The Pull of the Peuhl

Joni Joni (Right Away) offers sheep (xhar) and money (xhaliss)
drawings everyday leading up to Tabaski.

The baying of sheep is particularly loud this time of year because our town becomes overwhelmed with the Tabaski flocks. These sheep are  herded in by their Tukolor shepherds who have travel great distances from the Fuuta, a region of Senegal along the Senegal River to the east. The celebration of Tabaski in Senegal is a highly anticipated holiday. The markets become even livelier on the days leading up to the celebration as people cram into the tiny shops and ally ways in search of everything needed in order to prepare themselves and their homes for their special day.  Taylors work night and day, madly sewing new frocks for men, women and children. The noisy sheep on the street know their days are numbered as men sit and deliberate about which Tabaski ram is most suitable for their family feast.

Known in other parts of the world as Eid al-Adha, Tabaski is the Muslim holiday when believers and their families come together to kill the best ram they can afford to buy. Traditionally, this holiday is associated with the story of Abraham’s great faithfulness to God to the point of sacrificing his own son at God’s request. God spares the life of Abraham’s son and supplies a ram for sacrifice instead.  There are differences in the story between Christian and Muslim accounts and even a few twists in the stories recounted by our Senegalese neighbors, but the tradition of sacrifice to God remains common.

What does all this have to do with language learning? The Pulaar speaking Tukalor who flood our town each year with their herds are the reason we are learning this new language in the first place. God has placed this special people on our hearts and we desperately want to communicate with them in their own tongue. This time of year reminds us how language, culture and tradition are all tied together and how understanding shines through most clearly when you hear and understand the people in their heart language.