Moroccan female saints in written and oral traditions: Lallā Mennāna, patron saint of Larache

Abstract

There are few studies on female saints in medieval Islam, due, among other reasons, to the lack of information in primary written sources, in particular hagiographic literature. In these sources, the role attributed to women is secondary compared to that of men, such that some women are mentioned simply because they are the saint’s daughter, sister, or wife. However, we are optimistic that research findings based on oral traditions related to female saints can break such ‘rules’, restoring these female figures to prominence. This study examines one of the most emblematic and peculiar cases of a female saint in northern Morocco, not only because of her image as the ‘patron saint’ of the city of Larache, but also thanks to primary source material from our study of Spanish colonial writings. This research offers a first examination of the written tradition related to Lallā Mennāna compiled during the Spanish Protectorate. The scant data this documentation provides on the oral tradition surrounding her, however, is insufficient to support in-depth research into the subject. In this article, I will discuss the written traditions concerning Maghrebi hagiographies of women to demonstrate the singularity of Lallā Mennāna within the context of the Moroccan hagiographical tradition. I will also study female sainthood in the city of Larache, basing my analysis on the available information on the city’s patron saint, Lallā Mennāna.