SECTIONS AND FAMILIES OF THE GREAT SOUTH-WESTERLY GROUP OF THE ÍMÓSHAGH
OR TAWÁREK.
As Amóshagh (in the plural form Ímóshagh) designates rather in the
present state of Tawárek society the free and noble man in opposition to
Ámghi (plural, Imghád), the whole of these free and degraded tribes
together are better designated by the general term, the “red people,”
“Ídinet-n-shéggarnén,” for which there is another still more general
term, viz. “Tíshorén.”
The whole group of these south-westerly Tawárek is now generally
designated by the name of Awelímmid, Welímmid, or Awelímmiden, the
dominating tribe whose supremacy is acknowledged in some way or other by
the remainder; and in that respect even the Tademékket are included
among the Awelímmiden; but the real stock of the Awelímmiden is very
small. The whole group, therefore, in opposition, I think, to the name
“Iregenáten,” denoting the mixed group of tribes dwelling S. of the
Niger, is called “Tegesásemt.”
The original group of the Awelímmiden (“Ulmdn” is the way the name is
expressed in Tefínagh) are certainly identical with the Lamta (the t
being a hard t, which is continually confounded with the d), the name
signifying probably “the children of Lamta,” or rather “Limmid;” or the
name may originally be an adjective. They dwelt formerly in Igídi near
the Welád Delém, a Moorish tribe which has received a great many Berber
elements, till they emigrated to Áderár, the country N.E. of Gógó, from
whence, as I have stated in the Chronological Tables appended to the
preceding volume (p. 579.), under the command of Karidénne, son of
Shwásh, or rather Abék, they drove out the Tademékket, at that period
the ruling tribe of this whole region. I here give a list of the most
common camping grounds in Áderár: Amásin, ʿAraba, Tin-darán, Yúnhan or
Gúnhan, e’ Súk (the last two were formerly the sites of flourishing
towns), Ijenshíshen, Ázel adhár, Kidal, regarded often as a separate
district, Endeshedait, Taghelíb, Marret, Talábit, Tadakkét, Asway,
Anemellen, Ansáttefen, Asheróbbak, Tin-záwaten, Tájemart, Eléwi,
Dohéndal, Tinajóla, Enrar, Ejárak, Áshu, Alkit, Takellút, Dafalliána,
Enáfara. The ancestor of the Awelímmiden is said to have been named
Síggene, a man of the tribe of the Himyár.[82]
I now proceed to give a list of all the tribes belonging to this group,
assigning the first place to those who belong to the original stock:—
The Kél-ekímmét, the royal section, or the Kél amanókalen, separated,
as it would seem, into two subdivisions, one of which is called after
Fatíta, and the other, if I am not mistaken, after Úksem or Ókasem,
the son of (ig) Imma, although Úksem was the father of Fatíta.
The present ruler of the tribe, and thus the lord of this whole group,
is Alkúttabu, properly “Kúttub-e’-dín,” “Pillar of the Faith,” a
brother of the late and well known chief E’ Nábegha, son of Káwa; and
besides him there is Thákkefi, the son of E’ Nábegha, and Legáwi or El
Ágwi, between whom and the ruling family, there seems to be some
little rivalry.
Targhay-tamút (the “u” is not generally expressed in Tefínagh), with
the chief Inlehát or Lehát, who likewise rules the tribe of the
Tesgógamet. Sometimes also Legáwi is regarded as chief of this tribe.
The Targhay-tamút are subdivided into the sections of the Kél-egéuk,
the Ikarérayen, the Ihiawen, the Iberekíten, the Idammán, the Ísegrán,
the Kél-tabónnan, the Ishegéttan or Ishéggattan, the Ikhérkheen, the
Kél-kabáy.
Tahabanát or Tahabanáten with the chief Kásel.