Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2001
In countries where orality is by far the principal mean of communication, poetry has a key role in shaping people's imagery and conception of their role in society. Many studies on Somali's orature have focused on religious poetry as a political arena, as well as on poetry itself as a representation of historical and political cultural concerns. In this article I assume that the Muslim religious arena in Somalia also provides cognitive maps of power and gender relations in society and that the production/reproduction of religious poetry constitutes a way continuously to negotiate the image inherent in such maps. The production and reproduction of religious poetry in the Somali's country is intertwined with the bodily rhythmical movements and ecstatic experiences people undergo when participating in dikri celebrations; such bodily experiences cannot be disentangled from the poetry itself. In the article I analyse Sufistic experiences as they are one of the relevant context of the production/reproduction of religious poetry in Somalia. In particular, I focus on women's Sufistic experiences in rural contexts which are usually neglected in the study of Somali religious spheres, and poetry.