In UPPER West Africa the Fulanis are dominant in the Fouta Djallon HIGHLANDS between Guinea and Sierra Leone and in the Fouta Toro LOWLANDS between Senegal and Mauritania.
In LOWER West Africa, the Fulanis are dominant in Adamawa State SAHELIAN-LANDS of Nigeria and the Adamawa Region SAVANNAH-LANDS of Cameroon.
Hence, you have the buzz words Fouta-Fouta for the two distinct Fulbe regions in upper West Africa, and Adamawa-Adamawa for their two regions in lower West Africa towards central- all referring to regions inhabited by the same people spread across several countries.
There are variations in the lifestyles and outfits among the men and women of all four regions. But, the bottom line is – they all share the same language, faith, food preference and norms.
While the attires and outfits of the Toro women are distinct from the Djallon in upper west Africa, the outfits/attires of the Adamawa women in lower west Africa are a blend of both the Toro and Djallon outfits for women.
But what about the men? Do they all dress the same across the four distinct Fula regions? You can say “yes” but there is a snag here about the hats the men wear.
The predominant hat in the Fouta Djallon Region – otherwise known as the “Puuto” – is thinner, tall, made of cotton thread, and bears a religious calligraphic pattern. No wonder why the “Chernors” and “Juldehs” are fond of the Puuto. On the other hand, the predominant hat in the other three regions (Toro-Senegal/Mauritania, Adamawa-Nigeria and Adamawa-Cameroon) is broader, flat, made of raffia threads/leather, and bears a functional appearance that is meant to hold back some of the hot rays of the sun from reaching the skulls and foreheads of the Adamawa/Toro cattle herdsmen who are fond of them.
What is not yet established is why the “Puuto” is unique to Fouta Djallon and why the Umbrella hat is more common across the other 3 regions than in the Fouta Djallon region?
About the Author
