ROOG
allySupreme principle, creator
Roog, also called Roog Sene, is the supreme being and creator in the traditional religion of the Serer people of Senegambia, present in Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. In the Serer language, the word roog means the sky. Roog is described as the source of all life and the end toward which everything returns — at once origin and destination. The traditions say he is bodiless and both feminine and masculine, above the gods as above the spirits. The Serer do not address him directly and raise no sanctuary to him. They pass through ancestral intercessor spirits, the Pangool, invoked by the priests called saltigues. Among the Serer groups of the Cangin languages, the supreme being bears the name Koox or Kooh, which some sources link to the very origin of the name Roog. Roog holds a central place in the Serer creation myth and in the orally transmitted rites.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“Before the first word, there was already the breath.”
Frequently asked questions
Who is Roog among the Serer?
Roog is the supreme being and creator of the Serer religion of Senegambia. His name means the sky in the Serer language, and he is seen as the source and end of all existence.
Why do the Serer not pray to Roog directly?
Tradition holds Roog to be distant and without a sanctuary of his own. The faithful address him through the ancestral spirits, the Pangool, invoked by the saltigue priests.
Are Roog and Koox the same deity?
Yes, according to several sources. Among the Serer groups of the Cangin languages, the supreme being is called Koox or Kooh, a name that some traditions link to the very origin of the word Roog.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Wikipedia: Roog; Serer religion; Pangool
- Henry Gravrand, La Civilisation Sereer, Pangool (référence de fond sur la religion sérère)