Lingeer
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Royal titles
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| Lamane (also religious) | |
| Maad a Sinig | |
| Maad Saloum | |
| Teigne | |
| Lingeer | |
| Line of succession | |
| Buumi | |
| Thilas | |
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Loul
Religious titles |
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| Saltigue | |
Lingeer (also: Linger or Linguère) was the title given to the mother or sister of a king in the Serer kingdoms of Sine, Saloum and previously the Kingdom of Baol; and the Wolof kingdoms of Cayor, Jolof, Baol and Waalo in pre-colonial Senegal. The word "Lingeer" means "queen" or "princess" in Serer and Wolof language. The Lingeer was considered the “great princess of royal courts.” Political power in these kingdoms was transmitted vis-à-vis her lineage, not any male lineage, as these societies utilized a matrilineal system. Various Lingeers have been noted for their resistance efforts to colonial conquest. The consequence of this resistance was the relegation of Lingeer to the background of Senegal’s political space upon its colonization.
Although the royal title Lingeer was generally given to the mother or sister of the king, and sometimes the first wife of the king (the "Lingeer-Awo"), the title could also mean a royal princess. In this case, it meant a woman who could trace royal descent from both her paternal and maternal line. In Wolof and Serer tradition, a woman who could trace royal descent on both her paternal and maternal line automatically became a Lingeer. The male equivalent was Garmi (a man who could trace royal descent on both his paternal and maternal line). It is from these Lingeers (a woman of pure royal blood) that a king would seek to marry. The king himself was a member of the Garmi class.
Historians are careful to not understate her influence in the pre-colonial period; the Lingeer is said to both make and unmake kings. In the Wolof state, the Lingeer’s political significance traditionally included: control of some of the king’s land, which they would administer by using captives; provision of food and maintenance for their retainers; and integration into the clan system. Members of the community needed to charm and persuade a Lingeer if they held hopes of acquiring a political career.
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Wikipedia