title: Reflections on Tamazai, a Tuareg idiom of suffering.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Houston, TX 77024-5882.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009146:Music; D009549:Nigeria; D012737:Sex Factors