Damel

Damel was the title of the ruler (or king) of the Wolof kingdom of Cayor in what is now northwest Senegal, West Africa.

The most well-known damel is probably Lat Dior Diop (1842–1886) who was killed by the French after decades of resisting their encroachment on Wolof territory.^[1]^[2] Lat Dior is a Senegalese national hero.

The 30th and last Damel of Cayor, Samba Laobé Fall, was killed by the leader of a French delegation, Captain Spitzer, at Tivaouane, Senegal.^[3]

Role

Among the social classes of Cayor, the Damel stood on the top of the hierarchy. The Damel were traditionally seen as great magicians and it was through female relatives that royal blood was transmitted.^[4] Every descendant of a Damel in the maternal line became a garmi or noble.^[5]^: 6

History

The Damel began as the Great Lamane of Cayor, traditionally elected by the other Lamanes from the Fall family of Palene Ded, who claimed descend from Ousmane Boune Afal, a companion of Mohammed, by means of Wagadou.^[5]^: 6 Lat Jor was the only Damel elected who was not part of the Fall paternal line.

The term "Damel" may derive from "breaker", coming from the Wolof verb "damma" meaning "to break," referring to the breaking of their vassalage to the Jolof Empire at the 1549 battle of Danki.^[6] Alvise Cadamosto, however, recorded the use of the title "Damel" for the ruler of Cayor much earlier, in the 1450s.^[7]

List of damel

The following are the damel of Cayor, in order^[8]^[9]

1549, Dece Fu Njogu
1549–1593, Amary Ngone Sobel Fall
1593–1600 Massamba Tako
1697–1719, Lat Sukabe
1719–1748, Isa-Tende
1748–1749, Maissa Bigué Ngoné Fall (1st term)^[10]^[11]
1749–1757, Ma-Bathio Samb
1757–1758, Birima Kodu
1758–1759, Maissa Bigué Ngoné Fall (2nd term)^[10]^[11]

1759–1760, Birima Yamb
1760–1763, Isa Bige Nagone
1763–1766, Jor Yasin Isa
1766–1777, Kodu Kumba
1777–1790, Birima Fatim-Penda
1790–1809, Amari Ngone Ndèla Kumba Fal
1809–1832, Biram Fatma Cub Fal
1832–1855, Maysa Tènde Jor Samba Fal
1855–1860, Birima Ngone Latir Fal (d. 1860)
1860–1861, Ma-Kodu Kumba Yande Fal
1861 May – 1861 Dec 8, Ma-Jojo Jegeñ Kodu Fal (1st term)
1862 – 1864 Jan, Lat Jor Ngone Latir Jop (1st term) (b. c.1842, d. 1886)
1864 Jan – 1868, Ma-Jojo Jegeñ Kodu Fal (2nd term)
1871 Feb 12 – 1882, Lat Jor Ngone Latir Jop (2nd term) (s.a.)
1883 Jan – 1883 Aug 28, Amari Ngone Fal
1883 Aug 28 – 1886 Oct 6, Samba Laobe Fal

Notes

^ Hale, Johnson & Belcher, 1997, p. 211.
^ Harney, 2004, p. 282.
^ Crowder, 1968, p. 79.
^ Lewis, I. M. (2017). Islam in Tropical Africa. Taylor & Francis. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-138-23275-4.
^ ^a ^b Fall, Tanor Latsoukabe (1974). "Recueil sur la Vie des Damel". Bulletin de l'Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire. 36 (1). Retrieved 25 December 2023.
^ Monteil, Vincent. “Lat Dior, Damel Du Kayor, (1842-1886) et l’islamisation Des Wolofs.” Archives de Sociologie Des Religions, vol. 8, no. 16, 1963, pp. 78. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30127542. Accessed 1 June 2023.
^ Alvise Da Mosto (2003). Voyages en Afrique noire, 1455-1456 (in French). Paris: Chandeigne. p. 10. ISBN 978-2-906462-94-6.
^ World Statesmen.org list of the rulers of the precolonial kingdoms of Senegal
^ Sabatie, Alexandre (1925). Le Sénégal : sa conquête & son organisation (1364-1925) (in French). Saint-Louis: Impr. du gouvernement. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b Stewart, John, African States and Rulers, McFarland & Company (2006), pp. 131, 339, 371, ISBN 9780786425624
^ ^a ^b IFAN (1974), (cont. Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire), Bulletin de L'Institut Fondamental D'Afrique Noire: Sciences humaines. Série B, pp. 119, 120, 144

References

Crowder, Michael (1968). West Africa Under Colonial Rule. Northwestern University Press.
Hale, Thomas A., Johnson, John William and Belcher, Stephen Paterson (1997). Oral Epics From Africa: Vibrant Voices From A Vast Continent. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-21110-7
Harney, Elizabeth, (2004). In Senghor's Shadow: Art, Politics, and the Avant-garde in Senegal, 1960-1995. Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-3395-3

External links

Lat Dior, Le Kayor, l'impossible defi (in French)

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[1] Hale, Johnson & Belcher, 1997, p. 211.

[2] Harney, 2004, p. 282.

[3] Crowder, 1968, p. 79.

[4] Lewis, I. M. (2017). Islam in Tropical Africa. Taylor & Francis. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-138-23275-4.

[Fall-5] Fall, Tanor Latsoukabe (1974). "Recueil sur la Vie des Damel". Bulletin de l'Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire. 36 (1). Retrieved 25 December 2023.

[6] Monteil, Vincent. “Lat Dior, Damel Du Kayor, (1842-1886) et l’islamisation Des Wolofs.” Archives de Sociologie Des Religions, vol. 8, no. 16, 1963, pp. 78. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30127542. Accessed 1 June 2023.

[7] Alvise Da Mosto (2003). Voyages en Afrique noire, 1455-1456 (in French). Paris: Chandeigne. p. 10. ISBN 978-2-906462-94-6.

[8] World Statesmen.org list of the rulers of the precolonial kingdoms of Senegal

[9] Sabatie, Alexandre (1925). Le Sénégal : sa conquête & son organisation (1364-1925) (in French). Saint-Louis: Impr. du gouvernement. Retrieved 4 September 2023.

[Stewart-10] Stewart, John, African States and Rulers, McFarland & Company (2006), pp. 131, 339, 371, ISBN 9780786425624

[IFAN-11] IFAN (1974), (cont. Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire), Bulletin de L'Institut Fondamental D'Afrique Noire: Sciences humaines. Série B, pp. 119, 120, 144

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