The title Loul (or Lul) is an ancient

royal title Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke ...

used in the pre-colonial Serer kingdoms, such as the

Kingdom of Sine The Kingdom of Sine (also: ''Sin, Siine'' or Siin in the Serer-Sine language) was a post-classical Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. The inhabitants are called ''Siin-Siin'' or ''Sine-Sine'' (a Serer ...

, the Kingdom of Saloum and formerly the Kingdom of Baol. These three pre-colonial kingdoms are now part of independent

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

. The ''Loul'' was the third in line to the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monar ...

after the

Buumi Buumi (many variations : Buumy, Bumy, Bumi, etc.) was a Serer royal title in the Serer pre-colonial Kingdoms of Sine, Saloum and previously Baol. Diouf, Niokhobaye. ''Chronique du royaume du Sine''. Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et ...

and

Thilas Thilas (or tjilas, Djilas Tilas, etc.) was an ancient title of nobility used in the Serer pre-colonial Kingdoms of Sine, Saloum and previously the Kingdom of Baol, which are all now part of modern-day Senegal. The ''Thilas'' was the second in the ...

. Diouf, Niokhobaye, « ''Chronique du royaume du Sine''. Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin », in ''Bulletin de l'

Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire IFAN (I.F.A.N., Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire or Fundamental Institute of Black Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, ...

'' (IFAN), tome 34, série B, numéro 4, 1972, p. 777 In old

Serer language Serer, often broken into differing regional dialects such as Serer-Sine and Serer saloum, is a language of the kingdoms of Sine and Saloum branch of Niger–Congo spoken by 1.2 million people in Senegal and 30,000 in the Gambia as of 2009. It i ...

, ''Loul'' means ''"envoyer"'' (to send). Sarr, Alioune, « ''Histoire du Sine-Saloum''. Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker », ''Bulletin de l'IFAN'', tome 46, série B, numéros 3-4, 1986–1987, p. 23 Some have advanced the claim that the title itself derived from the Lamanic era - (ancient kings and

landed gentry The landed gentry, or the ''gentry'', is a largely historical British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. While distinct from, and socially below, the British peerage, th ...

of the

Serer people The Serer people are a West African ethnoreligious group.

) and was generally reserved for the lamane

Sène Sène (many variations: Sene, Seen, pronounced ''Sene'', or long: ''Seen'') is a Serer patronym in Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') off ...

, the head of the Sène family (or ''Sene''). In the

pre-colonial Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

period, the Loul took residence at

Loul Sessène Loul Sessène (or Loul Séssène) is a village in Senegal located in the Sine-Saloum area, in the West of the country. Administration It is the chef-lieu of the rural community of Loul Sessène, located in the Fimela Arrondissement, of the Fatick ...

, now part of the

Fatick Region Fatick is the southwest region of the northern outcrop of Senegal. Its alternative name is Jinnak Bolon. The region is named for its capital city, Fatick.

, founded by the Sène family.

Notes

Bibliography

*Diouf, Niokhobaye, « ''Chronique du royaume du Sine''. Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin », ''Bulletin de l'IFAN'', tome 34, série B, numéro 4, 1972 * Sarr, Alioune, ''Histoire du Sine-Saloum''. Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker, ''Bulletin de l'IFAN'', tome 46, série B, numéros 3–4, 1986–1987 *Klein, Martin A., ''Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847–1914'', Edinburgh University Press, 1968 *Diop, Papa Samba, ''Glossaire du roman sénégalais'', L'Harmattan, 2010, p. 92, {{Serer topics, state=collapsed Serer royalty Serer history