Leggende islamiche del Nordafrica berbero

This is the first attempt at an overall overview of the religious legends, both in Berber and in Arabic, circulating in the popular culture of North Africa. Starting from two significant case studies (the "Legend of the Camel" and the "Death of Moses"), which are attested in several versions in different places and dialects and permit a comparative approach, the article tackles the question of sketching a typology of this literature: the literary genres and the classification of content. Three different layers are identified: an archaic indigenous core, an important Arabo-Islamic contribution, and several local adaptations and reworkings. Finally, some suggestions about the way these texts were spread (through written or oral means) is a hint for further researches in the field