The first evening in Saint-Louis, Sam and I took stroll around the island for the sake of exploring and getting a little exercise. As we walked along the river, groups of children kept flooding out of the side streets onto the road where we were walking, seemingly playing some sort of game (I was reminded of games of capture the flag played in my youth). Thinking nothing of it, we kept walking. We started to hear drumming coming from the center of the island and decided to investigate. Here we found a group of drummers, a few dancers, and several people in elaborate costumes. People of all ages were gathered for the spectacle, and we felt lucky to have stumbled on this cultural event.
One of the “lions”.
Well, “lucky” was our first sentiment. But that turned quickly into “confused”, and for me, “a little nervous”. I asked one of the local women what what was going on, and before I could comprehend any more than “they will chase you and catch you”, one of the men with face paint and a colorful costume started to approach us in the crowd (we stuck out, of course!). Seeing that Sam didn’t feel any sense of urgency, I decided not to bolt alone and instead hid behind him. The man in costume grabbed him by the arm and stood directly in front of him. The woman who was telling me about the game told me we had to pay 500 Fcfa (about one U.S. dollar). I initially declined, always hesitant to give anyone money if I don’t understand what it’s for. But then the man in costume started to pull him toward the center of the action. Since the price wasn’t very high and I wasn’t sure what would happen if we didn’t pay, I pulled out 1,00o Fcfa and bought tickets for us both (unlike many prices in Senegal, this one was apparently not negotiable). After we got our tickets, some locals ushered us to some front-row seats.
A “lion” guarding a bucket of water with some captives, dancers and drummers in the background.
Feeling like we made it through the most intense part, Sam and I sat back to enjoy the show. Some young people were sitting by a bucket of water in the center, and a man in costume guarded them and sometimes splashed them or smothered them with sand. Then things started getting more intense. The man in costume would occasionally hit the captive people on their backs with his hand, and even a short rope. Sometimes he pulled his slaps back a bit, but frequently they were a lot harsher than you would expect at a “family-friendly” street event in the U.S. Not wanting to be rude after the hospitable locals gave us prime seats, we nervously sat and watched. Once we figured out that this is what happened to people who didn’t buy tickets, we pulled them out of our pockets to display in case any one else in costume approached us.
After we had seen enough (the dancing, drumming, and costumes were great, don’t get me wrong), we thanked those sitting near us and began to walk away. As we left, people started asking for our tickets, and I could understand why! Having seen that these people in costume did not hesitate to chase people down the street, my desire to protect others was overcome by my dread of getting dragged back to that bucket, and I kept my ticket in my hand until I walked into our hotel.
At the hotel, we told the staff what we had just encountered. At first they laughed with us at this crazy experience, but then their demeanor changed when I told them Sam had gotten trapped. The mood immediately lightened when I told them that we bought tickets and sat and watched from a safe distance. They told us the name of this game is Faux Lion, or “fake lion”, which an internet search will tell you is a tradition practiced throughout Senegal that is based on a legend of a lion and a hunter. Lesson learned: Always carry 500 Fcfa with you when walking around Senegal (or, when you hear drumming and see kids running, run with them!).
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