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HandWiki. Serer Creation Myth. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/32172 (accessed on 29 September 2026).
HandWiki. Serer Creation Myth. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/32172. Accessed September 29, 2026.
HandWiki. "Serer Creation Myth" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/32172 (accessed September 29, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 01). Serer Creation Myth. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/32172
HandWiki. "Serer Creation Myth." Encyclopedia. Web. 01 November, 2022.
Serer Creation Myth
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The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Religion:Serer_creation_myth

The Serer creation myth is the traditional creation myth of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. Many Serers who adhere to the tenets of the Serer religion believe these narratives to be sacred. Some aspects of Serer religious and Ndut traditions are included in the narratives contained herein but are not limited to them. Serer creation myth developed from Serer oral traditions, Serer religion, legends, cosmogonies. The specifics of the myth are also found in two main Serer sources: A nax and A leep. The former is a short narrative for a short myth or proverbial expression, whilst the later is for a more developed myth. Broadly, they are equivalent to verbs and logos respectively[clarification needed], especially when communicating fundamental religious education such as the supreme being and the creation of the Universe. In addition to being fixed-Serer sources, they set the structure of the myth. The creation myth of the Serer people is intricately linked to the first trees created on Planet Earth by Roog. Earth's formation began with a swamp. The Earth was not formed until long after the creation of the first three worlds: the waters of the underworld; the air which included the higher world (i.e. the sun, the moon and the stars) and earth. Roog is the creator and fashioner of the Universe and everything in it. The creation is based on a mythical cosmic egg and the principles of chaos.

religious education serer mauritania

References

  1. Pangool, pp. 125–6
  2. (in French) Thiaw, Issa laye, "Mythe de la création du monde selon les sages sereer", pp. 45−50, 59−61 [in] "Enracinement et Ouverture" – "Plaidoyer pour le dialogue interreligieux", Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (23 and 24 June 2009), Dakar [1] (Retrieved: 25 May 2012)
  3. (in French) Lericollais, André, « La gestion du paysage ? Sahélisation, surexploitation et délaissement des terroirs sereer au Sénégal », Afrique de l'ouest, Dakar (21–26 November 1988), ORSTOM, [2] For the name of Serer medicinal plants and their corresponding Latin names, see: Nqaul is spelt Ngaul (p. 8), Mbos (pp. 5 & 8), Somb (p. 8), Ngud (p. 8), Nalafun (p. 8), Ngol (p. 8), Saas is spelt Sas (p. 5), and [3] (Retrieved 3 June 2012)
  4. (in French) Kalis, Simone, "Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination ches les Seereer Siin du Sénégal" – La connaissance de la nuit, L’Harmattan, 1997, p 291, ISBN:2-7384-5196-9
  5. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 193−4
  6. (in French) Faye, Amade, " La beaute Seereer : Du modele mythique au motif poetique", [in] Ethiopiques, n° 68, revue négro-aricaine de littérature et de philosophie (1er semestre 2002) [4]
  7. Gravrand, "Pangool", p 189
  8. (in English) (Henry Gravrand, "La civilisation Sereer -Pangool") [in] Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frobenius-Institut, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kulturmorphologie, Frobenius Gesellschaft, "Paideuma: Mitteilungen zur Kulturkunde, Volumes 43−44", F. Steiner (1997), pp 144-5, ISBN:3515028420
  9. (in French) + (in English) Niangoran-Bouah, Georges, "L'univers Akan des poids à peser l'or : les poids dans la société", Les nouvelles éditions africaines - MLB, (1987), p. 25, ISBN:2723614034
  10. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 194−218
  11. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp 194-5
  12. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 195−6
  13. The original source says "Adna fee", which translates to the Universe, see: (in French) Kalis, Simone, "Médicine traditionnelle religion et divination chez les Seereer Siin du Senegal", La connaissance de la nuit, L'Harmattan (1997), p 293, ISBN:2-7384-5196-9
  14. «A nax» [in] Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 195
  15. «A leep» [in] Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 195
  16. « A leep » [in] Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 195−6
  17. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 197−8
  18. (in French) Arbonnier, M., "Arbres, arbustes et lianes des zones sèches d'Afrique de l'Ouest", CIRAD, Montpellier (2000) ISBN:2-87614-431-X
  19. (in English) "Prelude Medicinal Plant Database" (in) Metrafo (Retrieved: 3 June 2012) http://www.metafro.be/prelude/view_plant?pi=08690
  20. A tree that has the supernatural powers to relocate from one place to another. See Thiaw, "Mythe de la création du monde selon les sages sereer"
  21. Gravrand, "Pangool", p 126
  22. Gravrand, "Panfool", p. 231
  23. Pangool, p. 126−7
  24. Gravrand, "Pangool", p 284
  25. It is a sacred tree. See Thiaw "Mythe de la création du monde selon les sages sereer"
  26. A tree with special powers that has the supernatural ability to relocate to another place.
  27. Some Serer griots were once buried inside an open baobab tree with grave goods. This culture sparked criticism from the Serer playwright Fama Diagne Sène which attracted great controversy among the Serer priestly class (the Saltigues). Although Serer religion dictates that every Serer is entitled to a pyramid burial with grave goods, pyramid burial was reserved primarily for the upper echelons of Serer society (see Serer religion). Some Serer griots weren’t given a pyramid burial. Fama Diagne Sène portrayed this prejudice in one of her works and practically alienated the Serer priestly class. See Fama Diagne Sène: (in French) « MBILEM OU LE BAOBAB DU LION » de Fama Diagne Sène : Une confrontation entre la tradition et la modernité, [in] PiccMi.com [5] (Retrieved: 10 May 2012).
  28. Gravrand, "Pangool pp 199-200
  29. Gravrand, "Pangool" pp. 201−203
  30. Serer + (in English) "Serere-English / English-Serere Dictionary", Compiled by PCVs: Bethany Arnold (Khady Diouf), Chris Carpenter (Ndiouma Diome), Guy Pledger (Arfon Sarr), and Jack Brown (Babakar Ndiaye), p. 8, (May 2010), First Edition, Peace Corps - Senegal
  31. « Ɓoxo-koƥ » [in] Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 201
  32. « Mbocor » [in] Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 202−3
  33. Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2. Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), pp. 205−8, ISBN:2-7236-1055-1
  34. (in French) Kalis, Simone, "Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination ches les Seereer Siin du Sénégal" – La connaissance de la nuit, L’Harmattan, 1997, p. 329, ISBN:2-7384-5196-9
  35. (in French) Kalis, Simone, "Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination ches les Seereer Siin du Sénégal" – La connaissance de la nuit, L’Harmattan, 1997, p 48, ISBN:2-7384-5196-9
  36. Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation sereer, Cosaan: les origines", vol.1, Nouvelles Editions africaines (1983), p 33, ISBN:2-7236-0877-8
  37. Faye, Louise Diène, "Mort et Naissance le monde Sereer", Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1983. pp. 17-25. ISBN:2-7236-0868-9
  38. (in French) Faye, Louis Diène, "Mort et Naissance Le Monde Sereer", Les Nouvelles Edition Africaines (1983), pp. 9−10, ISBN:2-7236-0868-9
  39. Gravrand, "La civilisation sereer : Pangool" p. 20
  40. Madiya, Clémentine Faïk-Nzuji, "Canadian Museum of Civilization", Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies, "International Centre for African Language, Literature and Tradition", (Louvain, Belgium), pp. 27, 155, ISBN:0-660-15965-1
  41. Gravrand, Pangool, pp. 98–99
  42. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp 99-100
  43. Gravrand, "Pangool", p 100
  44. Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 165
  45. Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 164
  46. Gravrand, Henry, La civilisation sereer - "Pangool", vol. 2. pp. 164–65
  47. Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 164−5
  48. For creation from chaos, see Leonard, Scott A, & McClure, Michael, "Myth and Knowing – an introduction to world mythology", McGraw-Hill (2004), pp. 32, 63-172, ISBN:076741957X
  49. Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 101
  50. « Genesis of YAAB & YOP » narrated by « Armand Diouf » of Ndimaag (Senegal), [in] Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2. Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), p. 204, ISBN:2-7236-1055-1
  51. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 208−9
  52. Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2. Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), pp. 204−5, ISBN:2-7236-1055-1
  53. « Legend of Unan & Ngoor » narrated by « Ndofen Ndour » of Njagamba [in] Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2. Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), pp. 204−5, ISBN:2-7236-1055-1
  54. null
  55. « Armand Diouf » of Ndimaag, recitation from « A leep » [in] Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol. 2. Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal (1990), p. 209, ISBN:2-7236-1055-1
  56. Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 2101
  57. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 210−11
  58. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp 212-14
  59. Gravrand, Henry, "Pangool", p. 216
  60. Gravrand, "Pangool", p. 215−6
  61. Gravrand, "Pangool", pp. 217−8
  62. Senghor, Léopold Sédar, Préface: "Un Regard Neuf pour l’Afrique Noire"; [in] "A New Look at Black Africa"; [in] Alexandre, Pierre, "LES AFRICAINS" (1981); [in] Camara, Fatou Kiné (PhD) & Seck, Abdourahmane (PhD), "Secularity and Freedom of Religion in Senegal: Between a Constitutional Rock and a Hard Reality", pp. 2−3 (860 & 859), (11/26/2010) [6]
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