Family rites in Testour, Tunisia, in the 1970s

In the 1970s, people in rural northern Tunisia travelled in family groups to visit the shrines of saints ('friends of God') near them in search of desired health outcomes and emotional reassurance, sometimes spending overnight and enjoying the occasion for its recreational aspects as well as act of worship. This paper describes the set of beliefs that underlie such behaviour and the sequence of events in visits to several of these shrines. The visits involve prayer, commensality, and recreation. The shrines and the visits range from the simple to the complex. The occasional successful visit validates the system of beliefs, and prepares for the next visit. The collective aspect of the visits reinforces social relations within the groups of families and neighbours.