#saltigue

I decided to promote that Serer saltigue (priestess) woman from my sketchbook portrait the other day to a full-fledged character for a future story. Her name is Mossane, and she is from a Serer community settled along the lower Senegal River in the far west of Africa during the 10th century AD. When her community captures an Icelandic Viking warrior named Sven who has come seeking gold to rebuild his lost fortune, Mossane offers to help him earn his freedom back…somehow. I'm still trying to figure the whole plot out, but I do know Mossane and Sven eventually become lovers.

I did this little sketch after doing some reading on the Serer culture of West Africa's Senegambian region. This portrait would represent what is called a saltigue, who are basically their priests or priestesses who can communicate with the spiritual realm. I couldn't find many reference images of their typical attire, so I admit to taking some creative license here (this specific character would come from a more ancient time anyway, so who knows how they would have dressed back then?). However, I did find that the Serer represent their view of the universe with a pentagram called the Yoonir, and that's what is inscribed on her necklace's central pendant.

Mahammed Dionne : «Moi, Saltigué»

Amy Faye saltigué déclare : "Je suis morte et ressuscitée 7 fois…, Macky Sall…"