Serer religion
In the Cangin languages, Roog is referred to as Koox (or Kooh[1]), Kopé Tiatie Cac, and Kokh Kox.
[6] Serer tradition deals with various dimensions of life, death, space and time, ancestral spirit communications and cosmology.
Roog Sene is reachable perhaps to a lesser extent by the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue), who have been initiated and possess the knowledge and power to organise their thoughts into a single cohesive unit.
[11] In Serer, Roog Sene is the lifeblood to which the incorruptible and sanctified soul returns to eternal peace after they depart the living world.
An orthodox Serer must remain faithful to the ancestral spirits as the soul is sanctified as a result of the ancestors' intercession between the living world and the divine.
They are connected to the history of the Serer by virtue of the fact that the pangool is associated with the founding of Serer villages and towns as a group of pangool would accompany village founders called "lamane" (or laman – who were their ancient kings) as they make their journey looking for land to exploit.
In addressing their prayers to the pangool, the Serers chant ancient songs and offer sacrifices such as bull, sheep, goat, chicken or harvested crops.
The pangool are viewed as holy saints, and will be called upon and venerated, and have the power to intercede between the living and the divine.
The Serer strive to be accepted by their ancestors who have long departed and to gain the ability to intercede with the divine.
In accordance with Serer religious doctrines, for one to become a Saltigue, one must be initiated which is somewhat reserved for a small number of insiders, particularly in the mysteries of the universe and the unseen world.
It is the time when the initiated Saltigue (Serer High Priests and Priestesses) come together to literally predict the future in front of the community.
These diviners and healers deliver sermons at the Xooy Ceremony which relates to the future weather, politics, economics, and so on.
The event goes on for several days where the Saltigue take centre stage and the ceremony usually begins in the first week of June at Fatick.
The Lamane would make an offering to Saint Luguuñ and spends the early morning in ritual prayer and meditation.
After that, he makes a tour of Tukar and perform ritual offerings of milk, millet and wine as well as small animals at key shrines, trees, and sacred locations.
[25][26] Were a young man and a woman found engaged in premarital relationships, both are exiled to avoid bringing shame to the family, even if pregnancy resulted from that courtship.
The adulterers and their respective families must gather at the king, chief, or elder's compound to formally seek forgiveness.
The victim's family would nominate a strong man armed with a spear with a piece of cooked lamb or beef at the end of it.
If the victim's family chose accordingly, the executioner would kill the murderer with his spear, after which the food that had been cooked would not be eaten and everyone would disperse.
[32][33] The Senegalese government has set a school and centre to preserve this ancient knowledge and teach it to the young.
The Serers are one of very few communities in Senegambia, apart from the Jolas, who have a name for god[s] which is not borrowed from Arabic but indigenous to their language.
They were accompanied by grave goods including gold, silver, metal, their armour and other personal objects.
The last time this ceremony occurred was on 8 March 1969 following the death of the last king of Sine – Maad a Sinig Mahecor Joof (Serer: Maye Koor Juuf).
[60][61] Many still follow the Serer religion especially in the ancient Kingdom of Sine with Senegal and the Gambia being predominantly Muslim countries.
[62][63] At the surprise attacks of Naodorou, Kaymor and Ngaye, where the Serers were defeated, they killed themselves rather than be conquered by the Muslim forces.
In these 19th-century Islamic Marabout wars, many of the Serers villagers committed martyrdom, including jumping to their deaths at the Well of Tahompa.
