West Africa

Languages
Languages
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Waterfall Shrine for Oxumaré
Axé/Ashé/Aṣẹ
Yoruba
aˈʃɛ

Axé is the concept that every being and thing intrinsically has axé, which was bestowed on them by Olódùmarè, the central god of the Yoruba people. Th...

IMG-20250912-WA0010
Géwél
Wolof

A person whose role is to be a historian, storyteller, poet and musician. They ensure the transmission of culture and oral history by preserving the m...

Asɛn
Asɛn
Fɔ̀ngbè

Originellement issu du Fɔ̀ngbè, le terme désigne un autel portatif fait de métal principalement, et réalisé pour commémorer un-e défunt-e qui, de son ...

tchambaga
Ewe
tcham-ba-ga

Bracelet whose name means “metal of the Tchamba,” the tchambaga symbolizes the iron shackles of enslaved people and is used to contact ancestors, as w...

Tila
Tila
Ewe
Ti-la

Protective amulet common in Togo and other parts of West Africa in various forms. The term gris-gris is apparently more widespread for protective amul...

Ataya
Ataaya
Wolof

Tea prepared on the ground in a teapot and served in cups. This way of making tea has its roots in the Arab world.

Ceebu jën
Ceebu jën
Wolof

Traditional Senegalese dish with fish, rice, and vegetables. In 2021, the dish was classed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

Rouye
Ruy
Wolof

Porridge made with 'Sunguf' cereal flour, such as millet. The term Sunguf is also used to refer to any kind of flour.

IMG-20250827-WA0037
Bassari
Wolof

Animist people from the Kédougou region (South-East Senegal). Their religion is subject to stereotypes, as is the case for other religions, such as Vo...

Chéchia
Chéchia
Wolof

Square cap worn by men and women alike. This word, of North African origin, is rejected by certain Senegalese socio-cultural groups, who use Mbakhana*...

Tenguadé
Tenngaade
Wolof

Conical straw hat often used by Fulani people when accompanying their herds.

Mbakhana
Mbakhana
Wolof

Cap worn in most Muslim countries, including Senegal. Occasionally referred to by the pejorative term Chéchia*.

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