Book Summary
In his book Tinfas n Nanna (Grandmother's Tales), Said Chenib presents a rich compilation of oral Amazigh stories gathered from the popular memory of the Nafusa Mountains (Jebel Nafusa). These tales have been transferred from the realm of oral tradition to written form in a conscious effort to preserve this heritage from extinction. Belonging to the world of folktales once recounted in homes, fields, and during evening gatherings, these stories bear within their structure the traces of the local environment, the rhythm of daily language, and the narrative styles that distinguish the Amazigh collective imagination in Libya.
Overall, Tinfas n Nanna constitutes a foundational work in the field of documenting oral Amazigh stories in Libya. It preserves a significant portion of the collective imagination and restores the status of the folktale as an unwritten record of social and cultural history. These stories are not merely tales for entertainment; rather, they are cultural documents that convey an entire society's vision of life, affirming that oral memory remains one of the most vital keys to understanding Amazigh identity and its continuity across generations.
