Mouloud Mammeri
Encyclopedia
Mouloud Mammeri is an Algeria
n Kabyle
writer, anthropologist and linguist. Born on December 28, 1917 in Taourirt Mimoune Ait Yenni
in Tizi Ouzou Province
, Algeria
; died in February 1989 near Aïn Defla
in a car accident while returning from a conference in Oujda
, Morocco
.
to live in his uncle's house in Rabat
. Four years later he returned to Algiers and pursued his studies at Bugeaud College.
He then went to Lycée Louis-le-Grand
in Paris intending to join the École Normale Supérieure
. Conscripted in 1939 and discharged in October 1940, Mouloud Mammeri registered at the Faculté des Lettres d’Alger
. Re-conscripted in 1942 after the American landing, he participated in the allied campaigns in France, Italy, and Germany.
After the end of the war, he received his degree as a professor of arts and returned to Algeria in September 1947 . He taught in Médéa
, and then in Ben Aknoun
, and published his first novel, The Forgotten Hill in 1952. He was forced to leave Algiers in 1957 because of the Algerian War. Mouloud came back to Algeria shortly after its independence, in 1962.
From 1965 to 1972 he taught Berber
at the university in the department of ethnology
. Teaching Berber was prohibited in 1962 by the Algerian government. He voluntarily taught some Berber courses under certain permission until 1973, when certain courses such as ethnology and anthropology
were judged as "colonial sciences" and disbanded.
From 1969 to 1980 Mouloud Mammeri directed the Anthropological, Prehistoric and Ethnographic Research center at Algiers
(CRAPE). He also headed the first national union of Algerian writers for a time, until he left due to disagreements over views of the role of writers in society.
In 1969 Mouloud Mammeri collected and published texts of the kabyle poet Si Mohand. In 1980, the prohibition of one of his conferences at Tizi Ouzou
on kabyle poetry caused riots and what would be called the Berber Spring
in Kabylie
.
In 1982, he founded the Center of Amazigh Studies and Research (CERAM) and a periodical called Awal (The Word) in Paris, and organized several seminars on amazigh language and literature at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
(EHESS). Thus he was able to compile a wealth of information on the amazigh language and literature. In 1988 Mouloud Mammeri received an honorary doctorate from Sorbonne
.
Mouloud Mammeri died the evening of February 26, 1989 in a car accident, which took place near Ain-Defla on his return from a symposium in Oujda
(Morocco). His funeral was spectacular, with more than 200,000 people in attendance. No officials attended the funeral, where the crowd organized in demonstrating against the government.
We were in 1940."
Extracted from The sleep of the Just.
“You make me the cantor of the Berber culture and it is true. This culture is mine, it is also yours. It is one of the components of the Algerian culture, it contributes to enrich it, to diversify it, and for this reason I hold (as you should too) not only to maintain it but develop it.” (Mouloud Mammeri's response to the donors of lessons article published in Algeria in April 1980)
“The mystique is back in politics”, the dogma and the constraint are “programmed”.» (Jean Déjeux, Dictionnaire of the Maghrebian authors of French language , Paris, Karthala Editions, 1984, p. 158)
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n Kabyle
Kabyle language
Kabyle or Kabylian is a Berber language spoken by the Kabyle people north and northeast of Algeria. Estimates about the number of speakers range from 5 million to about 7 million speakers worldwide, the majority in Algeria.-Classification:The classification of Kabyle is Afro-Asiatic, Berber and...
writer, anthropologist and linguist. Born on December 28, 1917 in Taourirt Mimoune Ait Yenni
Beni-yenni
Beni Yenni is a town and commune in Tizi Ouzou Province in northern Algeria....
in Tizi Ouzou Province
Tizi Ouzou Province
Tizi Ouzou is a province in Algeria, named after its capital.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into 21 districts , which are further divided into 67 communes or municipalities.-Districts:# Aïn El Hammam...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
; died in February 1989 near Aïn Defla
Aïn Defla
Aïn Defla |spring]]) is the capital city of Aïn Defla Province, Algeria. It is also a commune....
in a car accident while returning from a conference in Oujda
Oujda
Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of 1 million. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Oriental Region of Morocco and the birthplace of the current Algerian president,...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Biography
Mouloud Mammeri attended a primary school in his native village. In 1928 he emigrated to MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to live in his uncle's house in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. Four years later he returned to Algiers and pursued his studies at Bugeaud College.
He then went to Lycée Louis-le-Grand
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a public secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in France. Formerly known as the Collège de Clermont, it was named in king Louis XIV of France's honor after he visited the school and offered his patronage.It offers both a...
in Paris intending to join the École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
. Conscripted in 1939 and discharged in October 1940, Mouloud Mammeri registered at the Faculté des Lettres d’Alger
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. Re-conscripted in 1942 after the American landing, he participated in the allied campaigns in France, Italy, and Germany.
After the end of the war, he received his degree as a professor of arts and returned to Algeria in September 1947 . He taught in Médéa
Medea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
, and then in Ben Aknoun
Ben Aknoun
Ben Aknoun is a suburb of the city of Algiers in northern Algeria....
, and published his first novel, The Forgotten Hill in 1952. He was forced to leave Algiers in 1957 because of the Algerian War. Mouloud came back to Algeria shortly after its independence, in 1962.
From 1965 to 1972 he taught Berber
Berber languages
The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...
at the university in the department of ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
. Teaching Berber was prohibited in 1962 by the Algerian government. He voluntarily taught some Berber courses under certain permission until 1973, when certain courses such as ethnology and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
were judged as "colonial sciences" and disbanded.
From 1969 to 1980 Mouloud Mammeri directed the Anthropological, Prehistoric and Ethnographic Research center at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
(CRAPE). He also headed the first national union of Algerian writers for a time, until he left due to disagreements over views of the role of writers in society.
In 1969 Mouloud Mammeri collected and published texts of the kabyle poet Si Mohand. In 1980, the prohibition of one of his conferences at Tizi Ouzou
Tizi Ouzou
Tizi Ouzou is a city in Kabylia, Algeria, where it ranks second in population after Béjaïa. It is the capital and largest city of Tizi Ouzou Province and of Great Kabylia .-Etymology:The name comes from the Kabylian Berber Tizi n Uzezzu and is pronounced Tizuzzu, commonly...
on kabyle poetry caused riots and what would be called the Berber Spring
Berber Spring
The Berber Spring was a period of political protest and civil activism in 1980 claiming recognition of the Berber identity and language in Algeria with events mainly taking place in Kabylia and Algiers...
in Kabylie
Kabylie
Kabylie or Kabylia , is a region in the north of Algeria.It is part of the Tell Atlas and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia , most of Bouira and parts of the wilayas of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Jijel,...
.
In 1982, he founded the Center of Amazigh Studies and Research (CERAM) and a periodical called Awal (The Word) in Paris, and organized several seminars on amazigh language and literature at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
The École des hautes études en sciences sociales is a leading French institution for research and higher education, a Grand Établissement. Its mission is research and research training in the social sciences, including the relationship these latter maintain with the natural and life sciences...
(EHESS). Thus he was able to compile a wealth of information on the amazigh language and literature. In 1988 Mouloud Mammeri received an honorary doctorate from Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
.
Mouloud Mammeri died the evening of February 26, 1989 in a car accident, which took place near Ain-Defla on his return from a symposium in Oujda
Oujda
Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of 1 million. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Oriental Region of Morocco and the birthplace of the current Algerian president,...
(Morocco). His funeral was spectacular, with more than 200,000 people in attendance. No officials attended the funeral, where the crowd organized in demonstrating against the government.
Quote
"Every thing started with the dominos argument which exasperated Arezki and which Sliman, his young brother, had, once again, explained immediately:- This war is the salvation of the infortunate. When everything burns, when every thing is destroyed, when the storm, the avalanche and the hurricane have carried away or engulfed everything, the earth will once again be virgin. Everything will be questioned. It will be just like in dominos: a new distribution will be made.
- And you'll be a beggar as before, said Arezki.
- No, my brother we've suffered enough, it's time for the poor to be fortunate.
We were in 1940."
Extracted from The sleep of the Just.
“You make me the cantor of the Berber culture and it is true. This culture is mine, it is also yours. It is one of the components of the Algerian culture, it contributes to enrich it, to diversify it, and for this reason I hold (as you should too) not only to maintain it but develop it.” (Mouloud Mammeri's response to the donors of lessons article published in Algeria in April 1980)
Opinion
« His novels represent, so to say, four moments of Algeria: “The Forgotten Hill” the years around 1942 and the unrest in the native village with the departure for the country of the “others”; “The sleep of the just” the experience of the Algerian in the new country and the return, disappointed, and his; “Opium and the stick” the war of liberation in a village of the kabyle mountain, and finally “the Crossing” the period after 1962 which finishes on the disenchantment.“The mystique is back in politics”, the dogma and the constraint are “programmed”.» (Jean Déjeux, Dictionnaire of the Maghrebian authors of French language , Paris, Karthala Editions, 1984, p. 158)
Novels
- "La Colline oubliée" », Paris, Plon, 1952, 2nde édition, Paris, Union Générale d’Éditions, S.N.E.D., col. 10/18, 1978 (ISBN 2-264-00907-1); Paris, Folio Gallimard, 1992 (ISBN 2-07-038474-8).
- "Le Sommeil du juste", Paris, Plon, 1952, 2nde édition, Paris, Union Générale d’Éditions, S.N.E.D., col. 10/18, 1978 (ISBN 2-264-00908-X).
- L'opium et le bâton: roman (in French). (1965/1992). Paris: Éditions La Découverte. ISBN 2707120863.
- "La Traversée", Paris, Plon, 1982, 2nde édition, Alger, Bouchène, 1992.
Short Stories
- « Ameur des arcades et l’ordre », Paris, 1953, Plon, « La table ronde », N°72.
- « Le Zèbre », Preuves, Paris, N° 76, Juin 1957, PP. 33–67.
- « La Meute », Europe, Paris, N°567-568, Juillet-Août 1976 .
- « L’Hibiscus », Montréal, 1985, Dérives N°49, PP. 67–80.
- « Le Désert Atavique », Paris, 1981, quotidien Le MondeLe MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
du 16 Août 1981. - « Ténéré Atavique », Paris, 1983, Revue Autrement N°05.
- « Escales », Alger, 1985, Révolution africaine; Paris, 1992, La Découverte (ISBN 2-7071-2043-X).
Theatre
- « Le Foehn ou la preuve par neuf », Paris, PubliSud, 1982, 2nde édition, Paris, pièce jouée à Alger en 1967 .
- « Le Banquet », précédé d’un dossier, la mort absurde des aztèques, Paris, Librairie académique Perrin, 1973.
- « La Cité du soleil », sortie en trois tableaux, Alger, 1987, Laphomic, M. Mammeri : Entretien avec Tahar DjaoutTahar DjaoutTahar Djaout was an Algerian journalist, poet, and fiction writer. He was assassinated by the Armed Islamic Group because of his support of secularism and opposition to what he considered fanaticism. He was attacked on May 26, 1993, as he was leaving his home in Bainem, Algeria. He died on June 2,...
, pp. 62–94.
Translation
- Les Isefra by Mohand ou Mohand (in French). (1969). Paris: F. Maspero. .
- Poèmes kabyles anciens (in French). (1980). Paris: F. Maspero. ISBN 2-7071-1150-3.
- « L ‘Ahellil du Gourara », Paris, M.S.H., 1984 (ISBN 2-7351-0107-X).
- « Yenna-yas Ccix Muhand », Alger, Laphomic, 1989.
- « Machaho, contes berbères de Kabylie », Paris, Bordas.
- « Tellem chaho, contes berbères de Kabylie », Paris, Bordas, 1980.
Grammar and linguistic
- « Tajerrumt n tmazight (tantala taqbaylit) », Paris, Maspéro, 1976.
- Précis de grammaire berbère (kabyle) (in French). (1987). Paris: Editions AWAL. ISBN 2906659002.
- « Lexique français-touareg », en collaboration avec J.M. Cortade, Paris, Arts et métiers graphiques, 1967.
- « Amawal Tamazight-Français et Français-Tamazight », Imedyazen, Paris, 1980.
- « Awal », cahiers d’études berbères, sous la direction de M. Mammeri, 1985–1989, Paris, Awal