Reflections on Tamazai, a Tuareg idiom of suffering

Journal/Book: Cult Med Psychiatry. 1992; 16: 337-65.

Abstract: In this essay, I explore ways in which the theatrical and the medical are inextricably mixed and affect each other, in the Nigerien Tuareg idiom of tamazai. Tamazai is locally-described as "an illness of the heart and soul, not curable by Koranic verses," but by exorcism of spirits. A case study and analysis of healing rituals demonstrate how this idiom communicates women's relationships and empowers dramatic framing.

Keyword(s): Adult ; Islam ; Mental Disorders etiology; Mental Disorders therapy; Music ; Nigeria ; Sex Factors Medicine, Traditional; Mental Disorders psychology Case Report; Female; Human; Male

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