Culture & People of the Seychelles

The Seychellois are extremely hospitable people and, for the most part, they live simple island lives. Nearly 90% of this mixed nation dwells on the main island, Mahé, with the remaining few scattered across the smaller islands.

The Seychelles has no original native population and It's believed that Polynesian and Arab explorers may have been in the area as early at the third century but did not settle here. The islands were colonised, albeit slowly, in the 18th century by the French who were accompanied by East African slaves.

The mix of migrants brought with them a variety of religions and customs, and many of these have been retained to this day. Seychellois' culture is a mixture of French and traditional African making for a medley of superstition and religion.

Today there are an estimated 81,000 Seychellois. Most of them are Creoles descended from the early French settlers, and African and south-east Asian slaves. The rest are descendants of Arab and Chinese immigrants who arrived later in the 19th century.

Music and dance is popular in the Seychelles and visitors to the islands find themselves joining in the Moutia - a cultural dance with strong African and Malagasy rhythms.

Language

Creole is the most widely spoken dialect in the Indian Ocean islands and is the lingua franca in the Seychelles. Creole is used extensively in governance and media. English, although only spoken as a first language by a very small portion of the population, is an official language of government and business in the Seychelles. In the tourism centres, most people are able to speak English.

Creole is a combination of French mixed with words and syntax from the traditional African and Asian languages spoken by slaves. But because it is based on French spoken in the 1700s, it bears only a slight resemblance to modern French usage.

Reunion, Mauritius and Seychelles have each developed their own distinct Creole dialects over time, but are still able to understand each other with relative ease.

The Seychellois take their language seriously. The Creole Institute in Victoria promotes Creole culture, language and literature in the Seychelles. Interestingly, the Creole spoken in Mauritius and Reunion is very rarely written and 'proper' French is taught in school and is the preferred language of formal communication.

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