Origin and Evolution
The Fulani people are believed to have originated from the Upper Nile Valley: Upper Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. By studying the rock paintings of Tassili n’Ajjer, it was thought that the depictions of cattle in these paintings could trace the migration of the Fulani people through stylized representations in the Sahara.
The origin of the human core around which the “Fulani” ethnicity formed is likely to be found among the “cattle herders” of prehistoric Sahara, whose appearance and way of life, as depicted in the rock paintings of Tassili, astonishingly resemble those of today’s nomadic Fulani. A long period separates the earliest mentions of the Fulani in history from these “proto-Fulani” (who may also have been the ancestors of some East African herders), as the frescoes are estimated to date back to the 6th-2nd millennia BCE, while the Fulani appear in the 14th-15th centuries in the Chronicles of Kano and Makrizi. Despite the lack of documentation, it seems that their “ethnicity” was formed during the early Middle Ages in the Senegal Valley and the adjacent regions of the East and Northeast, through influences from Berbers and, especially, black populations. The essential structures of the Fulani language, which undeniably belongs to the same group as Wolof and Serer-Sin spoken in the Republic of Senegal, originate from the latter.
Fulani Civilization
The Fulani, also known as Foulani, Fellata, or Bororo depending on the country, are an ethnic group traditionally associated with pastoralism, spread across the Sahelian and Saharan regions in over fifteen different countries. They are particularly numerous in Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal, and Guinea, with Guinea being the only country where they form a majority (40% of the population).
The majority of Fulani people are Muslims, with a minority practicing the Bahá’í Faith. Their dispersion and mobility have facilitated exchanges and intermixing with other populations. The origins of their identity, not solely tied to the Fulani language (Poular or Fulfulde), have long been a subject of debate.
The Fulani people have long, straight to wavy hair, which allows for a distinct hairstyle where the hair is brought to the top of the head, forming a “gourd” hairstyle famous among the Wodaabe and Bororo. Bororo women tie their hair in a bun at the front, while the rest of the hair is divided into sections that are braided and fall on the sides and back of the head. Interethnic mixing has resulted in various styles of hairstyles. These hairstyles come in many forms, such as diamond or triangle shapes, each with its own name. Despite the diversity of hairstyles among Fulani women, both men and women often have the same hairstyle.
Nomadic Fulani men wear a brown tunic called bolare, which reaches mid-calf, along with a stick, a conical straw hat, a leather apron, and earrings. They wear a turban on their head, similar to the Touareg’s tagelmust, and don baggy pants. The conical hat (typical of the Fulani) is worn, and an ostrich feather is often attached to it. Talismans or gris-gris are worn to protect against djinns. Women wear a blue indigo cloth called pagne and a dark-colored boubou, sometimes black. Sedentary Fulani people sometimes adopt the style of the ethnic groups they coexist with. Men wear the conical hat or a bonnet, often white in color, called couffouné, which can be round or square. They wear a short tunic, over which they put on a large boubou, often white or dark blue, called doloké. Women wear the pagne and boubou and tie a piece of fabric on their heads, which is the female version of a turban called moussor.
Conclusion
Fulani women practice lip and gum tattooing with indigo, as well as tattooing the palms of their hands and feet. They pierce their ears and insert large twisted gold earrings or gold or silver nose rings. Young girls wear multiple silver or copper rings on their wrists and ankles, symbolizing their wealth.
