Wedding ceremonies among the Kel-Ajjer of southeastern Algeria

Presentation

Marriage ceremonies are the occasion for a large number of rituals whose observation and description make it possible to study the group from the inside, testifying in particular to the place occupied by women.

Marriage in Tuareg culture is traditionally very expensive for the groom and his family. This situation has given rise to a new practice: collective marriages. However, whatever the families and their means, collective marriage has not done away with certain traditions. The presentation of societal mutations shows, on the one hand, how a culture adapts to new data, and on the other hand, points out the points of resistance that maintain tradition.

Interview

Author

Catherine Vaudour, ethnolinguist, studied at Inalco (Berber studies), then went on to do a PhD on marriage ceremonies among the Kel-Ajjer Tuaregs of southeastern Algeria (LLACAN-CNRS UMR 8135, EHESS). For the past 10 years, she has been in contact with Michel Vallet, with whom she has conducted several interviews with the aim of preserving her knowledge of Touareg culture and traditions. In December 2013, she set up the Tatrit association, which aims to safeguard and promote Tuareg tangible and intangible heritage.

255 pages
16 x 24 cm
Publication: 30/01/2019
ISBN: 9782858312870