People of the veil

by Baron Francis James Rennell Rodd Rennell of Rodd

Note.—Barth also gives the following unidentified names of Kel Geres tribes: Kel n’Sattafan (the Black People), which is also the name of the family of the Amenokal according to Bello: this tribe, if it is a tribe at all, may be attributed to the Itesan group; Tilkatine; Taginna; Riaina, and Alhassan.

The caste of these tribes is not specified, but all the principal units, at any rate, may be assumed noble. The tribes have simply been enumerated here for purposes of record and comparison. They are not adduced as ethnological material comparable with that provided by the lists of tribes in Divisions I. and III.

Division III. The People of the Añastafidet or Kel Owi

Group.	Tribes and sub-tribes.	Notes.
1.
Imaslagha.			The Kel Azañieres, and therefore theImaslagha, with the Izeyyakan and Igururan, are said to be theoldest of the Kel Owi division.
	Imaslagha.
	Kel Azañieres.
	Kel Azañieres (N.).		In the Azañieres mountains.
	Kel Intirzawen (S.).		West of the southern Kel Nugguru in theIntirzawen and T’ilisdak valley, S. of Auderas.
	Kel Taghmeurt(N.).		In the Taghmeurt Mts. It hascertain unspecified servile tribes.
	(Tagmart)
	Kel Assarara.		In the Assarara and Agwau area, N.E. Air,at the places mentioned. Their chief in Barth’s day was Annur,paramount chief of Air.
	Kel Assarara (N.).	⎫ ⎪ ⎪ ⎬ ⎪ ⎪ ⎭	Along the great valley of N.E.Air.
	Kel Agwau (N.).
	Kel Igululof (N.).
	Kel Oborassan (S.).
	Kel Anu Samed (S.).
	Kel T’intellust (S.).
			The last is wrongly placed by Jean inGroup 2 with the Kel Tafidet.
	Igururan(Igururan) (N.).		Apparently now extinct in name.
	Kel Fares(N.).		At Fares N. of Agwau; now near Agades.Their position is confirmed by Barth, but the place is calledTinteyyat. Their original name was probably Igururan, but since theextinction of the parent stock they rank as connected with theImaslagha group. The “I name” Igururan may have been a group namein the first place.
	Kel Zegedan.		Name recorded by Barth but not nowtraceable. May be connected with Kel Bagezan, whose position mightbe described as 1½ days from T’intellust.
	Izeyyakan(N.).		By some described as People of the King,but placed by Jean, probably rightly, in this group. Formerly anoble portion of the inhabitants of Auderas.
	Imarsutan(N.).		The same considerations as above apply.Wrongly placed at Auderas. Said to have come from unidentifiedplace called Arsu.
	Imarsutan(N.).		A comparatively modern tribe said to havebeen formed from remnants of the old tribe.
	Kel Tagei(S.).		Perhaps a totemic name, butreadily derived from any place abounding in “dûm palms.” Perhapsbut not necessarily a conquered part of Itesan Kel Tagei (cf. Div.II Group 1).
	(Kel Teget)
	(? Kel Tintagete)
	Kel Erarar.		Name means “People of the Plain,” andprobably refers to plain N. of T’intellust, near which Barth alsoplaces them. Name may therefore be generic and applicable tovarious sections in group.
2.
Igermaden.			The name is radically connected withJerma or Garama in the Fezzan.
	Igermaden.
	Igermaden(N.).		At Ajiru, E. of Bagezan. The people ofBelkho, paramount chief of Air after Annur.
	Kel Ajiru(N.).		Perhaps an alternative name for above,for the sedentary element among them.
	Kel Assatartar(N.).		The name of the inhabitants of Assatartarother than the Immikitan element there (see Div. I Groups 3 and4).
	(Immikitan(N.)).		Of Assatartar; have become to beconsidered connected with Igermaden owing to propinquity andgradual absorption.
	(Kel Tagermat(N.)).		Perhaps a confusion for Kel Taghmeurt inGroup 1; placed by Barth at unidentified place, Azuraiden, E.N.E.of T’intellust, corresponding roughly with Taghmeurtmountains.
	Igademawen.		Wrongly placed by Jean inImaslagha group.
	(Ikademawen)
	Igademawen(N.).		Afasas and Beughqot areas E.of Bagezan. The name suggests analogies to Kel Mawen of Immikitanin Div. I. Groups 3 and 4. Perhaps a part of group was hereabsorbed as in case of Kel Assartartar.
	(Kel Mawen?)
	Kel Nabaro(?).		Nabaro villages near Tabello, E. ofBagezan.
	Kel Tafidet(N.).		Also given, but wrongly Ithink, as an independent tribe in this group. Lived in the TafidetMts. with unspecified servile tribes.
	Kel Tafidet.
	Kel Anfissac.		Anfissac well E. of T’imia massif.
	Kel Intirzawen(S.).		A part of the same tribe which is alsoservile to Kel Azañieres in Group 1.
	Kel Agalak(?).		Placed by Jean in this group. The name iswell known but tribe was not identified by me.
			Jean also places some Ifadeyen, someIkazkazan of Garazu in Damergu, and some people with generic nameof Kel Ighazar in this group; but he is, I think, mistaken in doingso.
3.
Imasrodang.			In the Ighazar, whence theyhave acquired the generic name of Kel Ighazar. The latter areplaced by Jean in Group 2, but they are certainly a separate stock,namely, the Imasrodang, who are co-equal with Igermaden.
Kel Ighazar.
			The headman of the group is Abdulkerim,now living at Azzal near Agades, but formerly settled atT’intaghoda.
	Kel T’intaghoda(N.).		At T’intaghoda. Reputed to be HolyMen.
	Kel Tamgak orImedideran.		Some serfs and some free wild men livingin Tamgak, historically belonging to, but never subjected by, KelT’intaghoda. Their status is undefined, for their inherent nobilityis recognised.
	Kel Elar(N.).	⎫ ⎪ ⎬ ⎪ ⎭	All at various points in theIghazar between Iferuan and Iberkom.
	Kel Iberkom(N.).
	(Kel Abirkom)
	(Kel Aberkan)
	Kel Seliufet(N.).
	Kel Iferuan(N.).		Not to be confused with Kel Ferwan inDiv. I.
	Kel Tedekel(?).		Now believed to be extinct.Originally also in Ighazar, but said to have become merged withother clans.
	(Kel Fedekel)
	(Fedala)
4.
Ikazkazan.			The tribe as such of this name hasdisappeared in the various large groups into which it has becomedivided. It is considered the junior group of the Kel OwiConfederation, the others being called from their chief constituentparts the Kel Tafidet and Kel Azañieres. The use of theseterritorial names corresponds in the Ikazkazan to the use of thenames of the big subgroups, the Kel Tamat, Kel Ulli, etc.
	Kel Tamat.		A sub-group named from the Tamat acaciatree. It is the great northern sub-group of the Ikazkazan,corresponding with the Kel Ulli in the south. It would include allthe northern Ikazkazan had some tribes not broken off to virtualindependent status.
	Kel Tamat(N.).		In part near Agellal, where it hascontributed to form Kel Agellal. Also at Ben Guten in W. Air. Thereis also a section in Damergu under the Kel Ulli grouping.
	Kel Tubuzzat(N.).		W. Air. In some respects almostindependent.
	Kel Agellal(N.).		Agellal village. The local tribe of thisname is composed of Kel Tamat, or Kel Tubuzzat and of certainPeople of the King (see Div. I. Group 5).
	(Kel Wadigi)		Formed of certain composite Kel Agellaland other People of the King (see Div. I. Group 5).
	Ibanderan (?S.)		Sakafat in W. Air, and also in S.W.Air.
	Kel Lazaret.		As above.
	(Kel Azaret)
	Igerzawen.		Do.
	Alburdatan(S.).		At Auderas.
	Ifagarwal (?S.).		At Issakanan in S.W.Air.
	(Afaguruel)
	Adamber.		At T’in Wafara, which isunidentified.
	Azenata.		No information.
	Kel Takrizat(N.).		At Takrizat in N. Air. Having unspecifiedservile tribes, including perhaps some of the above.
	Kel Tagei (N.).		Distinct from Kel Tagei (S.) in Group 1.Possibly, but not necessarily, connected with Itesan Kel Tagei (cf.Div. II. Group 1), W. Air.
	Kel Gharus.
	Kel Gharus(N.).		Gharus valley, Lower Ighazar. Verynomadic and perhaps the largest tribe in Air.
	Ahaggaren(S.).		Talak plain. Serfs of Kel Gharus but,having had a noble origin in the north in Ahaggar, are consideredquasi-noble in status.
	Kel Tattus.		Unidentified.
	Kel Ulli.		Meaning the “People of the Goats.”Collective name for all the Ikazkazan in S. Air and Damergu.
	Kel Ulli.		Tegama and Damergu.
	Imuzurak(S.).		Probably a part of older Imuzurak (N.) inDiv. IV.
	(Isherifan(N.)).		Holy Men. Gamram area (cf. Div. II. Group2 and Division IV.).
	Ifadalen(N.).		Damergu.
	Kel Tamat(N.).		Do. (Cf. above.)
			The Kel Ulli group, though nominallyIkazkazan and probably including other tribes than those givenabove, seem to have absorbed a number of early Tuareg in Damergu.Their presence in this group has led to the suspicion that thelatter, instead of being absorbed by an extraneous group of Tuareg,namely, the Kel Owi, really represent the true Ikazkazan stock,which was not in truth a Kel Owi family or clan at all, but a massof people who joined forces with the latter at an early period oftheir sojourn in Air.
5.
Independent tribes.			Among the Kel Owi there are a number ofindependent tribes of servile status. Their existence is notparalleled in the other divisions. They owe allegiance, not to anyparticular noble tribe, but directly to the Añastafidet. They areconsequently more emancipated than most Imghad, a phenomenon whichconfirms the greater cultural development of the Kel Owi.
	Kel Nugguru(S.).		Divided into two parts. That of the northcalled the Toshit (part) N’Yussuf in the Assada valley is actuallyunder Ahodu of Auderas. The southern part between Bagezan andTaruaji Mts. is under Khodi, who claims to be headman ofAuderas.
	Kel Idakka.		A part of, or synonymous with, one ofabove.
	Kel Taferaut.		Do.
	Kel Bagezan(S.).		In Bagezan under Mineru or ElMinir. A recent composite tribe, not to be confused with KelBagezan in Div. I.Group 1. Made up of Ittegen of Kel Tadek (Div. I. Group 2) andseveral other elements.
	Kel Bazezan.
	Ittegen.
	Kel Towar.		A sedentary group, principally of serfs,at Towar, S. Bagezan.
	Kel T’imia(N.).		Nobles of various, but all Kel Owi,tribal origins living at T’imia village under Fugda.
	Kel Taranet.		Unidentified.
	Kel Tafasas.		Unidentified, unless the inhabitants ofthe villages along the Afasas valley, E. of Bagezan.

Division IV. The Tuareg of Damergu

A. People of the King.

B. People of the Añastafidet.

Tribe and sub-tribe.		Notes.
A. People of the King.		The oldest tribes in Damergu, as might beexpected, are all of the People of the King. They do not belong toany of the Air tribes of this category; like most of the latter,they probably represent the oldest stock of Tuareg in theseregions.
		It has not been possible to identify thenames of the stock or stocks to which the tribes belonged, so nolarger grouping has been attempted.
Ifoghas (N.).		The Ifoghas certainly represent a stockas well as a tribe, but it has not been ascertained whether amongthe Damergu Ifoghas several tribal divisions are recognised, norwhether the under-mentioned tribes were originally of the Ifoghasgroup. Though very poor and fallen on evil days, they areconsidered Holy Men, and would be more readily recognised as noblewere their state of destitution less severe. They are the Ifuracesof the classics and have related groups in other parts of theSahara.
Kel Tamizgidda (N.).		Meaning the People ofthe Mosque, Holy Men. Farak area. (See further note below.)
(Misgiddan)
(? Mosgu)
Isherifan (N.).		In Damergu since the earliest time. Thename is equivalent to “Ashraf,” or Descendants of the Prophet.Gamram area. (See further note below.)
“Mallamei.”		A name given by Jean. It appears to be aHausa equivalent of one of the above names, indicating that thetribe is holy.
		The last three names (probably only twonames are really involved) are not really proper names. They aredescriptive names connected with the attribution of sanctity to themen of these clans. In view of the well-known application of such adescription to the Ifoghas wherever this tribe appears, it is quitejustifiable to suppose that these clans, which incidentally areknown to have inhabited Damergu from remote times, are reallytribes of the Ifoghas stock.
Izagaran.
(Izagharan) (? N).		In Damergu from earliest times.
Izarzaran (? N.).		Name recorded by Jean.
Igdalen (N.).		A stock known to have entered these partswith the very first Tuareg to arrive. Subdivisions of this stockare not known unless some of the other Damergu tribes and Air clanspreviously mentioned must so be classed.
		S. of Agades, W. Tegama and N. Damergu.Holy Men. Very fair. Said not to carry arms.
(Kel Tadek). Kel Umuzut (N.).		A semi-independent tribe of the Kel Tadekstock (see Div. I. No. 2). N. Damergu.
Ifadeyen (N.).		Now live in Azawagh and Damergu (see Div.I. No. 6).
B. People of theAñastafidet.
Ikazkazan.	Kel Ulli.	Including various unspecified sub-tribes(N.) and (S.).
	Ifadalen (S.).	Wrongly placed by Jean as an independenttribe in Damergu. They are Holy Men and probably were of the samestock as tribes in category A (above), but at one time weresubjected by the Ikazkazan.
		The Isherifan are wrongly given by Jeanas a People of the Añastafidet, probably on the grounds that theywere at one time conquered by Belkho, chief of the Igermaden (seeDiv. III. No. 2).
		The Ikazkazan and Immikitan of Elakkosare specifically referred to at length in the text of thebook.

Division V

Various unlocated and unidentified tribes; generic tribal names; more important village groups of mixed origins owing to breakdown of tribal organisation under sedentary conditions.