Essai de Folklore Marcain. Croyances Et Traditions Populaires

While she was making her collection of popular Moroccan tales and legends (Contes et Legendes Populaires du Maroc, 1926), Mrs. Legey gathered much information about the beliefs and rituals which accompanied aspects of Moroccan living, urban and country life. Her position as a lady doctor in Morocco from 1910 for more than 25 years, the confidence she inspired in her thousands of patients and her mastery of the Arabic language gave her access to the most authentic sources of these traditions. At a time when it is clear that manifestations of tradition carry the cultural identity of a country, and these traditions are endangered by globalisation, it became necessary to protect this moving patrimony, previously principally passed on orally or by the example. The Kingdom of Morocco Academy has recently launched a process to further that end. Mrs. Legey's inventory, though she defines herself as an "apprentice folklorist," contributes to the preservation of the past, and to maintaining this link with still living generations only maintaining some of the traditions.