De Henchir Tala à Lalla Tala. Histoire, rites et permanence du sacré sur un site archéologique djerbien

Abstract

This text examines the historical and cultural evolution of the ancient site of Tala (Djerba), which once housed a Punic temple and a Byzantine fort. The ancient place name Henchir Tala, which evoked archaeological remains, evolved into that of a saint, Lalla Tala. Devotion is expressed through specific rituals designed in particular to ward off the evil eye: the tying of fabric knots on the branches of a shrub used for medicinal purposes, as well as offerings to sacred stones and to a small shrine set up at the foot of a palm grove. We suggest that this sacred identity stems from a cultural transfer linked to immigrants from the Djebel Nefoussa (Libya), where a saint of the same name is venerated near a spring. It seems that the sacred has been reinvented in Tala over the centuries, integrating ancient elements into contemporary popular practices. This process of multilocation of the saint also illustrates the depth of the historical and religious ties uniting the Berber communities of Djerba and Tripolitania.