof wedding ceremonies in Senegal, the parents of the husband-to-be sends elders to the bride parents with money and kola nuts to ask for her hand in marriage. The Wolof attaches more importance to the stability and success of the family unit. Together with religious beliefs as an identifying factor for polygamy, the conventional Wolof tradition viewed as many spouses just like a sign associated with prosperity and consequently, one of satisfaction plus prestige; as a result, regarding 45% associated with Wolof lots of men polygamous (Ames 396). Tinubu 40. Culture recognizes peoples lifestyles plus it sets system exactly where people can keep company with other social groups in the provided place. Buhari 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 bride also wears a white hood to hide her horns of jealousy that she may feel towards her mother in law representing her newfound obedience. 32). The Wolof people are the largest ethnic group in Senegal, particularly concentrated in its northwestern region near the Senegal River and the Gambia River. The Wolof constitute a large ethnic group inhabiting the West African country of Senegal, a former French colony, and Gambia, a former British colony. [43][44], Marriages are endogamous. The Wolof oral tradition reports that the Wolof are from the Nile Valley, as evidenced by the research of Yoro Boli Diaw which, by bringing together the various Wolof oral traditions, describes the six migrations between the Nile and the Senegal River Valley. Print. For the girls dad, the child was anticipated to help in tasks such as filtering and harvesting amongst other masculine efforts. The tradition of a diamond engagement ring was started by Archduke Maximilian of Austria when he proposed to Mary of Burgundy. In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health. 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. 1. Wolof ceremonial traditions Ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms, while not unique, have traditional elements distinctive to the Wolof. When the transaction is made within complete, the few will be regarded as legally single and could remarry with simply no problems (Gamble ainsi que al. 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 . They have a deep respect for their ancestors and a strong belief in their cultural heritage, which they celebrate through a variety of festivals and rituals. Ames, David. This would be accomplished after colorful traditional wedding rituals meant to free the marriage of evil and make it fruitful and successful. The Wolof are a large ethnic group with a population of several million. 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. However , scholars plus historians have progressively raised concerns on the authenticity of the current cultures, for since the world is constantly on the open due to tendency like globalization, numerous cultures have already been waning and having the hybrid of a number of cultures. Rice and other grains have long been regarded as signs of prosperity and fertility. If a marriage takes place across this social system without the knowledge of those involved and the truth comes out later, a divorce is inevitable. Typically, the chief is also a Muslim religious leader, called seri (marabout). The age-old wedding tradition of a flower girl stems from an Ancient Roman tradition where young virgins would carry sheaths of wheat, which was believed to bring onwell-being and good fortune to the newlyweds. 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. Unlike most other languages of Sub-Saharan Africa, Wolof is not a tonal language. Divorce is quite common in the Wolof society and according to the Islamic tenets. 9 February 2015. populace) and in Gambia they are about 12% of the Gambian populace. Marry me inside Africa: African Basic principles, Bloomington: AuthorHouse, this season. Cattle are also raised, not for food, but milk, tilling the land, and as a reserve of wealth. This system together with the teachings before and after the wedding ensures that women place their husbands first and obey them completely. Despite the challenges posed by colonization, the Wolof people maintained their cultural heritage and traditions. Wolof is the native language of the Wolof people, and it is spoken by many here. Wolof (/wlf/) is a language of Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania, and the native language of the Wolof people. 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. In the Gambia, they are a minority. This aspect makes family a very important dimension in the economic wellbeing of the Wolof people. During Malay weddings, traditions of the royal court are observed with Malay court music played during the ceremony. Sumaiya Ismail 32). Divorce is quite common in the Wolof society and according to the Islamic tenets. Anambra State Government (ANSG) [8] [46] The dower is the property of the woman upon the consummation of the marriage. The Wolof are primarily engaged in the occupations . Despite these factors, that will ought to in order to improve marriages, separation and divorce will be section associated with the Wolof custom. 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. [33] The Wolof's caste status, states Villaln, is a greater barrier to inter-marriage than is either ethnicity or religion in Senegal. If the girls family accepted the kola nuts, that was an indicator that they granted the groom permission to court their daughter. 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. politics With these firearms, the intensity and violence of Wolof slave raids (and conflicts with other ethnic groups in general) increased. [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. Although this scenario has slightly changed with time, this practice is still prevalent in rural areas albeit with some minor adjustments. The preferred and common form of marriage is the bilateral cross-cousin type, with most preferred marriages are those between a man and the daughter of his mothers brother. (LogOut/ Variants are worn on a day-to-day with the whole shebang coming out on special occasions; the most important for the Wolof is the feast of Tabaski (the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice). Both have traditionally been hereditary castes. . [7], Their early history is unclear. Wedding cakes are one of the centerpieces of a wedding but Norwegian wedding cakes known as Kransekake, offer a unique take on the staple dish. It need to turn out to be noted which will separation and divorce might be subject material to some number associated with other problems amongst them the specific social classes linked to the couples. 2023 Elections 32). 31). Something New. Copyright 2023 - IvyPanda is operated by, Negatives Effects of Social Network Sites, Wolof Culture and Crisis of Masculinity in It, The Masculinity Crisis in the Wolof Communities and Changes in the Womens Status, White Wedding Traditions in American Culture, The Impact of Social Media on Food Culture (preferences) in America, The Effect of Polygamy on the Modern Society Essay, The Effects of Technology on Humans: Social Media, Arguments against Young Marriage and Their Rebuttal, Friends as They Are: In Search for a Soul Mate. 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. The first bridal bouquet was made out of aromatic bunches of herbs, garlic, and grains, which were ingredients that were believed to have the power of driving away evil spirits. 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. We will write a custom Research Paper on The Marriage Traditions of Wolof Culture specifically for you for only $11.00 $9.35/page. In the conventional traditional arrangement, the parents were the ones to decide that their son is ripe for marriage, seek a suitable bride for him, and initiate marriage talks (Agorsah 61). Wolof originated as the language of the Lebu people. Agorsah, Koffi. The couple could not be released until the marriage was official. However, in the contemporary times, different parts of the world are littered with different cultural groupings. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you Change). Polygamy is also a normal phenomenon among the Wolof people because as already noted, they are largely Muslim and the Islam religion permits polygamy (Ames 395). In Senegal the Wolof form an ethnic plurality making up about 43.3% of the population. My favorites were a singer/drummer duo who sang Tu es gentilledonne moi de largent (You are so nicegive me some money). Although this scenario has slightly changed with time, this practice is still prevalent in rural areas albeit with some minor adjustments. Twitter. Before the Wolof people became involved in goods and slave trading with the Portuguese merchants on the coast, they had a long tradition of established trading of goods and slaves with the Western Sudanese empires and with Imamate of Futa Toro and other ethnic groups in North Africa. Since cans make noise when dragged behind a moving car, the classic charivari was adapted to simply tying cans to the wedding car bumper. 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. [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. Traditional marriage in Wolof culture is such a unique one where the maternal influence play a major role. Print. Women also plant, weed, harvest crops and collect firewood. The Wolof people are a good ethnic grouping within North Eastern a part of Senegal, parts associated with Mauritania, and Gambia. At the same time, Victorians began to place the ring on small pillows as a display of their wealth. David Ugbabe Married life would then proceed from then onwards for the newly married couple. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Privacy Policy. [22], The pre-Islamic religious traditions of Wolof are unknown, and neither written nor oral traditions about their traditional religion are available. [citation needed]. Similarly, a West African rice dish is known in English as Jollof rice. This observation implies that in a home with many wives, the man takes the credit for the wealth that belongs to all his wives. Print. A compound traditionally operates a joint kitchen, but if there are internal disputes then each family unit cooks separately. peter obi Some villages in contemporary times share agricultural machinery and sell the peanut harvest as a cooperative. Weddings [21], The transatlantic slave trade also led to the Wolof acquiring European firearms, which were commonly bartered for slaves at the West African coast. 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. The Wolof first cohabited with the Berbers in south-eastern Mauritania, with the Peulh . The Wolof Once it had been made the decision that his personality was good, additional gifts will be offered towards the girls family members to seal the covenant that remaining the child because the sole suitor. If you are reading this post, then I believe youre looking for ways to add humor into your wedding vows. Despite these factors, which should serve to strengthen marriages, divorce is part of the Wolof culture. Wolof women are hard workers and they strive to accumulate wealth through tending personal farms as well as assisting their husbands in the family farms. As a result, the couple would avoid being cursed on theirwedding day. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The origin of marriage dates back to 23,000 years ago when hunter-gatherers became farmers, and gender roles around the household started to form. Labour Party Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 11. FG For instance, in Africa, there are hundreds of ethnic groupings each with its own culture. It defines their perception of how the whole world should be inhabited. Music A group of griot drummers. The Wolof people, who had once been a powerful and influential ethnic group, found themselves marginalized and oppressed under colonial rule. Agreements might then be produced upon how much additional payments (marriage money) needed to become made so when the particular time because of its transaction came, other presents were also provided to the brides mom, father and colleagues. Certainly, your loved ones unit is generally a fundamental unit from your Wolof culture, in addition apart from being the foundation for community, this defines the particular financial status associated with the man. The Monetary Base of Wolof Polygamy. Governor Willie Obiano Marriage Traditions of Wolof People The institution of marriage is an intrinsic part of the Wolof culture. IvyPanda, 28 Nov. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/the-marriage-traditions-of-wolof-culture/. However, scholars and historians have increasingly raised concerns over the authenticity of todays cultures, for as the world continues to open up due to phenomena such as globalization, many cultures have been waning and becoming a hybrid of several cultures. [43], Those Wolof people who are of artisan castes work on metal, weave and dye textiles, produce leather goods, make pottery and baskets, tailor clothes, produce thatch and perform such economic activity. as a people are largely Muslim and they practice Islam as religion. [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. 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 mothers uncles daughter. 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. This declaration means that towards the Wolof people, children is a good important unit, which usually forms a foundation with regard to other social models into that the Wolof society is structured. Over time the sheaths of wheat have been replaced with flowers that are scattered along the path that leads up to the altar. 2015. populace ) and in Gambia they are about 12 % of the Wolof people Wolof originated as the of! In order to write your own Paper ; however, in the provided place ] the,... 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