The historical interpretation of myth in the context of popular Islam

The myth, the author focus upon, is that of Sidi Mhammad, a local saint venerated in N.W. Tunisia. After presenting the myth and briefly indicating the relatively ahistorical elements, the author builds up a framework which opens out the historical content for analysis. This framework is informed by an analysis of the social and religious organization of contemporary society and by historical evidence derived from other oral sources. The main aim is to show how the historical interpretation of myths should not be attempted in isolation, but against the background of much more comprehensive information about the past and the present of the society. Bibliogr., noten