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Amar Godomat (or Amar Gôdômat, né. Ama Kodu Joof in Gambian English, or Ama Codou Diouf in Senegalese French) is the name given in oral tradition to an 11th-century Serer archer.
Mauritanian oral tradition claims Abu Bakr was killed in a clash with the "Gangara" (Soninke Wangara) of the Tagant Region of southern Mauritania, relating that he was struck down by an arrow from an old, blind Gangara chieftain in the pass of Khma (between the Tagant and Assab mountains, en route to Ghana).[1][2] According to Wolof oral tradition, a Serer bowman named Amar Godomat killed him with his bow near lake Rzik (just north of the Senegal) (Godomat's name apparently originates with this death).[3] The battle is reported to have taken place near Khoo mak[4] in Serer country, commonly known as Lake Cayor.[5]
One source discussing this oral tradition says that "almoravid Abu Bakar Ben Umar was killed by the arrow of serer warrior Amar Godomat, in the month of shaa'ban 480 (November 1087). This regicide potentially signals his exodus after taking the name "Amar god o maat", "Amar (which) killed (the) king"."[6]
Another source for Abu Bakr's death says "In the region of Tagant on his way to Djabal al-Dbahab, the Mountain of Gold, he was wounded, according to the chronicles, by a poisoned arrow, shot by an old black bowman who could not see unless his eye- lids were raised up to uncover his eyeballs. The black bowman asked his daughter to hold open his eyes so that he could aim his arrow. It struck the Amir in the knee. Abu Bakr turned his horse around and rode off..." dying when he arrived in Tagant.[7]
- ^ P. Semonin (1964) "The Almoravid Movement in the Western Sudan: A review of the evidence" Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, v.7: p.58
- ^ R.A. Messier (2010) The Almoravids and the Meanings of Jihad, Sant Barbar: Praeger. p.209
- ^ "Ce régicide dont l'exploit donna peut-être le signal de l'exode a ainsi pris le surnom de "Amar god o maat, "Amar (qui) sabre (le) roi"" Diouf, Marcel Mahawa, Lances mâles : Léopold Sédar Senghor et les traditions sérères, Centre d'études linguistiques et historiques par tradition orale, Niamey, 1996, p. 54
- ^ From the Serer language which still bears its Serer name (Khoo mak / xur mak = big lake).
- ^ Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer, VOL.1, Cosaan : les origines", Nouvelles Editions africaines, 1983, p 118, ISBN 2-7236-0877-8
- ^ Diouf, Marcel Mahawa, Lances mâles : Léopold Sédar Senghor et les traditions sérères, Centre d'études linguistiques et historiques par tradition orale, Niamey, 1996, p. 54
- ^ Messier, Ronald A. (2010). The Almoravids and the Meanings of Jihad. Praeger. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-313-38589-6.