See also: Peul

The Peuls (or peuhls), which are called themselves Fulɓe ( Pullo in the singular), are an ethnos group living in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad, Sudan.

Names in European languages for this ethnos group are loans of the other African languages: peul of the wolof, fulani in English of the Haoussa and fula of the mandées Languages.

Population

Their total population is estimated at 16 million people. In Mali, Peuls, mainly established in the area of Mopti, constitute the second ethnos group after the Bambaras. They are also present at the Senegal and in Guinea.

Peuls are traditionally nomads, primarily stockbreeders transhumants of cows and Zébu S. the size of the herd translating social prestige, Peul is not always inclined to cut down one of its animals, except when they are important ceremonies like the marriage or the baptism: there, more one cuts down, more Peul shows how much the event is due to him in heart.

The ethnos group Toucouleur or haal pulaar of the valley of Senegal is not other than the branch of Peuls which was sédentarisés.

History

According to Henri Lhote, Peuls would be originating in the high valley of the the Nile: high Egypt, Nubie and Ethiopia. The cave paintings of bovines make it possible to follow the projection of these people, since it is him which brings the technique of representation in the the Sahara. Arrived in Mauritania and with the Senegal, the traces become more difficult to follow: the caves and rocks allowing the reproduction are rarer. Peuls would have introduced the bovine breeding in West Africa.

Peuls founded with Sékou Amadou the Empire peul of Macina.

They also founded in Senegal the State of the Fouta-Toro and the kingdom peul and mandingue of Fouladou, in Guinea the Fouta-Djalon, and with the Nigeria the Empire of Sokoto.

Culture

The oral transmission of the traditions and the legends is very important at Peuls. Taught near the teenagers by the oldest people, it conveys the history of the people, his exploits, its rites and its virtues. The guards of the history of the great battles are griots called “Wambabe”. It transmit their knowledge by the means of the traditional music.

The craft industry peul is also important in particular for its jewels out of gold, ornaments of ornament of the famous women peuls for their beauty and their elegance.

Language

See also: Peul

Peuls speak the language peul (or Pulaar or Fulfulde) and its multiple dialects which are included/understood in general and practice the Islam.

Patronyms

Family names peuls are very few. Among the most current patronyms one finds: Diallo, Dia, Barry, Ba, Sow, Sall, Baldé, Diamanka, Barro, Sidibé.

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