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The Fula Sharo Festival -By Salim Yakubu Akko

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Fula, also known as Fulani or Fulbe, are one among the great West African ethnic groups which has been in existence over 500 years in the world; it existed since 15 centuries. It originated from some parts of Senegal and Guinea Conakry of West Africa: Futa Toro and Futa Jalo. In Nigeria, they are mostly found in Northern states. Like every ethnic group in the world, they also have their customs and traditions that they practised in everyday life.

The word ‘Sharo’ is literally means flogging. The word is originated from Fula language, which is being spoken by them, the Fula people. From this, we can translate Sharo Festival as ‘Flogging Festival’.

Sharo or Flogging Festival is a festival for the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood by the Fula people. The aim of this festival is to test the endurance of young Fula boys. And sometimes, it can be said; it is a festive which tests the strength of the Fula boys; those that are about to reach the manhood. Whatever the case, the festival is celebrated to test the strength, perseverance and endurance of young Fula boys.

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Unlike other Fula festivals that held annually, Sharo Festival holds twice in every single year. This can be stated that the festival is taken as highly important to the Fula people.

The first Sharo Festival is celebrated during the dry season, especially when guanea corn is harvested or is at the time that is ready to be harvested. The time is mainly chosen for Fula people believed that gunea corn is one of the best energy given food. However, they believed that when young children eat it, they will become more energetic, rebust and endured, so as to endure the flogging, during the festival. The second Sharo Festival is celebrated during Muslims Sallah Festival called ‘Eid-el-Khabir’. The festival lasts for seven nights; one week, after the Muslims Sallah Festival.

Furthermore, the Sharo festival usually hold in places that are open, especially at market fields or village squares so as to allure people’s mind about the festival. Sometimes, people from other ethnic groups comes and enjoy the jollifications of the festival.

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How To Observe The Festival?

We all know, during many festivals there are performances perfomed by the celebrants during the festival. Such perfomances are cultural dance, drama and so on. Ditto to the Sharo Festival. There are some performances done by minstrels, trickters, and maiden dancers.

The festival begins with the arrival of unmarried women, bare-chested men who are accompanied to the field by beautiful young girls. Encomia are showered and thunderous cheers follow-up by the observers when the contenders eye their challengers. Soon after, the drummers would beat the drum and the challenger will choose a contender so as to start the challenge.

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We all know, resisting high amount of pain is really very difficult, so, the contender would recite some mantras during the flogging so as to persevere the pain. Any contender who finds it difficult to withstand the pain is considered as a shame to his family. Every family would pray so as the contender would not cause disgrace to them.

However, if the contender withstands the flogging without hesitating, he will be celebrated by his family as well as the people from the village. And he will be allowed to marry a woman of his choice.

In the same vein, Sharo is also observed during Fula weddings. When a Fula girl is grown up and ready to be married, meanwhile there are many boys that want to marry her, a Sharo would be observed so as to choose the bravest one among them to marry the girl. And those that do not withstand the flogging will go for another girl.

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The observers will oversee the challengers so as not to harm the contender by flogging him on some private parts, such as head or face. The rule of the festival is that the contender would land a cane straight to the contender’s back.

Every challenger that is found guilty; those that put harm objects, such as nailing the cane or putting objects like needle, will be restricted from celebrating the festival. And they are considered as bad elements in the group.

Sharo Festival always remains pride to the entire Fula people all over the world.

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Salim Yakubu Akko is a Nigerian creative writer and a poet. He is a member of Gombe Jewel Writers’ Association, Creative Club Gombe State University and Hilltop Creative Arts Foundation.

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