Takhar

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Takhar or Taahkarr (in Serer and Cangin) is a demi-god in the Serer religion worshipped by many Serers (an ethnic group found in Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania). [1] [2] Takhar is the god of justice and vengeance in Serer religion [1] [3] and worshipped at the foot of certain trees in the forest deemed to be sacred. [2] [4] The Serer priestly class play a crucial role in the evokation of the demi-god and the implementation of its laws that devotees adhere to. [2] [4]

Contents

Worship

The Serer people worship Takhar in order to appeal to him against the injuries, oppression or evil magic inflicted by other. [5] Takhar is worshipped at the foot of trees, [2] [5] and in the new moon, the atmospheric spirits of the air and night are "conjured with mysterious incarnations". [5] Offerings to Takhar are deposited at the foot of the tallest trees in the forest. Cattle and poultry are sacrificed and taken to the sacred sanctuary, along with millet, fruits and vegetables. [2] [5] Like the offerings to certain Pangool (singular :Fangool, the Serer saints and spirits represented by snakes), the holy feast takes place in the sacred forest. [5]

The snake also held a high place in the national pantheon, and was often known to appear in various disguises, even "assuming the uniform of an aged officer of the empire" [Second Empire]. [5]

The transmigration of souls is a strongly held belief in Serer religion as evident in Serer funeral rituals. [5]

Place of worship

The god Takhar is worshipped in the forests in Serer country, more specifically, in certain sacred places, such as the Sine-Saloum area of present-day Senegal. Somewhat similar to the Pangool, the Serer people believe that both Takhar and his adversary Tiurakh (god of wealth [4] [6] and property [2] ) reside in the tallest trees of the forest. [2] [4] [6] It is partly for this reason why plants and animals are regarded as totems in the Serer-totemic and sentient worldly-view of nature in general, and afforded high spiritual status and respect, because these ancient trees are believed to be the sanctuaries of certain Serer entities. [6]

Priests of Takhar

The high priests of Takhar are usually very old men from notable Serer families. These Serer high priests preside over all cases relating to law and order, i.e. theft, witchcraft, etc. [2] In the past, these high priests (the Saltigues) would concoct doses of poison which they would administer to the accused witch, taken orally. However, these concoctions were deliberately never made fatal enough to cause death. [2] These high priests mostly depended on the fear of Takhar as dispenser of justice and vengeance, than their poisons. [2]

Patronage

As the god of justice, Takhar is the perpetual patron of all those who work within the judiciary and pass judgement on legal issues. [1] [2] In Serer ancient history, that role was primarily reserved for the Serer lamanic class. [7]

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The Serer creation myth is the traditional creation myth of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. Many Serers who adhere to the tenets of the Serer religion believe these narratives to be sacred. Some aspects of Serer religious and Ndut traditions are included in the narratives contained herein but are not limited to them.

Kokh Kox is the creator god of the Noon people. The Noon are members of the Serer ethnic group of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. Kokh Kox is one of the main deities in Serer religion. The Noon people refer to the supreme being as Kokh Kox rather than Roog, the name the majority of Serers refer to the supreme being in the Serer-Sine language. The name Kokh Kox derives from the deity Koox, the name the Saafi people regularly use to refer to the divine.

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Tiurakh is one of the demi-gods of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. In the Serer religion, Tiurakh is regarded as the god of wealth or property. Like his adversary Takhar, they are both venerated and worshipped at the foot of the tallest trees in Serer country.

The Njuup tradition is a Serer style of music rooted in the Ndut initiation rite, which is a rite of passage that young Serers must go through once in their lifetime as commanded in the Serer religion.

Religion and beliefs occupy an important place in the daily life of the nation of Senegal. Many denominations of the religion of Islam are represented. Christians represents 3.3%. Other belief's are officially practiced by 0.1% of the population, particularly Serer, but members of other religions also often partake in traditional practices.

Serer maternal clans or Serer matriclans are the maternal clans of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The Serer are both patrilineal and matrilineal. Inheritance depends on the nature of the asset being inherited – i.e. whether it is a maternal asset which requires maternal inheritance or paternal asset requiring paternal inheritance (kucarla). The Serer woman play a vital role in royal and religious affairs. In pre-colonial times until the abolition of their monarchies, a Serer king would be required to crown his mother, maternal aunt or sister as Lingeer (queen) after his own coronation. This re-affirms the maternal lineage to which they both belong (Tim). The Lingeer was very powerful and had her own army and palace. She was the queen of all women and presided over female cases. From a religious perspective, the Serer woman plays a vital role in Serer religion. As members of the Serer priestly class, they are among the guardians of Serer religion, sciences, ethics and culture. There are several Serer matriclans; not all of them are listed here. Alliance between matriclans in order to achieve a common goal was, and still is very common. The same clan can be called a different name depending on which part of Serer country one finds oneself in. Some of these matriclans form part of Serer mythology and dynastic history. The mythology afforded to some of these clans draws parallels with the Serer creation narrative, which posits that: the first human to be created was a female. Many Serers who adhere to the tenets of Serer religion believe these narratives to contain profound truths which are historic or pre-historic in nature.

The Xooy is a Serer divination ceremony held once a year in Fatick, Senegal. The Xooy is one of the most important and well known ceremonies in the Serer religious calendar, and is a national event in Senegal's cultural calendar which attracts government officials and dignitaries. The ceremony is held yearly at the Centre MALANGO in Sine, Senegal and attracts a large crowd from Senegal, and Serers from neighbouring Gambia and the diaspora. It is somewhat of a yearly pilgrimage. The Lebou also attend the ceremony in homage to their Serer ancestors. The Lebou genies are actual the Serer pangool. The Xooy takes place around late May early June before the rainy season where the Serer high priests and priestesses—the Saltigue dressed in their traditional gowns and hats takes centre stage to divine the future. There is a master of ceremonies, and as the public are seated in a circle, each Saltigue enters the circle in turn and give their divination on matters relating to the weather, politics, economics, health, etc. The ceremony goes on for two days —and throughout the night—accompanied by the rhythm of drums. The Serer people have traditionally been farmers, cattle herders, boat builders and fisher people. The Xooy therefore serves both a religious and agricultural function.

References

  1. 1 2 3 (in English) Kellog, Day Otis, and Smith, William Robertson, "The Encyclopædia Britannica: latest edition. A dictionary of arts, sciences and general literature", Volume 25, p 664, Werner (1902)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (in English) "Folk-Lore In The old Testament. Studies In Comparative Religion Legend and Law", Pubslihed by Forgotten Books, pp 317-8, ISBN   1440070156
  3. (in English) Newland, H. Osman; Lewin, Evans, "West Africa: a handbook of practical information for the official, planter, miner, financier & trader", D. O'Connor (1922), p 90
  4. 1 2 3 4 (in French) Laurent-Jean-Baptiste Bérenger-Féraud, "Les peuplades de la Sénégambie: histoire, ethnographie, mœurs et coutumes, légendes, etc", E. Leroux (1879), p 276-7
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (in English) "Africa", Forgotten Books, p 143, ISBN   1440091307
  6. 1 2 3 (in English) Keane, A. H.; Quiggin, A. Hingston; Haddon, A. C., "Man: Past and Present", illustrated, revised, Cambridge University Press (2011), p 49, ISBN   0521234107
  7. (in French) Ngom, Biram, « La question guelwar et la formation du royaume du Sine », [in] Éthiopiques, no 54, nouvelle série, vol. 7, 2e semestre 1991 Archived 2009-10-03 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography