Fula people

The Fulbe (Arabic فولا ), in the German language area also known under its English name Fula, Fulla, Fullah or Fulani, their French name Massina, Peul or Peul or inside Sudan as Felatta, are in large parts of West Africa an originally nomadic pastoral people which is predominantly sedentary today.

Name, dissemination

There are a variety of names and name spellings - Fulani, Fulani, Fula, Fulla, Fullah, Fulah, Foulah, Fulas, Futafula, Fulata, Fellah, Felatta, Felatah, Fellaata, Fulanie, Filani, Hilani, Peul, Peul, among others Pulo

The proper name is Halpulaar - " the Pulaar speak " - or Fulɓe (plural ) and Pullo ( singular). The number of Fulbe is estimated at over ten million people in Nigeria, since a large number of Fulani adopted the language of Hausa, the actual number of " Fulfulde " is - and the Pulaar - speakers estimated to be only about eight million, there are but also information that go far beyond this and up to 25 million speakers range, which must be added about 5 million, in the north of Cameroon, where it is the main lingua franca, speak the Fulfulde as a second language.

The Fulani live in mostly larger groups throughout the Sahel from Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea- Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea to the south of Nigeria and Cameroon up to Chad and Sudan. Guinea alone there are at least 4 million Fulani. Guinea is the only country in which form the Fulbe with over 40 % population share of the (relative ) majority of people.

The Fulani live in smaller groups in other countries, such as in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Sudan, there particularly in the city of Kassala.

Among the Fulbe includes a number of clans such as Umm Bororo, Uda, Djafun, Dooga, Dindima, Adamawa, Danedji, Sisilbi, Fuuta, Boodi, all belonging to the Wodaabe in Niger, as well as the Tukulör in Mauritania and Senegal.

Origin

The ethnological origin of the Fulani is not clearly understood. The early European anthropologists of the 19th and 20th centuries were very divided about the origin of the Fulbe. Some theories took Hamit according to the theory of a derivation of the Fulbe of Ham, the son of Noah, while others told them a Judeo -Syrian, sometimes even European in origin.

The abundance of contradictory approaches can be explained by the somewhat strange character of the Fulbe. The phenotype of some individuals differ in part considerably from that of the neighboring ethnic groups. In addition, the Fulani traditional practice strict endogamy, which leads to extensive insulation, which is further reinforced by their traditional nomadic way of life also.

Another explanation for the European attempts to locate the Fulani ethno -genetic, lies in the fact that they at the time of colonization held a hegemonic supremacy in West Africa. The Europeans tried to bring this military superiority with a hypothetical superiority of the " white race " in line. The Fulani presented in this case is a " degenerate " representatives of the breed, who still had to have superiority over the blacks, however, due to its origin as a minimum.

This representation is obsolete, because the Fulani are both culturally and linguistically clearly assigned to the West African sphere. Nevertheless, there are some parallels to the nomadic peoples of East Africa who do not let a possible East African origin, or at least a strong influence to exclude.

The Fulbe see themselves as descendants today Meccan Arabs, who accompanied the Prophet Mohammed. This view is due to the influence of Islam and is contrary to the ancient polytheistic beliefs of the Fulbe. In the oral traditions of the Fulani is of a mythical country of origin " Heli e Yoyo " between the river " Milia " and the " Sea of Joy" speech. They would have lived in this country and twenty-two of its rulers were Fulani. After they had become sinful, but they are of their highest god, " Geno, the Eternal ", was banned from " Heli e yoyo ". This story essentially corresponds to the origin myths of many nations, according to which they had been banished from an earthly paradise because of the Fall.

Nevertheless, there are approaches to locate the country. The Guinean author Tierno Monénembo sets Heli e yoyo equal in his work Peuls with Egypt. This lies between the Nile and the Red Sea.

This hypothesis is consistent at least with parts of today can best be considered to be realistic theory, as it represents Alain Anselin. Anselin comes by means of comparative methods of linguistic archeology to the conclusion that the ethnogenesis of the Fulbe clearly has recourse in pre-Christian times and had to locate in East Africa. Cattle were holding warrior clans penetrated into northern Egypt and joined there on Indian Tamil shepherds from the Ethiopian highlands. Together they had moved into the vegetation strong central Sahara of the second century BC. Legacies of this time could be the rock paintings in the Tassili mountains be, the parallels to life had cut today Hirtenfulbe. Anselin also noted that various clan name ( Diallo, Ka, Kan., Dicko ) showed similarities to the Tamil language.

History

Already around 1000 AD, significant urban cultures had in the course of the trans-Saharan trade flourishing in Senegal emerged. The language of the Fulbe, Fulfulde or the Fula, formed before the 10th century in the Senegal Valley.

Denanke 1517-1776 was an animistic State of the Fulani in Senegal Valley.

Over the centuries, however, many were sedentary. They established the Fulani jihad in several realms:

  • As the most famous of the many historic leader of the Fulani Usman dan Fodio went (1754-1817), who founded the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Nigeria, in the history books. He defeated 1810 Hausa.
  • 1810 Adamawa in what is now northern Cameroon, founded by Modibo Adama Usmans students,
  • 1817 Gando (lower Niger Valley ) - Nupe was until 1860 a vassal of Gando,
  • Massina to Timbuktu (1862 Haji Omar conquered )
  • Futa Djallon (today northern Guinea and southern Senegal),
  • Futa Toro (Valley of the Senegal, the successor state of Denanke )
  • Bondu (in today's upper Senegal),
  • Djelgodji,
  • Liptako.

The empires of the Fulbe were conquered in the 19th century by the colonial powers France, Britain and Germany.

Culture and Society

The Fulani are traditionally a nomadic people, however, is probably the majority of them settled down in the course of their Islamization. Traditionally, follow the Fulbe a strict code that Pulaaku. The Pulaaku prescribes the Fulbe, as they have to behave in any given situation; it determines the entire social structure. The Pulaaku is a way of life that forms the foundation of the culture of the Fulani.

The Pulaaku is based on three pillars:

From the three principles, the following rules can be derived:

Failure to follow the Pulaaku brings the emissions from the group of Fulani with it. In order to understand the Pulaaku however, it requires a precise understanding of the language.

Their language, Fula or Fulfulde (the western dialect is often referred to as Pulaar / Poular ), belongs to the West Atlantic branch ( Atlantic languages) the western Sudanese subgroup of the Niger -Congo language family. ( Language Code: ful according to ISO 639 ) In general, the Fulfulde is considered at all due to its grammar as one of the most complex languages.

In the culture of the Fulani cow stands in the first place. In the traditional religion of the Fulani created the God Geno, the supreme god, the world in a drop of milk to it by the primeval cow Itoori (which some identify with Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love, the primeval cow Itoori can also serve as the "House of Horus "; hodhorde Hoori, or, where ht- hr, are understood for Hathor, it contains within itself the god Horus ) was; then he created the cow, the man and the woman. He sat the woman behind the cow and the man behind the woman. Fulbe attach the greatest value to their animals; which even goes so far that some commit suicide when they lose their flock. Many Fulbe cry at the loss of their animals, especially in that of the strongest bull of the herd, " Ngaari Mawndi " (the term was also used as nickname for the kings of the dynasty of the Senegalese Deyniankoobe used). Therefore, the milk is regarded as a divine water that makes invulnerable.

The names of the clans have a meaning. The Fulbe are four major clans, which are divided into sub- clans each: Bâ, Diallo (also Ka or slide), Barry and Sow.

The Bâ are considered the scholars, they know their way around, especially in scientific and secular, but also spiritual things. The Diallo are the warriors and have a soldierly attitude. The Barry are both merchants and rulers, they have held political power. The Sow are the initiators and are familiar with the best cattle from.

Nevertheless, this classification requires, nowadays largely revoked by colonialism and upheavals of modernity.

Clothing

The traditional dress of the Fula consists of full color, flowing robe. Typical of the Fulani women henna drawings on their faces. Men are dressed with the typical turbans and facial veils, which they may resemble the Tuareg externally. It is also typical of the conical straw hat, as he is still partially supported.

Body modifications

Women wear in each ear up to twelve earrings. These are the girls stung from their first full year of life with a needle and wool thread. The thread initially remains tied up in the ear and the pierced body is rubbed with butter, to protect them from infections and keep flying. Also wearing septum piercing is common among women.

In addition, the women tattoo the mouth area of the lips out with indigo.

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