Hirtenarbeit

Die Welt der Kamelhirten und Ziegenhirtinnen von Timia

Author: Gerd Spittler. Series edited by: Beatrix Heintze, Karl-Heinz Kohl.

Series: SzK Studien zur Kulturkunde Volume 111

As pastoral work has seldom been described, we know little about it. Nevertheless, we can imagine it. The bible conveys the picture of the good shepherd. Bucolic poetry which began with Theokrit and Virgil introduced the pastoral. Historic literature describes the barbaric nomade who tries to destroy occidental civilisation. This book is an attempt to more accurately describe and analyse the shepherd's work. It is the result of several years of field research with Tuareg camelherds and female goatherds who live in the Aïr, a mountain range in the Southern part of the Central Sahara (Northern Niger). The camelherds migrate as far as 1,000 km to the South, to Nigeria, to graze their flocks.

Two aspects of the herd's work are looked upon: The technique, mainly the technique of herding, and the way of acting itself. Technique relates to a result, acting relates to man. Acting not only comprises knowledge and skills, energy and endurance, but also feelings of anxiety and pleasure, happiness, solitude and strain. The daily work of male and female herds does not take place at the house or the oasis, but rather in the wilderness and on foreign territory.

Following these links you will find further descriptions of history, languages and cultures of the Republic of the Niger and of anthropological economics:

Accompanying material:

• Alltägliche Zauberei (ISBN 978-3-89645-310-5)
• Blick nach vorn (ISBN 978-3-89645-403-4)
• Brunnen und Felder (ISBN 978-3-89645-895-7)
• Heinrich Barth et l’Afrique (ISBN 978-3-89645-220-7)
• L’Histoire du Niger, transcrit du touareg de l’Ayr (ISBN 978-3-89645-953-4)

Cross-reference:

• A Grammar of Tadaksahak (ISBN 978-3-89645-931-2)
• Begegnungen und Auseinandersetzungen (ISBN 978-3-89645-190-3)
• Das Dogma der Partizipation (ISBN 978-3-89645-820-9)
• Honey Hunting and Beekeeping in Adamaoua (Cameroon) (ISBN 978-3-89645-851-3)
• Le tetserret, langue berbère du Niger (ISBN 978-3-89645-938-1)
• Sustainability in Karamoja? (ISBN 978-3-89645-256-6)

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