Mountain ranges such as the Hoggar are frequently personified in Tuareg folklore
The Tuareg (known to themselves as variations of the Berber term "Imazighen" meaning "Free Men") are a semi-nomadic Berber people who reside in a vast area of the Western Sahara Desert and Sahel in Africa spanning parts of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Libya, and even a small sliver of northern Nigeria. Much like the Arab Bedouins, the Tuareg traditionally made their living through livestock herding, long distance desert commerce, oasis farming, and military raids.
Tuareg society is notable for matrilineal inheritance as well as the high status their women enjoy compared to their neighbors. Traditionally Tuareg men were expected to veil their faces rather than the women, using their signature blue turbans and headscarves for this purpose. Tuareg society is divided into clearly defined castes, much like their neighbors in the Sahel to the south. Typically noblemen and Islamic scholars stood on top, artisans and peasant farmers in the middle, and slaves at the bottom. Though the basic social unit was the clan, these would frequently band together into larger and more formidable tribal confederations headed by a paramount chief and his council of elders from different clans.
The history of the Tuareg is one of deep intercourse with both Arabs from the Maghreb to the north and even deeper intercourse with the Mande, Songhai, Fulani, Kanuri, and Hausa peoples to their south in the Sahel. It is believed by many scholars that the Tuareg are at least in part descended from the ancient Garamante civilization which occupied the northern Sahara Desert during the Classical period, as well as more recent migrants from the Maghreb in Late Antiquity. Across the ages the Tuaregs would periodically swell in number and wage endemic raids on the Sahelian empires and city-states. Their ability to strike fast and return to the desert just as quickly made them a constant concern for settled peoples. In turn, when the Sahelian empires waxed in power they pacified the Tuareg tribes along the frontier. Nonetheless, the Tuareg were the bridge between the world of West Africa with that of North Africa and the Middle-East. Tuareg converts to Islam in turn introduced the faith to West Africans at trading posts. The famous city of Timbuktu was originally a Tuareg camp site before being annexed by the empires of Mali and Songhai. The 19th century Fulani Caliph Usman Dan Fodio studied Islamic law and philosophy under the Tuareg scholar Jibril ibn 'Umar prior to his ascent to revolutionary jihadi.
The mythology of the Tuareg like many surrounding cultures can be considered a synthesis of many beliefs. In this case a pagan base with a likely layer of vestigial Christian beliefs topped ultimately by Islam. The Tuareg supreme being is referred to as Amanai, Mesi (derived from the Christian word "Messiah"), and Ialla (the Tuareg pronunciation of Allah). In Tuareg traditional belief the natural world is shared with spirits known as Kel Asuf (people of solitude) or Eljinen (from the Arabic Jinn). Kel Asuf were and are still viewed with a combination of fear and reverence.
At the heart of Tuareg folk-narratives stands the culture hero known as Anigouran. His cycle of adventures (and misadventures) is known across all local dialect groups and tribes. His rivalry with his nephew Adelasegh is especially famous. Anigouran is credited with shaping many aspects of the Tuareg lifestyle.
Tropes from Tuareg mythology include:
- All Part of the Show: Adelasegh's sister faked being sick, worrying the bandit chief who wanted to marry her. She and Adelasegh lied that in their country sickness is treated by a grand feast with lots of music and dancing. The bandits organized a concert and in the meantime, Adelasegh injured the only two horses fast enough to catch his own horse: one got a bone stuck in its hoof and the other he smeared irritating paste in its eyes. When Adelasegh returned he had the horses run in circles and kicked up a Swirling Dust cloud, convincing the robbers that it was some sort of equestrian dance. While they were distracted, Adelasegh scooped his sister onto his own horse and sped off into the Western sunset per Anigouran's message.
- Allergic to Routine: Anigouran invented the Tuareg games Dara, Iringui-Tai, and Ichigan out of pure bordeom while Adelasegh was captured by bandits.
- Batman Grabs a Gun: Things officially got real between Anigouran and Adelasegh when the former tried to murder the latter with a spear.
- Bestiality Is Depraved: Amerolqis couldn't find any human woman big enough to mate with, so he copulated with elephants.
- The Casanova: Amerolqis loved women. Every night he would venture out to engage in passionate love affairs with every lady who struck his fancy. He invented the entire Tifinagh alphabet to exchange secret messages with his lovers across the desert.
- Creative Sterility: Played with in the case of Amerolqis. He was a very creative guy who invented most of Tuareg culture from scratch. But he was unable to sire children as he and his seed were simply too big for any woman.
- Crossing the Desert: Tin Hinan led the early Tuareg on a perilous trek across the Sahara to the village of Abalissa near Tamanrasset.
- Driven by Envy: Anigouran was used to being the smartest person around, and grew to resent his nephew Adelasegh for being as sharp as him.
- Folk Hero: Anigouran is the most beloved of Tuareg culture heroes.
- Amerolqis is believed to have instituted everything from the Tuareg language to their poetic tradition to their social structure.
- Girls Like Musicians: Women were afraid of the massive Amerolqis and his advances, so he invented the Imzad (a type of stringed instrument) to seduce them.
- Guile Hero: Anigouran relies on his intelligence and cunning rather than brute force to overcome problems.
- When Anigouran was accosted by robbers during his afternoon nap, he pretended not to notice them on the rock above him and then pretended to pray. Anigouran asked Allah in a booming voice for three fools he could practice his vast occult powers on, speaking so loudly the stones around them echoed. The robbers didn't want to find out the answer, and ran away.
- Anigouran noticed a thief had stolen his belongings while he was out on a journey. Anigouran ran ahead of the thief and hid while making donkey noises. The tired thief thought he was finally catching a break and went to find the "donkey". Anigouran stood up and the impressed thief gave him his property back.
- Half-Human Hybrid: The Iwillimiden are said to descend from several Ikelan girls who were impregnated in their dreams by Kel Asuf when the merchants transporting them foolishly ignored a Marabout's warning about their chosen camp site being haunted.
- Heel Realization: Anigouran was deeply ashamed after getting Adelasegh kidnapped by bandits. He looked back fondly on all the adventures and shenanigans that they had together and realized he committed a sin against his loved ones. So he set out to rescue his nephew.
- The High Queen: Tin Hinan was a powerful Tuareg queen who lived in the late classical era. She and her faithful servant Takamat are the revered ancestresses of all Tuareg people. Tin Hinan led the migration of the early Tuareg from the coastal Maghreb area deep into the Sahara Desert.
- Horse of a Different Color: Tin Hinan rode a white she-camel.
- Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: Assuming Amerolqis didn't kill women with his enormous member, his giant children would grow rapidly inside of his human lovers within 3 days and cause them to explode, failing to successfully come to term. He tried to have sex with many other types of animals who would explode as well. So eventually he started having sex with elephants.
- "Just So" Story: The Tuareg are matrilineal because one of their ancient kings was repeatedly cuckolded by the Jinns. Each time his queens gave birth the babies would quickly join their paternal families in the spirit world. So on the advice of a Marabout, he established matrilineal descent through the sister's bloodline to ensure an indisputable lineage.
- Lima Syndrome: The bandits who kidnapped Adelasegh and his sister quickly grew fond of them. Adelasegh impressed them with his wit and storytelling. The bandit leader was in love with Adelasegh's beautiful sister and wanted to ask for her hand when she was of marriageable age. They were so relaxed they even allowed Adelasegh to ride their horses and tend them.
- Maniac Monkeys: Subverted in the case of Elas Molan. He was the protector of the famous hot spring known as Tafédek. He was far larger than any real monkey. From the waist upward he had shiny red fur, from the legs downward he had white fur. Elas Molan was known to watch over women, children, and livestock. Spears and swords had no effect on him.
- Nephewism: Anigouran raised his niece and nephew Adelasegh as his own children after his sister died. Anigouran much preferred his nephew Adelasegh over his own dullard son.
- Our Genies Are Different: Eljinen in the Tuareg view are characterized as being human in appearance but with horns, tails, and bodies covered in fur. The Eljinen live in tribes much like humans do with kings and slaves and artisans. They prefer to live in secret mountain fortresses and near lonely oases. Eljinen can make themselves invisible or shapeshift if they so choose.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Idebnis are a variety of ghosts believed to haunt Tuareg tombs. When married women wished to know the status of their husbands on long desert treks, they dressed up in beautiful clothing and slept on a stone tomb in a graveyard. An Idebni would appear in the shape of a beautiful young man. If the woman could win the Idebni's favor, he would tell her all about what happened to her husband. If she failed, the Idebni would strangle her to death. Fortunately, Tuareg women are prided on being extremely wily.
- Our Giants Are Bigger: The Jabbaren/Ijobbaren/Ijabbaren/Isabaten were a race of giants who ruled the Sahara prior to the arrival of the Tuareg. The Jabbaren lived in caves and practiced heathen rites. The monumental ruins scattered across the desert are considered their handiwork, as were the mysterious Libyco-Berber inscriptions. The Jabbaren were considered by many to be quite gentle giants, albeit very naive and crude in manners. Tuareg parents sometimes scare their children into obedience by saying the Jabbaren will take them if they're naughty.
- Amerolqis was a huge man.
- Our Monsters Are Weird: Kambaltous are a type of shapeshifting monsters who resemble a cross between an ape and a hyena in their basic form. They're also considered by some to be human wizards. Kambaltous are ravenous eaters that can devour livestock like donkeys and cattle whole. They hate eating grain-based foods and cannot break the bones of their prey. If a Kambaltou breaks the bone of a victim, they lose their ability to shapeshift. Pristine skeletons found in the desert are believed to be former victims of a Kambaltou.
- Our Spirits Are Different: The Kel Asuf are pre-islamic spirits who dwell in nature just beyond the safety of the tents or oasis. Sometimes they are considered the ghosts of the dead, other times they were never human to begin with. Traditionally they are warded off using silver (the purest of metals in Tuareg belief), Cold Iron, and Tuareg crosses. Men of the Tuareg wear veils around their heads to prevent possession. Kel Asuf enjoy the taste of blood and are receptive to animal sacrifices, however they also hate filth and prefer to interact with humans of pristine hygiene. Though mostly active at night, the Kel Asuf are attracted to bright things in the night such as white dresses. Kel Asuf have a powerful sense of smell and love pleasant aromas. Kel Asuf are at their most powerful on Fridays (the Muslim day of prayer) and especially on Eid (the two Islamic holidays). Kel Asuf prefer to maintain relationships with women both romantically and platonically.
- Out-Gambitted: Anigouran confessed his envy of Adelasegh to the youth and told him he was content to accept his great intelligence. He added that Adelasegh was a man now and deserved a nice flock of sheep to get started with, and that he should always remember to take time to relax under his nice shady tree. Adelasegh didn't buy this sudden generosity and excessive kindness for one moment. The next day he wrapped one of the ewes in a blanket to look like a human figure and set it under the tree at noon. He then hid and watched as Anigouran lept down and stabbed the sheep repeatedly with a spear. When Adelasegh called him out on it, Anigouran pretended to be relieved and said he thought he was rescuing his dear nephew from being swallowed by some sort of beast. Adelasegh realized Anigouran's jealousy had taken a murderous turn,and become even more on-guard after that.
- Public Secret Message: Anigouran left coded messages across the Sahara Desert in Tifinagh telling Adelasegh the way to freedom.
- Relationship-Salvaging Disaster: Adelasegh and Anigouran finally made their peace with each other after Adelasegh escaped from the bandits.
- The Reliable One: Takamat saved the life of her mistress Tin Hinan when their tribe nearly perished in the desert from low supplies by opening up anthills and feeding the stored grain to her.
- Riddle Me This: Anigouran loved riddles. Before setting out on any journey he would ask everyone in his household riddles to figure out by the time he returned, which they never did.
- Satanic Archetype: While the Tuareg do acknowledge Iblis as the leader of the Shaitans as all Muslims do, closely associated with him is a figure of their own known as Wantahet. Very often they're considered equivalent. Wantahet is a mischievous trickster entity associated with droughts and jennys.
- Sherlock Scan: Adelasegh was sent out by Anigouran to find a lost herd, it was in reality a test by Anigouran to make him look stupid in front of the tribe. Adelasegh crossed through lush grass on the plains and quickly deduced that no herd would ignore such bounty. More damning was the fact that there were no animal droppings anywhere nearby. Based on the tracks and remains he discovered, Adelasegh realized that two men using the hooves of dead animals produced them. Adelasegh even realized that four real animals were taken on the trip by two men of different ages: a one eyed camel, a pregnant camel, a tailless camel, and a mangy camel. In the scrub he noticed that one camel appeared to drift to the right, indicating it was one eyed. He knew one camel was fat because its' droppings were scattered. He knew one camel was tailless because camels always wag their tails when they lie down, and he saw no tail marks in the dirt where it rested. And he identified the mangy camel by the disturbed foliage at camel height with camel hairs brushed against it. The two human shepherds were identified as an adult and a child from the size of their sandal prints and the length of their steps.
- Slave Race: The Ikelan were the slave caste of Tuareg society. They were usually captured black Africans and their descendants.
- The Smart Guy: Anigouran invented the Tuareg alphabet known as Tifinagh, and left many inscriptions on stone across the Sahara.
- Adelasegh proved to be equally intelligent as his uncle Anigouran, or even smarter. Anigouran was a bit envious of his nephew's intelligence and began to complicate his Tifinagh lessons just to mess with him. Eventually he produced an extremely elaborate form of Tifinagh which Adelasegh had to decode. This is how the Tuareg explain the ancient Libyco-Berber script which is incomprehensible to them now.
- Swirling Dust: Needing a diversion to rescue his sister from bandits, Adelasegh makes the two fastest horses run around in circles while one of them has its eyes irritated and the other a bone stuck on its hoof. He makes the bandits believe it's an equestrian dance. This tale is the Ur-Example and something of an Unbuilt Trope.
- Technical Pacifist: Anigouran never uses weapons, he relies only on his wits.
- Trick-and-Follow Ploy: After the sheep plan failed, Anigouran invited Adelasegh on an expedition into the wilderness to meet with some "merchants". Anigouran packed fatty meats, dried meats, and only a single skin of water for the long trek. The two ventured deep into the desert until they came to a mountain. After eating lots of meat they drank up their water very quickly. Anigouran said he would venture further out to meet with the non-existent merchants in three days, advising Adelasegh to sit tight in the meantime. By the time Anigouran returned, Adelasegh was parched but Anigouran looked like the very model of health. Adelasegh was already suspicious as Anigouran explained the merchants were "late" and he would come back in a few more days once he found them. So this time Adelasegh stole Anigouran's sandals and smeared the grease from their meals on the soles. Adelasegh followed the trail of ants eating the leftover greaseprints to a spurge plant where he saw a pristine mountain spring Anigouran was drinking from. When Anigouran left Adelasegh drank his fill of water and removed the spurge plant, replacing it with another landmark. Adelasegh returned to their campsite ahead of Anigouran looking refreshed and said he would be happy to wait as long as needed for the merchants. Anigouran set out again but couldn't find the spring, he returned looking like he was on the verge of death. Desperate, he told Adelasegh that he was ACTUALLY testing his manly endurance and fortitude, pretending to applaud his hardy nephew.
- Tsundere: Deep down, Anigouran loved Adelasegh as a son despite his envy. And deep down, Adelasegh loved Anigouran as a father figure and craved his approval.
- Victory Is Boring: Anigouran eventually got rid of Adelasegh by telling him to get water from a well frequented by a gang of bandits. But despite his initial excitement, he realized that life was extremely boring without someone as smart as himself to interact with.
