Sometimes there are coincidences that are not coincidences at all.
One of the two books I loved most as a teenager was “The Prospector” by Le Clézio. I knew parts of it by heart and must have reread it dozens of times.
What does this have to do with Morocco?
‘The Prospector’ was my introduction to Le Clézio’s books, and in particular to Desert“, at a time when I was more fascinated by Central Europa than by the arid expanses that would later fascinate me.
And later, after Desert, “Les Gens des Nuages“, which is the story of his journey with his wife Jemia to the deep south of Morocco, to the Seguia El Hamra and the ancestral lands of the Aroussiyine tribe and the Ahel Mouzza, the People of the Clouds, who gave their name to the book.
One of the highlights of the book is a visit to the tomb of Sidi Ahmed El Aroussi, the great Sufi saint and founder of the tribe, who was brought from Meknes by a ghost at night to escape his persecutors and left on the rock of Tbeïla, which he marked with the imprints of his hands and feet on his perhaps somewhat abrupt landing. This was around the ninth century of the Hegira, i.e. around the fifteenth century.
This book, of which I have two copies, having been given one as a wedding present in Tazzarine, brings together a beautiful text and magnificent photographs by Bruno Barbey.
What does this have to do with Tazzarine?
Two hundred years later, I learned yesterday, driven out by the wars with the Portuguese, his descendant, also a saint and no doubt a Sufi, Sidi Abderrahmane El Aroussi arrived in the region. He travelled extensively, in the Draa valley, the Jebel Sagho, the Dades and settled in Tazzarine.
It was a long way from the Saguia El Hamra to our home. The Saguia El Hamra, the red river, is a valley in that part of the Sahara that is no longer Spanish.
And settled in Tazzarine, Sidi Abderrahmane studied and grew in wisdom and holiness.
He continued his journeys, always travelling through the region. One day he left for M’semrir, at the end of the Dades Gorge, no doubt to visit a holy woman who is honoured there, Mâ Louhou Takfikt.
But things didn’t go very well, the inhabitants of M’semrir, the Aït Merghad, didn’t respect him, they made fun of him and insulted him.
So Sidi Abderrahmane worked miracles. When there was already a drought, he brought forth a spring of water by asking Mâ Louhou to lift a stone near her home. And after feeding on the meat of a barren ewe, he repopulated the stable by throwing the bones of his meal into it, which were transformed into as many ewes and rams.
Mâ Louhou benefited from the teachings of his holy man as much as from his miracles.
But all good things must come to an end, and after four days, on a Friday morning, Sidi Abderrahmane left to return to the zawiya that he had founded in Tazzarine. Mâ Louhou was able to get him to tell him where he was from, under the seal of secrecy – it seems that, scalded by his problems with the Portuguese and the Aït Merghad, the Sidi wanted to remain discreet.
Disappointed and distraught, and fearing that he had left because of the mistreatment at the beginning of his stay, the Aït Merghad, convinced by the miracles, clear proof of the Baraka, wanted to obtain the saint’s forgiveness. They extracted the secret of his residence from Mâ Louhou, and set off in their turn for Tazzarine.
Once there, they were welcomed into the zawiya and pardoned. Better still, an agreement was sealed between the people of Tazzarine and the Aït Merghad.
Every year, on the anniversary date, a delegation from Aït Merghad will come to Tazzarine, from Monday to Friday. They will bring produce from the land, wheat, sugar, herds… and the people of Tazzarine will welcome them and treat them well in exchange.
Why Monday to Friday? Because these are the days when the saint was at Mâ Louhou’s, and in remembrance, his soul comes out and brings the baraka.
The Aït Merghad are visiting in two stages, first those of M’semrir and Dadès, then those of Tamtatouchte (near Imdghas, where Mâ Louhou’s tomb is located).
I learnt this while preparing a TV programme. And this link, between the first book that introduced me to the desert and the place where I live, the link between the great Sahanja tribes of the southern Sahara and the people of Tazzarine, this great journey of the clouds, gave me great pleasure.
PS: you should know that the people of Tazzarine are mostly Aït Atta while the Aït Merghad belong to the rival, not to say enemy, confederation of the Aït Yafelman. But that’s another story.
The two editions of the book “Les Gens des Nuages”
Unfortunately, “Les Gens des Nuages” has not been – yet – translated into English. It could be a good way to improve your French!
JMG Le Clézio’s book is published in two different formats. The first, in normal, paperback or hardcover format, and the second in large format, featuring Bruno Barbey’s superb photographs. I can only recommend the latter, which is unfortunately a little harder to find.
Bruno Barbey has collaborated on several photo books with Le Clezio, and one day I’ll tell you about his books on Morocco and the deserts.
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