Who Are the Serer?
The Serer are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Senegal and The Gambia, numbering approximately 2 million people. They speak Serer-Sine, an Atlantic language of the Niger-Congo family. The Serer have inhabited the Senegambia region for millennia, predating many neighboring groups, and were among the last to convert to Islam, maintaining traditional religious practices longer than most West African peoples. The Serer were skilled agriculturalists who developed sophisticated farming techniques and sustainable land management. They founded several medieval kingdoms and have contributed significantly to Senegalese culture, with two of Senegal's presidents—Léopold Senghor and Abdou Diouf—being of Serer heritage.
Traditional Religion
Serer traditional religion centers on Roog (or Koox), the supreme deity, and an elaborate cosmology including ancestor spirits, pangols (ancestral spirits with protective powers), and nature spirits. The Saltigue priests serve as intermediaries between the spiritual and physical worlds, performing divination, healing, and agricultural rituals. Sacred groves and sites house spiritual powers. While most Serer today identify as Muslim or Christian, many maintain syncretic practices, and traditional ceremonies continue. The Serer's long resistance to Islamization—finally largely completed in the 20th century—and preservation of pre-Islamic practices makes them important for understanding West African religious history.
Agricultural Heritage
The Serer developed sophisticated agricultural systems including parkland agroforestry, where they cultivate crops among deliberately maintained useful trees like baobabs and Faidherbia albida. This system maintains soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and organic matter. The Serer practiced careful crop rotation and fallow management long before such concepts entered Western agricultural science. Their sustainable land use supported higher population densities than neighboring groups without environmental degradation. This agricultural knowledge, passed through generations, represents indigenous solutions to tropical farming challenges now studied by agronomists seeking sustainable approaches.
Contemporary Serer
Modern Serer maintain a strong cultural identity within Senegal's predominantly Wolof-speaking society. The Serer language faces pressure from Wolof and French but remains vigorous in rural Serer areas. Traditional wrestling (lamb) has Serer roots and is now Senegal's national sport. Serer musicians have contributed to Senegalese popular music. Economic activities include groundnut farming, fishing in coastal areas, and urban employment. The Serer maintain traditional social structures including matrilineal inheritance for some property. As Senegal modernizes, the Serer navigate preserving distinctive traditions while participating fully in national life, with their presidential heritage demonstrating successful integration without assimilation.
References
- Gravrand, H. (1983-1990). La Civilisation Sereer (4 volumes)
- Galvan, D. C. (2004). The State Must Be Our Master of Fire
- Becker, C. & Martin, V. (1982). "Les Serer et la question des terres"