Mythologies of the Chaoui (Auresians) Tribe
The Chaoui tribe or Shawyia ( Arabic : الشاوية , Tachawit : Išawiyen ) are a Berber ethnic group native to the Aurès region in northeastern Algeria . They call themselves Išawiyen / Icawiyen (pronounced [ iʃawijən ] ) and speak the Shawiya language . They are the second largest Tell Atlas Berber -speaking ethnicity, alongside the Kabyles and Chenouas . The name Chaoui is taken from the Berber word ‘Ich’, meaning ‘horn’ and is a reference to the Numidian god Amon , who is portrayed at having a human head with the horns of a ram. According to de Slane , translator of the books of Ibn Khaldun, the term Chaoui/Shawi means " shepherd " and designates the Zenata Berbers . Historically, the Aurès Mountains served as a refuge for Berber peoples , forming a base of resistance against the Roman Empi...