The Lebu (Lebou, ''Lébou'') are an ethnic group of

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

, living on the peninsula of

Cap-Vert Cap-Vert, or the Cape Verde Peninsula, is a peninsula in Senegal and the westernmost point of the continent of Africa and of the Afro-Eurasia mainland. Portuguese explorers called it Cabo Verde or "Green Cape". The Cape Verde islands, further ...

. The Lebu are primarily a fishing community, but they have a substantial business in construction supplies and real estate.Keese, Alexander, "Ethnicity and the Colonial State: Finding and Representing Group Identifications in a Coastal West African and Global Perspective (1850–1960)", BRILL (2015), p. 94

/ref> They speak

Lebu Wolof Lebu Wolof (Lebou Oulof) is a language of Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Seneg ...

, which is closely related to Wolof proper but is not intelligible with it. Their political and spiritual capital is at Layene, situated in the

Yoff Yoff ( wo, Yoof; french: Yoff) is a town (''commune d'arrondissement''), part of the city (''commune'') of Dakar, located in Senegal. It lies north of downtown Dakar and immediately north of Dakar Airport ( Dakar-Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor Inter ...

neighborhood of northern

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

. They have a religious sect and theocracy, the

Layene The Layene (also spelled Layène, Layenne, or Layeen) is a religious brotherhood of Sufi Muslims based in Senegal and founded in 1884 by Seydina Limamou Laye (1844-1909), who was born Libasse Thiaw. It is notable for its belief that their founder ...

, headquartered there. The traditional date of the founding of Yoff is 1430. Although they were conquered by the Kingdoms of Jolof (Diolof) and

Cayor Cayor ( wo, Kajoor; ar, كاجور) was the largest and most powerful kingdom (1549–1879) that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. Cayor was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Walo, west of the kingdom ...

, and later the French in the 19th century, and were incorporated into modern

, since 1815 they have had a special legal autonomy as a special kind of "theocratic republic". Lebu society emphasizes piety and respect for elders. Lebu families include not only living people but also associated ancestral spirits. The Lebu are noted for their public exorcism dances and rituals, often attended by tourists. Most Lebu are adherents of Islam. In addition to

, other Lebu centres are nearby

Ouakam Ouakam is a commune d'arrondissement in the city of Dakar, Senegal. The commune is the birthplace of French politicians Ségolène Royal and Rama Yade and Senegalese writer and politician Birago Diop. Ouakam is one of the four original Lebou vi ...

, Cambérène and

Ngor Ngor or Ngor Éwam Chöden (, ) is the name of a monastery in the Ü-Tsang province of Tibet about southwest of Shigatse and is the Sakya school's second most important gompa. It is the main temple of the large Ngor school of Vajrayana Buddhi ...

References

Related people

* Serer people *

Wolof people The Wolof people () are a West African ethnic group found in northwestern Senegal, the Gambia, and southwestern coastal Mauritania. In Senegal, the Wolof are the largest ethnic group (~43.3%), while elsewhere they are a minority. They refer to ...

, ''Les Lébous de la presqu'île du Cap-vert. Essai sur leur histoire et leurs coutumes'', Dakar, E. Gensul, 1946, 143 p. * Birahim Ba, ''La société lébu. La formation d’un peuple. La naissance d’un État'', Dakar, Université de Dakar, 1972, 206 p. (Mémoire de maîtrise) * Georges Balandier et Pierre Mercier, ''Particularisme et évolution : les pêcheurs Lébou (Sénégal)'', Saint-Louis, Sénégal, Centre IFAN-Sénégal, 1952, 216p. * Adama Baytir Diop, ''La prise de position de la collectivité lebu en faveur du “oui” lors du référendum de 1958. Essai d’interprétation'', Dakar, Université de Dakar, 1985, 51 p. (Diplôme d’études approfondies) * Adama Baytir Diop, ''La communauté lebu face aux développement de la politique coloniale : la question des terrains de Dakar (1887-1958)'', Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 1995, 277 p. (thesis) * Cécile Laborde, ''La confrérie layenne et les Lébous du Sénégal : Islam et culture traditionnelle en Afrique'', Bordeaux, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Bordeaux, Université Montesquieu, 1995 * Colette Le Cour Grandmaison, ''Rôles traditionnels féminins et urbanisation. Lébou et wolof de Dakar'', Paris, EPHE, 1970, 4+310+23 p. (Thèse de 3e cycle, publiée en 1972 sous le titre ''Femmes dakaroises: rôles traditionnels féminins et urbanisation'', Abidjan, Annales de l’Université d’Abidjan, 249 p.) * M. Mbodji, "Tiané, une jeune fille en quête d'initiation: rêver chez les Wolof-Lébou, ou comment communiquer avec les ancêtres?", dans '' Psychopathologie africaine'', 1998–1999, vol. 29, n° 1, p. 7-21 *

Mariama Ndoye Mbengue Mariama is a female name. It may refer to: *Mariama Bâ (1929–1981), Senegalese author and feminist * Mariama Barry, Senegalese novelist * Mariama Sonah Bah (born 1978), Guinean judoka *Mariama Souley Bana (born 1987), Nigerien swimmer * Mariam ...

, ''Introduction à la littérature orale léboue. Analyse ethno-sociologique et expression littéraire'', Dakar, Université de Dakar, 1983, 378 p. (Thesis) * Médoune Paye, ''La collectivité lebu de Dakar : organisation, rôle politique dans les élections municipales de 1925 à 1934'', Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 2001, 118 p. (Master's thesis) * Ousmane Silla, ''Croyances et cultes syncrétiques des Lébous du Sénégal'', Paris, EPHE, 1967, 517 p. (Thèse de 3e cycle) * Assane Sylla, ''Le Peuple Lébou de la presqu'île du Cap-Vert'', Dakar, Les Nouvelles Éditions africaines du Sénégal, 1992, 135 p. * Tamsir Sylla, ''Introduction à un thème négligé : révoltes et résistances en milieu lebou au XIXe siècle. Approche critique des sources'', Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 1990, 36 p. (Mémoire de DEA) * Ibrahima Thiam, ''Ousmane Diop Coumba Pathé, personnalité politique lebu : 1867-1958'', Dakar, Université de Dakar, 1987, 46 p. (Diplôme d’Études Approfondies) * Guy Thilmans, "Étude de quelques crânes lébou (Sénégal)", ''Bulletin de l'IFAN'', 1968, t. 30, série B, 4, p. 1291-1297 {{Authority control Muslim communities in Africa Ethnic groups in Senegal 1430 establishments 15th-century establishments in Africa 1815 establishments in Africa

References

Related people

Further reading