Mandinka

The Mandinka people of West Africa number over one million and live in The Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau. Mandinka society has three divisions: free-born, artisans, and slaves. The Mandinka are farmers with peanuts, rice, millet, and sorghum being their main crops. Mandinka society is patrilineal (male-dominated) and the smallest social unit is the family.

Islam is practiced faithfully among the Mandinka. Most of the Mandinka observe Islamic rituals with little understanding of what they really mean. Today, it is not uncommon for someone to first pray in the village mosque, then sacrifice a chicken to the "village spirit."

A Sample of the Mandinka Language:

U�-da ke yin a to wnyal;

gh�g a wly�c rin-ku abi l�c,

pan-du abi ben;

pu�n-du ab� loy pi�-ic acit wynal-ic.

Yeke ghog m�wd-kua akol� awtong;

pal gh�g kar�c-kua,

acit gh�g ya a pal koye ci ker�c loy etong gh�g,

ko d�ne pal,

bi gh�g kuat temac-ic,

lone koyn gh�g etong ker�c.

Alternate spelling of Mandinka are: Mandingue, Mandingo, Mandinque and Manding.

Mandinka is also the name of a unique hairstyle made popular in the 1980s by star of The A-Team, Mr. T. Influenced by the Mandinka warriors of West Africa , it consists of a partially shaven head with a strip running down the middle of the head from the forehead to the back of the head joining with strips starting at each ear at the back of the head. It can be incorporated with a beard for maximum effect.