Saltigue
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The Saltigue (other spelling: Saltigué, Saltigui or Saltigi in Serer[1][2]), are Serer high priests and priestesses who preside over the religious ceremonies and affairs of the Serer people, such as the Xooy (or Xoy) ceremony, the biggest event in the Serer religious calendar. They usually come from ancient Serer paternal families, and the title is inherited by birthright.[3][4] In Serer country, Saltigue are always diviners.
Amongst the
Etymology
In Serer, saltigue and its spelling variation derive from two Serer words: "sal" and "tigui"; sal means "meeting point of two ways, place where one branch branches into two other branches. And by analogy, beam on which the roof of the hut rests." Tigui means "resting the roof of the hut." The combination of these two terms gave its name to "saltigue" (a metaphor).[2] The term is also reported to be of Serer origin meaning "soothsayer".[6] In Serer society, the term is reserved for those who communicate with the invisible world.[6]
In Mande, the term "silatigi" is used, which according to Oumar Kane derives from the Mande term "sili" meaning road, and "tigi" meaning master or leader. Thus, in Mande, the "silatigi" is the one who leads the community in following the right path, physical or spiritual.[5] The Fula borrowed the term from the Mande.[7]
Amongst the Serer Palor people (a subgroup of the Serer), the term "Sili" or "Sili-Sili" is the name for their language, Palor, which is one of the Serer Cangin languages. In their language, "Sili" mean Serer.[8][9][10]
Role of Saltigues in Serer society
The Saltigues were responsible for predicting the future of kings, the weather, any natural disaster or political catastrophe that could befall the country, etc. As such, they were frequently consulted by the Serer kings (the Maad, Maad a Sinig, and Maad Saloum, and previously, the Teigne)[11] preferably at the beginning of the rainy season.[12]
Before a king launched a war, he would consult the great assembly of Saltigues to predict the outcome of the battle.[13][14][15][16]
The assembly of Saltigues would predict the outcome, offer precautionary advice on when to launch the attack, the route to take to the battlefield and the animals to be sacrificed, etc. The role of Saltigue was not political. They were not government ministers or politicians, but spiritual advisors and elders. They are the Serer "hereditary rain priests" – guardians of the Serer religion and customs, a birthright they inherited from their ancient Serer Lamanic ancestors.[12][17]
Raan Festival
In the
Some notable Serer Saltigues
(Pre and post independent Senegal)
- Maye Diatt, Sine-Saloum, independent Senegal (post 1960). Member of the MALANGO Centre (an organisation that works with Serer saltigues).[19]
- Khane Diouf, Sine-Saloum, independent Senegal. One of the most revered Saltigues of her generation (as at 2011)[19]
- the Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune prior to the battle in 1867.[20]
- Ndar Ngom, Sine-Saloum, independent Senegal. Head Saltigue of MALANGO Centre (as at 2011).[19]
- Biram NJaay, of Poxaam, Kingdom of Sine, during the reign of Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (1924-1969), (June 1969 : active in the Xooy ceremony of Njaanjaay (Ndiaye-ndiaye) at Fatick[21]
- Kotaan NJaay, healer.[22]
- Biram Pouye, of Diobass (16 September 1940 - 9 Feb 2019), a member of the Serer Saafi ethnic group.[23]
- Lat Mosu Saar, - Kingdom of Sine. Grandfather of Njoogu Yaasiin Saar[24]
- Maalick Saar, ancestor of Njoogu Yaasiin Saar[24]
- Mbissin Saar, of Sine-Saloum, Senegal, 26th July 1975 at the Nbuj-naaxar[24]
- NJoogu Yaasiin Saar, the great Saltigue of Sine-Saloum, Senegal. 1975 : active in the Xooy ceremony of NGalan at Mbeel-Bure. Guardian of Mbeel-Bure at Ngalan-koƃ[25]
- Wassaly Sene, Kingdom of Sine, during the reign of Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene fa Maak Joof (1853 - 1871) (as Jaraaf)[26]
Silatigi amongst the Fula
The rulers of the Empire of Great Fulo were known as Silatigi. According to Kane, this term, similar to the etymologically related Saltigue, originally meant a religious leader who was privy to the highest secrets of initiation and tasked with performing the rituals necessary to appease the spirits.[5]
See also
- Serer religion
- Roog
- Serer creation myth
- Serer people
- Serer ancient history
- States headed by Serer Lamanes
- Hogon
Notes
- ^ Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Kinshasa (Zaire), Aide inter-monastères, Catholic Church. Vie monastique et inculturation à la lumière des traditions et situations africaines: actes du colloque international, Kinshasa, 19-25 février 1989, Archdiocese of Kinshasa (Congo), Archidiocèse de Kinshasa (1989), p. 121
- ^ a b Centre d'étude des civilisations, Cahiers du mythe, Issues 4-5, Nouvelles éditions africaines. (1978), p. 21
- ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
- ISBN 2-7384-5196-9
- ^ a b c Kane, Oumar (2021). "La Formation du Royaume Jaalalo du Kingi par Tenghella". In Fall, Mamadou; Fall, Rokhaya; Mane, Mamadou (eds.). Bipolarisation du Senegal du XVIe - XVIIe siecle (in French). Dakar: HGS Editions. p. 44-5.
- ^ ISBN 9782811111199
- ^ Fall, Mamadou (2021). "Les Terroirs Historiques et la Poussée Soninké". In Fall, Mamadou; Fall, Rokhaya; Mane, Mamadou (eds.). Bipolarisation du Senegal du XVIe - XVIIe siécle (in French). Dakar: HGS Editions. pp. 18, 22.
- ^ Paul, Lewis M., ed. (2009). "Paloor". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
- ^ Williams, Gordon (1994). "Intelligibility and language boundaries among the Cangin peoples of Senegal" [1] (PDF). Journal of West African Languages. 24 (1): 47–67.
- ^ Ndiaye, Ousmane Sémou, "Diversité et unicité sérères: l'exemple de la région de Thiès." Éthiopiques (1991). 7 (54).
- ^ In the Serer language, Maad and very rarely used Maat (though correct) means "king". The Lamanes, – the ancient Serer kings and landed gentry, should not be confused with the post-Guelowar Lamanes who were merely the landed gentry and provincial chiefs answerable to the king. There are two types of Lamanes in Serer chronology : Lamanes pre-Guelowar (the original Lamanes, kings and landowners) and Lamanes during and after the Guelowar period (1350–1969) (mere chiefs and landowners)
- ^ a b Sarr 1986, p. 31.
- ^ Sarr 1986, p. 31-8.
- ^ Diouf, Mahawa, L'information Historique: L'exemple du Siin. Ethiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine. Nouvelle série volume 7 2e semestre 1991
- ^ Diouf, Niokhobaye, Chronique du Royaume du Sine, IFAN, commenté par Charles Becker & Victor Martin (1972)
- ^ Klein, Martin A., Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847–1914. Edinburgh University Press (1968), p 91
- ^ Galvan, p. 202
- ^ 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 202–204
- ^ a b c Senegalaisement archive
- ^ Sarr, Alioune, Histoire du Sine-Saloum. Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3-4, 1986-1987. p 38
- ISBN 2-7236-0868-9
- ISBN 2-7236-0868-9
- ^ The Seereer Resource Centre, Seereer Radio and Seereer Heritage Press, "Our special tribute to Saltigi Biram Pouye." 16 September 1940 (Sanghe, Jooɓaas) - 2 February 2019 (Sanghe) [in] Seereer Radio (9 February 2019)
- ^ ISBN 2-7236-0868-9
- ISBN 2-7236-0868-9
- ^ Diouf, Mahawa, L'information Historique: L'exemple du Siin. Ethiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine. Nouvelle série volume 7 2e semestre 1991
Bibliography
- Sarr, Alioune (1986). "Histoire du Sine-Saloum. (Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker)". Bulletin de l'IFAN (in French). 46 B (3–4).
- Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Kinshasa (Zaire), Aide inter-monastères, Catholic Church. "Vie monastique et inculturation à la lumière des traditions et situations africaines: actes du colloque international ," Kinshasa, 19-25 février 1989, Archdiocese of Kinshasa (Congo), Archidiocèse de Kinshasa (1989), p. 121
- Centre d'étude des civilisations, "Cahiers du mythe." Issues 4-5, Nouvelles éditions africaines. (1978), p. 21
- ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
- Kalis, Simone, "Medecine Traditionnele Religion et Divination Chez Les Seereer Siin du Senegal", L'Harmattan (1997), pp 11–297, ISBN 2-7384-5196-9
- Kane, Oumar (2021). "La Formation du Royaume Jaalalo du Kingi par Tenghella". In Fall, Mamadou; Fall, Rokhaya; Mane, Mamadou (eds.). Bipolarisation du Senegal du XVIe - XVIIe siecle (in French). Dakar: HGS Editions. p. 44-5.
- Ouvrier, Ashley, "Faire de la recherche médicale en Afrique: Ethnographie d'un village-laboratoire sénégalais." Médecines du monde (Contributors: Wenzel Geissler, Anne-Marie Moulin). KARTHALA Editions (2014), p. 200, ISBN 9782811111199
- Fall, Mamadou (2021). "Les Terroirs Historiques et la Poussée Soninké". In Fall, Mamadou; Fall, Rokhaya; Mane, Mamadou (eds.). Bipolarisation du Senegal du XVIe - XVIIe siécle (in French). Dakar: HGS Editions. pp. 18, 22.
- Paul, Lewis M., ed. (2009). "Paloor". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
- Williams, Gordon (1994). "Intelligibility and language boundaries among the Cangin peoples of Senegal." (PDF). Journal of West African Languages. 24 (1): 47–67.
- Ndiaye, Ousmane Sémou, "Diversité et unicité sérères: l'exemple de la région de Thiès." Éthiopiques (1991). 7 (54).
- Diouf, Mahawa, "L'information Historique: L'exemple du Siin." Ethiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine. Nouvelle série volume 7 2e semestre (1991)
- Diouf, Niokhobaye, "Chronique du Royaume du Sine,." IFAN, commenté par Charles Becker & Victor Martin (1972)
- Klein, Martin A., "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847–1914." Edinburgh University Press (1968), p. 91
- 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 202–204
- ISBN 2-7236-0868-9