Omek Tannou
Omek tannou, Oumouk tangou or Amuk taniqu is an ancient Tunisian rainmaking ritual which was inherited from Punic and Berber traditions involving invocations of the goddess Tanit. It is now all but extinct.
It features the ritual use of the sculpted head of a woman (somewhat resembling the head of a girl's doll), which is carried in procession between the houses of a village during periods of drought by children singing the refrain أمك طانقو يا نساء طلبت ربي عالشتاء (transliteration: amuk taniqu ya nisa' talabat rabiy ealishata'a, "Oumouk tango, o women, ask God to rain"). This song varies according to the region because the term chta designates rain only in certain urban areas. Each housewife then pours a little water on the statuette, invoking rain.
In some villages, instead of the sculpted head, a stick is used. Each woman attaches a piece of clothing to this before giving some barley to the children in the procession, who then move off, while singing the refrain يا بو قطمبو أعطينا شعير يملا قدحكم مالغدير (transliteration: ya bu qatmibu 'aetayna shaeir yamalaa qadahkum malghdir "O Bouktambou [deformation of Omouk tangou] give us barley, your container will be filled from the water sources").[1][2]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Rezgui, Sadok (1989). Les chants tunisiens. Maison tunisienne de l'édition, Tunis.
- ^ Ommek Tango https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10156376572875394 retrieved at 16.12 on 11/12/20
 | This Tunisia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- Religion in Tunisia
- Tunisian cultural history
- Tunisia stubs