TRADITIONS OF THE FULBE

The Fulbe, also known as Fula, Fulani, Pulaar, and Tukolor, are spread from Senegal to the northern Cameroon and even into the Sudan. This dispersal is the result of migrations out of Senegal, accomplished largely within the last six hundred years (the Tarikh es-Sudan speaks of the arrival of the Fulbe in Massina in the time of Sonni Ali Ber, ca. 1480). The Fulbe consider themselves originally to be cattle-herders, and some have claimed connections with the Saharan rock paintings of previous millenia and current Fulbe initiation symbolism. But the Fulbe have also established sedentary populations across this region, and these are not necessarily cattle-herders, although cattle remain an important part of their identity.

Beginning in the 18^th century, or earlier in some parts, Islam became a dominant component of Fulbe identity as well, and the 19^th century has been marked across the Sahel by wars of Muslim Fulbe expansion: Uthman Dan Fodio established the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Nigeria, which led to wars of conquest south and east; Cheikou Amadou Barry defeated the Bamana of Segou in Massina in 1818; al-Hajj Umar Tal led a Tukolor army through the Kaarta and Segou, before being killed, and his sons continued his rule; the almami of Timbo invaded Kaabu in the Gambia and destroyed the power of the nyanchos around 1867. As a result, the Fulbe became an aristocratic class in some areas.

Not all areas of Fulbe settlement offer epic traditions, and the relations among the traditions seem complex; it seems quite possible to me, on the basis of plot-lines and distribution, that the Fulbe adopted epic-singing in Massina and that the practice then spread to certain other areas of their diaspora. This is a question that I think needs further research, which will of course be complicated by the way in the modern era recordings of epics travel to and fro with some freedom.

This listing is divided into two parts: epics from the Futa Tooro, the area along the Senegal River, and epics from Massina and the eastern part of the Fulbe range.

FUTA TORO

Performer	Title Bibliographic Reference	Languages	Date
Ceerno Daahiru Aan	The Tooroobbe Kane & Robinson, 17-23	Pulaar bilingual	1968
Abdel Kader son of Fama Mademba	Samba Gueladio Equilbecq 1974, pp. 92-96	French	1914
Anonymous	Origin of the Fulbe Arnaud 1912 pp. 152-154	Soninke? French	ca. 1905
	The Denyanke dynasty Arnaud 1912 pp. 176	Soninke? French	ca. 1905
	Samba Gueladio Raffenel 1956, vol. 2/Equilbecq 1974	Fulbe French	1846-1850
	Ballade de Samba Foul Berenger-Feraud Recueil pp. 39-49	French French	1885
	Samba Gueladio Steff in Equilbecq 1974, pp. 97-100	French summary	pre-1910
	Koly Satigny Berenger-Feraud Recueil pp. 211-218	French	1885
	La naissance de Samba Samba Ndaw Sar 1980, pp. 94-98	Pulaar bilingual	pre-1980
	Samba Gueladio Gaden, le Poular, pp. 104-113	Pulaar bilingual	pre-1913
	Samba Gueladio Frobenius, Atlantis VI pp. 233-246	Fulfulde German	pre-1910
	Samba Gueladio Abel Sy memoire 1979-1980	Pulaar bilingual	ca. 1975
	Samba Gueladjie Zeltner pp. 151-157	Fulfulde? French	pre-1913
	Histoire de Koli Zeltner 63-72	Khassonke? French	pre-1913
Demba Mallal Ba	Ama Sam Poolel et Hammel Tyam Meyer pp. 13-29	Pulaar French	1976-1979
Kalidou Ba	Jeunesse d'el-Hajj Oumar Meyer 99-118	Pulaar French	1976
Aali Gay Cam	Njaak Moktar, His Life and Death Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 99-105	Pulaar bilingual	1968
Aali Gay Cam [Caam]	The Maadiyanke Movement Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 147-157	Pulaar bilingual	1969
	Sammba Jaadana Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 159-167	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Guelaye Fall	Segou Bali Abel Sy 1978, pp. 16-39	Pulaar Bilingual	ca. 1975
	Balla Dierel Abel Sy 1978, pp. 42-57	Pulaar Bilingual	ca. 1975
Kaliidu Mammadu Gaajo	Almaami Abdul, Aali Siidi and Aali Dunndu Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 53-63	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Baani Giise	Umar and the Jinns Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 123-127	Pulaar bilingual	1968
Amadou Kamara	Samba Gueladio Correra 1992	Pulaar bilingual	1975-80 ?
Ceerno Maajakite Siisee Kan	The Almamate Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 75-81	Pulaar bilingual	1968
	Ceerno Baraahiima Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 139-145	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Ceerno Saydu Kan	The Raid on Mbummba Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 131-137	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Elimaan Kaana Umar Kan	The Alkaati of Mboolo Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 43-49	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Oumar Kane	Samba Gelajo-Jegi Kane B.IFAN 32 (1970), 911-926	French prose	1970
Mamadou Kante	Malik Sy et leBondou Meyer 87-95	Pulaar French	1976-79
	Makan Sunjata et Simangourou Meyer 141-146	Pulaar French	1976-79
Adama Koume	Guelel et Goumallo Meyer 64-83	Pulaar French	1976-1979
	Ama Sam Poolel and Goumallo Meyer pp. 30-63	Pulaar French	ca. 1977
Yero Boubou Koume	Gueladio Meyer 181-190	Pulaar French	ca. 1977
	Gueladio et Fatimel Sire Bii Dane Meyer 191-213	Pulaar French	ca. 1977
	Yero Maama et Saa Meyer 228-239	Pulaar French	ca. 1977
Boubakar Mamadou	Samba Gueladio (I) Equilbecq, Contes vol 2, pp. 3-40	French	ca. 1910
	Samba Gueladio (II) Equilbecq 1974, pp. 64-85	Pigeon French	ca. 1910
Farba Amayel Mbay	Raid on Jaawut / Founding of Daabiya Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 83-80	Pulaar bilingual	1968
Mammadu Njaari Mbeng	The Toorobbe and the Deeniyankoobe Kane and Robinson 1984 pp. 25-33	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Sidi Mbothiel	Goumalel Samba Diam Diallo Ngaide 1981 pp. 35-87	Pulaar bilingual	1973
	Amadou Sam Polel et Hamme Thiamel Ngaide 1981, pp. 91-161	Pulaar Bilingual	1973
	Silamaka et Poulori Meyer 149-172	Pulaar French	ca. 1977
	Seykou Oumar and Tamba Boukari Meyer 119-137	Pulaar French	ca. 1977
Seegaa Ñang	Sileymaani Baal and Abdul Kaader Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 35-41	Pulaar bilingual	1968
	The Death of Almaami Abdul Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 65-71	Pulaar bilingual	1969
	The Death of Abdul Bookar Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 169-179	Pulaar bilingual	1969
Aamadu Weendu Noodi Njay	Umar, Faidherbe, and the Holy War Kane and Robinson, 1984 pp. 107-113	Pulaar bilingual	1968
Hammadi Saayande Njay	The Trial of Ceerno Faalil Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 115-121	Pulaar bilingual	1968
Mamadou Pahel	Naissance de Samba Galadiegui Ndiaye 1980 pp. 99-113.	Pulaar French	ca. 1975
	Samba Gueladiegui Amadou Ly, memoire 1987; 1991	Pulaar Bilingual	1974
Sire Abbas Soh	Chroniques du Fouta Senegalais Soh, 1913.	Arabic	ca. 1910?
Various	Chroniques et récits du Fouta Djallon Sow 1968	Fulfulde
Shaykh Banndel Wan	The Wan Kane and Robinson 1984, pp. 91-95	Pulaar bilingual	1969

Robert Arnaud. La singulière légendes des soninkés: traditions orales sur le royaume de Koumbi. In L'Islam et la politique musulmane en Afrique occidentale française. Paris, Comité de l'Afrique française, 1912.

L.B. Bérenger-Féraud. Recueil de contes populaires de la Sénégambie. Paris: E. Leroux, 1885. Nendeln: Kraus Reprint, 1970.

Maurice Delafosse. Traditions historiques et légendaires du Soudan Occidental. Publication du Comité de l'Afrique française. Paris. 1913.

François-Victor Equilbecq. Essai sur la littérature merveilleuse des noirs, suivi de Contes indigènes de l'ouest africain. 3 vols. Paris: Maisonneuve et Larose, 1913-1916.

---. La légende de Samba Guélâdio Digui Prince du Foûta. Dakar-Abidjan: Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1974.

Leo Frobenius, Spielmannsgeschichten der Sahel. Atlantis VI. Iena, Eugen Diederichs, 1921. Reprint Martin Sändig.

Leo Frobenius and Douglas C. Fox (ed. and trans.). African Genesis. Berkeley, Turtle Island Foundation, 1983.

Henri Gaden. Le Poular: Dialecte peul du Fouta sénégalais. Paris: E. Leroux, 1913.

Moustapha Kane and David Robinson. The Islamic Regime of Fuuta Tooro. East Lansing, African Studies Center, Michigan State University. 1984.

Issaga Korera. Samba Guéladio: Épopée peule du Fuuta Tooro. Dakar: IFAN 1992, Initiations et études africaines 36.

Amadou Ly. trans. L'épopée de Samba Gueladiegui. Dakar: IFAN/UNESCO. Editions Nouvelles du Sud. 1991.

Gerard Meyer, ed. and trans. Récits épiques toucouleurs: la vache, le livre, la lance. Paris: Karthala/ACCT 1991.

Mamadou Lamine Ngaïde. Le vent de la razzia. Dakar: IFAN, 1981.

Samba Ndaw Sar. ed. "Les circonstances de la naissance de Samba." Demb ak Tey. 6 (1980). 94-98.

---. "Prédestination, héros et gumbala: l'exemple de Samba Gelaajo Jeegi" Demb ak Tey. 6 (1980). 12-23.

Siré Abbas Soh. Chroniques du Fouta Senegalais. ed. and trans. Maurice Delafosse and Henri Gaden. Paris: Leroux, 1913.

Alfa Ibrahim Sow. Chroniques et récits du Fouta Djallon. Paris: Librairie Klincksieck, 1968.

Amadou Abel Sy. Seul contre tous. Dakar-Abidjan. Nouvelles editions africaines. 1978.

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