Marriage in Senegal has greatly changed in recent times due to western influences. But in rural areas the differences are not much. Traditional marriage in Wolof culture is such a unique one where the maternal influence play a major role.

The Wolof people are found in North-Eastern part of Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia. The Wolof people are the largest ethnic grouping in Senegal (35% of the Senegalese populace) and in Gambia they are about 12% of the Gambian populace. The Wolof as a people are largely Muslim and they practice Islam as religion.

The institution of marriage is an essential part of the Wolof culture. This statement indicates that a family is an important unit, to the Wolof people, the family forms a building block for other social units into which the Wolof society is organized.

To form a stronger and stable family unit, the Wolof people believed that cross-cousin marriage (young man marrying a maternal uncle’s daughter) was the best form of marriage – they are matrilineal in nature.

This favors the idea that such measures provided the best and most stable marriages. Although it allowed for a young man to marry a paternal aunt’s daughter. The Wolof attaches more importance to the stability and success of the family unit. Therefore, priority is first given to marriage to a maternal uncle’s daughter.

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That's inbreeding.... the Wolof people have high chance of birthing offspring with genetic disorders.

Lagbaja01:
That's inbreeding.... the Wolof people have high chance of birthing offspring with genetic disorders.

they believe it keeps the family strong and united

You need to go educate them....decades ago in Nigeria, twins are considered abomination but thank God for Mary Mitchell Slessor a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria who stopped the killing of twins and other forms of infanticide.

weddman:


they believe it keeps the family strong and united

Lagbaja01:
You need to go educate them....decades ago in Nigeria, twins are considered abomination but thank God for Mary Mitchell Slessor a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria who stopped the killing of twins and other forms of infanticide.

Was every group in Nigeria killing twins?

1Sharon:


Was every group in Nigeria killing twins?

Not every group; the Hausa don't. We have long ages native names like "Tawaye", "Gambo" and "Agada", all given to twin births and their brothers and sister.