The Wolof People of Senegal essays

The Wolof People of Senegal essays The Wolof people are located on the Coast of Senegal. Their native language is Wolof and their population is approximately 2.5 million. The Wolof people have been around since the 12th or 13th century. After the defeat of the Empire of Ghana around the 11th century, the Wolof people migrated to the coast from Mali. The history of the Wolof has been saved through the griots who recited oral praise songs. The religion of the Wolof is predominately Muslim. This includes praying to Allah five times a day, volunteering and giving gifts to the needy, observance of Ramadan, and a trip to Mecca. Other beliefs of Wolof are that there are good and evil spirits. They believe that the evil spirits live in bushes and tall trees in the middle of the village and that amulets are capable of protecting them from the spirits. Historically, Wolof were ruled by several powerful men who were from high ranking lineages based on the length of time that they resided in the area. The high ranking people elected a supreme leader. Local chiefs were appointed by the leader and paid their allegiance to him by maintaining order in the hinterlands and collecting taxes and tributes. The Wolof can be divided into three classes: the freeborn, those born into slavery, and the artisans. Many people settled in cities working as merchants, teachers, or government officials. However most of them still live in rural areas and work as peasant farmers. A typical Wolof village consists of several hundred people living in family compounds that are grouped around a central village square. The compounds contain houses made of mud or reed. It consists of a compound head, his wives, and their children. Other relatives including aunts, uncles and cousins reside there as well as temporary field hands. The freeborn are the royal lineages and great warrior families. They are the top level of society. These noble families usually engaged in wars to protect and...