Lamane Jegan Joof (English spelling in the Gambia, Lamane Djigan Diouf French spelling in Senegal, also : Ndigan Dieye Diouf, Djigan Diouf, Laman Jegaan Juuf or Jegaan Jaay Juuf in Serer language), was a Serer prince who is reported to have founded the Serer village of Tukar now part of present-day Senegal in around the eleventh century or earlier, and thus became the first Lamane of Tukar (King of Tukar). The history of Lamane Jegan Joof and the founding of Tukar have an educational as well as a religious significance in Senegal. In the educational sense, both histories are part of the national curriculum taught in Senegalese schools. In the religious sense, the Raan Festival (a major event in the Serer religious calendar) takes place each year at Tukar, two weeks after the appearance of the new moon in April.
According to the oral tradition of the Serer people, Jegan Joof migrated from Lambaye following a dispute with his cousin, the king of Lambaye. The dispute was about the governance of Lambaye and over-taxation. Jegan Joof who was also a mix-farmer and with a large cattle herd felt he was being overtaxed unjustly. He thus decided to migrate with his younger brother Ndik Joof in search of new land and territory to exploit, hence the founding of Tukar, presently, a rather large village which includes numerous other villages such as Njujuf, Ndokh, Sob, etc. They were former colanies of Tukar and part of Jegan's estate. The Joof family reigned in Tukar for several centuries, inherited from their ancestor Lamane Jegan Joof. In the epic of Jegan Joof, he is reported to have had a son called Sosseh Joof (variation : Socé Diouf) who inherited his father's estate. Ndik Joof, brother of Jegan, is reported to have died in Tukar before Jegan's own death.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
Lamane or Laman (also Laam or Lam) "master of the land" or "chief owner of the soil" in the Serer language were the landed gentry as well the title of ancient kings of the Serer people of Senegambia region which includes modern day Senegal and The Gambia. This Serer title was also loaned by the old kings of the Wolof kingdoms. The title is sometimes used interchangeably with the old title Maad or Mad(sometimes Maat) (ancient Serer Kings). These pre-Guelowar Lamanes should not be confused with the post-Guelowar Lamanes after The Battle of Troubang 1335 (sometimes spelt: Turubang) which led to the Guelowars' migration to the Kingdom of Sine as refuges. The pre-Troubang (or Guelowar) Lamanes were kings whilst the post-Troubang Lamanes were merely provincial chiefs answerable to the King of Sine and Saloum.
Although the post-Troubang Lamanes were always descendants of the ancient Serer village and town founders (the original Lamanes), and their families ruled the Kingdoms of Sine, Saloum and Baol etc., the power they previously enjoyed as Lamanes became diminished post-Troubang but were still titled and made up the class of the landed gentry. Though their power was somewhat diminished, their economic and political power was intricately linked to Serer custom, Serer history and Serer religion. As such, they were extremely powerful if not as true kings after Troubang (1335), as guardians of Serer traditions and beliefs and could dethrone a reigning monarch if threatened.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
