The Place and Function of Imagination in Fulani Mystical Poetry (Massina, Mali)

For the Fulani people of Mali, Islam is one of the anchor points of their culture. Their religious poetry, transmitted orally in zāwias, is deeply influenced by mystic interpretation. This can be perceived in two major points: at the level of the signified with the description of personal mystic experiences; and at the level of the signifier, through images and metaphors. Indeed, symbolic, allegorical and metaphorical expressions are, as this chapter endeavours to show, the best way to convey and transmit a message that borders on the ineffable. This poetry, always sung, conforms to a metric borrowed from classical Arabic poetry and a traditional stylistic system relying on phonic plays. This chapter argues that the mediation of song adds to the evocative power of poetry by bringing into unison the very being of both the one who delivers the message and the one who receives it. Both spiritually merge in this communion of faith, which indeed is the ultimate goal of these poets, who are spiritually engaged.