Samay (mythology)

The Kumpo, the Samay, and the Niasse are three traditional figures in the mythology of the Diola in the Casamance (Senegal) and Gambia.

The Samay is a mythological figure of the Diola people in the Casamance.

Multiple times in the course of the year, i.e. during the Journées culturelles, a folk festival in the village is organized. The Samay invites the people of the village to participate in the festivities.

Wielding a stick, he mandates strict order in the community and is believed to know everything that happens in the village.

He can be considered the ceremony master of the traditional dance event.