Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/178

 142 WEST AFRICA. whole Wolof is a, very pure and homogeneous form of speech. As the current language of commercial intercourse throughout Senegambia, it has acquired a paramount importance, and numerous Wolof grammars, dictionaries, and voca- bularies have appeared in France and Africa since 1825. But no literature, properly so called, has yet been developed. The Wolofs preserve their national songs, legends, and proverbs by memory, and apart from those attending school they have no knowledge of any letters beyond the Arabic characters on their paper spalls and amulets. Most Wolofs call themselves Mussulmans, although in the neighbourhood of the missionary stations some claim the title of Christians. The chief difference is that the former have trinkets enclosing scraps from the Koran, while the latter wear medals and scapularies. All feasts, Mohammedan and Christian alike, are celebrated with equal zeal, and many of the old pagan rites still attract the multi- tude. Tlius at Goree the capture of a shark and its exhibition in the streets excites a perfect frenzy of delight, all work being stopped for hours together. Most Wolofs believe in a family genius, to whom they make offerings ; in many houses the tutelar deity is a lizard, for whom his bowl of milk is scrupulously set apart. The Marabouts, or " Serins " of the early travellers, also enjoy very great autho- rity ; all are acquainted with Arabic, and by them the schools are conducted. Polygamy is sanctioned by usage, and the wife is " chained " to her husband, as is the daughter to her father. She has no personal rights, and at her husband's death belongs to his brother. She must even simulate death, and remained crouched and motionless until the husband's sister comes to resuscitate her, as it were, by attiring her in mourning. Usage still allows the judgment of the dead. Before the burial the neighbours gather to praise or blame the departed, to sing his virtues or bemoan his vices. But on the brink of the graves, whether sprinkled or not with the blood of an ox or of any other victim, nothing but good- will and affection is shown to the dead. In some places the roof of the cabin is re- moved and placed on the tomb, the new home of the lost friend. For a year after the burial the touching custom also still prevails of sending to some indigent neighbour, or to a slave, the portion of food usually allotted to the deceased when alive. On returning from the grave to his home great care mu«!t be taken to make many turnings and to go astray, as it were, in order to deceive the evil spirit, who might else find his way to another house and carry off a fresh victim. The old kingdom of Cayor, largest of the Wolof states, has been respected by the French. The ruler is elected, but always from a family enjoying the royal prerogative, and the electors, themselves barred from intriguing for the honour, number four only. When appointed, the king receives a vase said to contain the seeds of all the plants growing in Cayor. He is thus constituted lord of the land, and henceforth on him depends the abundance of the crops. Before the inter- ference of the French in the local arrangements, all the Wolof states recognised a supreme head, the Bur, or " Great Wolof," to whom the secondary kings sent a drum of homage. He was approached on aU fours, with bare back and head covered with dust.