Nomades De Mauritanie

The book Nomads of Mauritania has its own originality. Firstly, it explains, among other geographical aspects of Mauritania, the phenomenon of desertification, which has shaped the environment and way of life (nomadism) of the Mauritanian nomads since Antiquity and brings judicious points of view about it. Then, it presents an original history of Mauritania, based on studies of different empires, kingdoms and ethnic groups, directly or indirectly in link with Mauritania, from documents and research of historians and explorers. These historical and social data were put into relation with studies, carried out by scientists and concerning the evolution of the global climate, which had acted upon the history of the inhabitants of Mauritania and the various ethnic groups who settled down in this country. This historical presentation is necessary to understand the origins of the Mauritanian nomads and their various cultures over time. Furthermore, it focuses on the Mauritanian nomads of any origin, Arab-Berber and black African, through the presentation of the various castes, their role within the nomadic society and the crafts of the nomads. It also deepens the everyday life of the Mauritanian nomads (nomadism, diet, housing and crafts) to understand both the contributions of the different Mauritanian ethnicities to the Mauritanian culture. Once defined all these aspects, the cultural identity of the Mauritanian nomads, still rooted among the Mauritanians nowadays, appears clearly through their religion, ancient beliefs, language, spiritual values, relations with others and particularly their nomadic art, expressed on usual objects and body. This art is defined for the first time by the author Brigitte Himpan as geometrical-abstract art and more precisely as ephemeral usual art and ephemeral living art. Therefore, Nomads of Mauritania is a primary source to know about this type of art, as well as its characteristics and meanings. It also decodes some motifs of the nomadic Mauritanian art. Hence, it is also a primary source to understand the original meaning and deep signification of the motif of the “good eye” in a circle shape defined for the first time as eye of the source.