LAGARRE
allyHero
Lagarre is a character of the Soninke oral tradition, linked to the epic of Wagadu, the ancient kingdom that the medieval Arab authors called Ghana. The youngest son of the old king Dinga, he is depicted as the most considerate towards a former servant of his father, who helps him obtain the inheritance and the throne at the expense of his elder brothers. The narrative tells that the royal drum Tabele, whose voice gathers the people, had been stolen and bound to the sky by djinns. To find Wagadu again, Lagarre carries the drum into the northern desert and strikes it. A city then rises from the sand, encircled by the serpent Bida. This cycle belongs to the Soninke traditions handed down notably in the body of narratives known as the Dausi. The versions vary considerably from one teller to another.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Voice of its pantheon. LAGARRE carries the memory of its tradition and weaves a thread into the Mabioni. Bound to the West Africa pantheon.
Sacred Mask
An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of kingship, embodiment of the power of Lagarre
Era
Ancient cycle
Frequently asked questions
Who is Lagarre in the Soninke tradition?
The youngest son of king Dinga. Helped by an old servant of his father, he obtains the throne, then sets out to find the city of Wagadu again thanks to the drum Tabele.
What role does the drum Tabele play?
It is the royal drum whose voice gathers the people. Stolen and bound to the sky by djinns, it must be recovered and struck in the desert to bring Wagadu back to life.
To which body of narratives does Lagarre belong?
To the Soninke oral tradition around the epic of Wagadu, the ancient Ghana, handed down in the cycle called the Dausi. The details change from one version to another.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Traditions orales soninké, épopée du Wagadu (cycle du Dausi)
- Charles Monteil, La légende du Ouagadou et l'origine des Soninke, dans Mélanges ethnologiques, Mémoires de l'IFAN n° 23, p. 359-408 (1953)
- Germaine Dieterlen et Diarra Sylla, L'empire de Ghana : le Wagadou et les traditions de Yéréré, Paris, Karthala-ARSAN (1992)