Sainthood and Social Boundary Crossing in Medieval Islamic North Africa

Abstract

Boundaries, borders and barriers may take many forms and the genesis of this article lay in an invitation to consider their myriad permutations in the context of the medieval world. Every society is criss-crossed by webs of invisible lines that define the normative path of a life with class, ethnicity, gender and many other factors contributing to what is seen as possible or desirable for each individual. Equality of opportunity is a much-touted tenet of modern western societies and we are sensitive to its presence and absence. Medieval societies were very different to our own but there are times and places where one can see people, consciously or sub-consciously, crossing or altering the normative boundary lines holding them in unequal place.