Sons of the Desert

In Tuareg folklore, the hills are alive with the sound of jealous rage. Once upon a time, a tall lava plug called Mount Amjer spurned the advances of a volcanic vixen named Mount Tioueyin and refused to leave Mount Tahat, even though Tahat was already married to another mountain. So Tioueyin did what any self-respecting monolith would do: she left town. She moved 150 km southwest and took a suitor, Mount Iherh, with her.

In Sahara Man: Travelling with the Tuareg (John Murray; 274 pages), British anthropologist Jeremy Keenan returns to that land of lusty mountains, his first...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!