Damel was the title of the ruler (or king) of the Wolof kingdom of Cayor in what is now northwest Senegal, West Africa. The most well-known damel is probably Lat Dior Diop (1842–1886) who was killed by the French after decades of resisting their encroachment on Wolof territory. Lat Dior is a Senegalese national hero. The 30th and last Damel of Cayor, Samba Laobé Fall, was killed by the leader of a French delegation, Captain Spitzer, at Tivaouane, Senegal.

Role

Among the social classes of Cayor, the Damel stood on the top of the hierarchy. The Damel were traditionally seen as great magicians and it was through female relatives that royal blood was transmitted. Every descendant of a Damel in the maternal line became a garmi or noble.

History

The Damel began as the Great Lamane of Cayor, traditionally elected by the other Lamanes from the Fall family of Palene Ded, who claimed descend from Ousmane Boune Afal, a companion of Mohammed, by means of Wagadou. Lat Jor was the only Damel elected who was not part of the Fall paternal line. The term "Damel" may derive from "breaker", coming from the Wolof verb "damma" meaning "to break," referring to the breaking of their vassalage to the Jolof Empire at the 1549 battle of Danki. Alvise Cadamosto, however, recorded the use of the title "Damel" for the ruler of Cayor much earlier, in the 1450s.

List of damel

The following are the damel of Cayor, in order