Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
Zar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by ...
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Zar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by causing ailments for their hosts, which require ritual reconciliation, a private sacrificial rite practiced routinely by the afflicted devotees. Originally spread from Ethiopia to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf through the nineteenth-century slave trade, in Egypt zar has incorporated elements from popular Islamic Sufi practices, including devotion to Christian and Muslim saints. The ceremonies initiate devotees—the majority of whom are Muslim women—into a community centered on a cult leader, a membership that provides them with moral orientation, social support, and a sense of belonging. Practicing zar rituals, dancing to zar songs, and experiencing trance restore their well-being, which had been compromised by gender asymmetry and globalization. This new ethnographic study of zar in Egypt is based on the author's two years of multi-sited fieldwork and first-hand knowledge as a participant, and the collection and analysis of more than 300 zar songs, allowing access levels of meaning that had previously been overlooked. The result is a comprehensive and accessible exposition of the history, culture, and waning practice of zar in a modernizing world.Less
Zar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by causing ailments for their hosts, which require ritual reconciliation, a private sacrificial rite practiced routinely by the afflicted devotees. Originally spread from Ethiopia to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf through the nineteenth-century slave trade, in Egypt zar has incorporated elements from popular Islamic Sufi practices, including devotion to Christian and Muslim saints. The ceremonies initiate devotees—the majority of whom are Muslim women—into a community centered on a cult leader, a membership that provides them with moral orientation, social support, and a sense of belonging. Practicing zar rituals, dancing to zar songs, and experiencing trance restore their well-being, which had been compromised by gender asymmetry and globalization. This new ethnographic study of zar in Egypt is based on the author's two years of multi-sited fieldwork and first-hand knowledge as a participant, and the collection and analysis of more than 300 zar songs, allowing access levels of meaning that had previously been overlooked. The result is a comprehensive and accessible exposition of the history, culture, and waning practice of zar in a modernizing world.
Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This book examines how different people in metropolitan Cairo experience zar as spirits, as rituals, and as a spiritual and initiatory path. Zar is a healing ritual complex practiced in societies ...
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This book examines how different people in metropolitan Cairo experience zar as spirits, as rituals, and as a spiritual and initiatory path. Zar is a healing ritual complex practiced in societies around the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. It also refers to jinn spirits who possess humans and afflict them with troubles and ailments. In Egypt, the way of zar is one of the healing options that address jinn. People seek out zar initiation when in crisis for a variety of motivations and reasons. Drawing on years of extensive ethnographic fieldwork in different parts of Egypt and on personal experience, this book explores some aspects of Egyptian zar spirit possession that have rarely been addressed in the literature: the zar community (tayfat al-zar), zar rites and rituals, and songs and music within zar communities. This introduction discusses zar and spirit possession from an anthropological perspective and provides an overview of the chapters that follow.Less
This book examines how different people in metropolitan Cairo experience zar as spirits, as rituals, and as a spiritual and initiatory path. Zar is a healing ritual complex practiced in societies around the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. It also refers to jinn spirits who possess humans and afflict them with troubles and ailments. In Egypt, the way of zar is one of the healing options that address jinn. People seek out zar initiation when in crisis for a variety of motivations and reasons. Drawing on years of extensive ethnographic fieldwork in different parts of Egypt and on personal experience, this book explores some aspects of Egyptian zar spirit possession that have rarely been addressed in the literature: the zar community (tayfat al-zar), zar rites and rituals, and songs and music within zar communities. This introduction discusses zar and spirit possession from an anthropological perspective and provides an overview of the chapters that follow.
Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This chapter traces the history and origins of zar in order to elucidate how it migrated with Abyssinian slavery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to Egypt. It lays the basis for ...
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This chapter traces the history and origins of zar in order to elucidate how it migrated with Abyssinian slavery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to Egypt. It lays the basis for understanding zar spirit possession as practiced in Cairo from the nineteenth century until today. Following a short overview of the history and origin of zar in the Red Sea region and the reasoning behind thinking about zar in Egypt as a transnational phenomenon, the chapter discusses zar practices in Cairo based on the author's fieldwork. It also considers the relationship between zar and Islam, the zar ritual placation process, spirit afflictions and their symptoms, and the role of gender and class in zar participation. Finally, it looks at zar professionals (leaders and musicians), zar music and dance, and zar paraphernalia.Less
This chapter traces the history and origins of zar in order to elucidate how it migrated with Abyssinian slavery in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to Egypt. It lays the basis for understanding zar spirit possession as practiced in Cairo from the nineteenth century until today. Following a short overview of the history and origin of zar in the Red Sea region and the reasoning behind thinking about zar in Egypt as a transnational phenomenon, the chapter discusses zar practices in Cairo based on the author's fieldwork. It also considers the relationship between zar and Islam, the zar ritual placation process, spirit afflictions and their symptoms, and the role of gender and class in zar participation. Finally, it looks at zar professionals (leaders and musicians), zar music and dance, and zar paraphernalia.
Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This chapter explores the association between zar possession crises and those that relate to the anxieties around periods of transitions in the life cycle of a person. Symptoms of zar affliction tend ...
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This chapter explores the association between zar possession crises and those that relate to the anxieties around periods of transitions in the life cycle of a person. Symptoms of zar affliction tend to occur during special moments of anxiety surrounding life-cycle transitions. The first episode of possession, or zar ritual crisis, typically occurs prior to marriage, when a woman is still a teenager. The chapter first considers crises related to adolescence, fertility, marriage, pregnancy, birthing, and menopause by using a variety of narratives to present people's varied perceptions and practice for zar. It then links Arjun Appadurai's concept of “locality” to the ways zar orients the devotee's body in time in time and space. It also examines how times of transition—ritual cycle crises—become socialized through zar initiations.Less
This chapter explores the association between zar possession crises and those that relate to the anxieties around periods of transitions in the life cycle of a person. Symptoms of zar affliction tend to occur during special moments of anxiety surrounding life-cycle transitions. The first episode of possession, or zar ritual crisis, typically occurs prior to marriage, when a woman is still a teenager. The chapter first considers crises related to adolescence, fertility, marriage, pregnancy, birthing, and menopause by using a variety of narratives to present people's varied perceptions and practice for zar. It then links Arjun Appadurai's concept of “locality” to the ways zar orients the devotee's body in time in time and space. It also examines how times of transition—ritual cycle crises—become socialized through zar initiations.
Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This chapter presents a sampler of zar sacrificial rites and rituals using a realist narration style, of the kind that is employed in fiction, based on transcriptions of actual recordings of real ...
More
This chapter presents a sampler of zar sacrificial rites and rituals using a realist narration style, of the kind that is employed in fiction, based on transcriptions of actual recordings of real life. The opening sura of the Qur'an, the Fatiha, is the fundamental Muslim prayer. In zar rituals, the Fatiha is used as the central part of a special ritual formula performed at the beginning of any zar performance, called the Openings (al-fawatih). This chapter first describes the ritual use of incense in the Openings rite and its context before discussing the rite for sacrificial blood. It also considers the sacrificial procession dedicated to the Grand Lady, one of the most important zar spirits and leader of a spirit pantheon. Finally, it examines the mayanga (a Hausa word which means “cemetery”), a place where a zar devotee may harbor her possessing spirits and thus acquire direct access to them.Less
This chapter presents a sampler of zar sacrificial rites and rituals using a realist narration style, of the kind that is employed in fiction, based on transcriptions of actual recordings of real life. The opening sura of the Qur'an, the Fatiha, is the fundamental Muslim prayer. In zar rituals, the Fatiha is used as the central part of a special ritual formula performed at the beginning of any zar performance, called the Openings (al-fawatih). This chapter first describes the ritual use of incense in the Openings rite and its context before discussing the rite for sacrificial blood. It also considers the sacrificial procession dedicated to the Grand Lady, one of the most important zar spirits and leader of a spirit pantheon. Finally, it examines the mayanga (a Hausa word which means “cemetery”), a place where a zar devotee may harbor her possessing spirits and thus acquire direct access to them.
Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This chapter examines saint and spirit songs as “acts of transfer” as well as the most popular zar spirits in Cairo and the different ways through which they are placated in ritual. It first provides ...
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This chapter examines saint and spirit songs as “acts of transfer” as well as the most popular zar spirits in Cairo and the different ways through which they are placated in ritual. It first provides an overview of zar songs as “acts of transfer” before discussing the meaning enacted by a song dedicated to Hassan Abul Gheit, the patron saint of the Gheitaniya zar musicians. It then considers the historical context of the Abul Gheit song, along with the cultural memories of a marginal Sufi movement that originated in the nineteenth century. It also explores changes in the articulation of spirit possession by focusing on the spirit pair of Yawra Bey and Rakousha Hanem. Finally, it looks at zar music bands and their styles of singing, along with the history of the song “Banat al-Handasa”.Less
This chapter examines saint and spirit songs as “acts of transfer” as well as the most popular zar spirits in Cairo and the different ways through which they are placated in ritual. It first provides an overview of zar songs as “acts of transfer” before discussing the meaning enacted by a song dedicated to Hassan Abul Gheit, the patron saint of the Gheitaniya zar musicians. It then considers the historical context of the Abul Gheit song, along with the cultural memories of a marginal Sufi movement that originated in the nineteenth century. It also explores changes in the articulation of spirit possession by focusing on the spirit pair of Yawra Bey and Rakousha Hanem. Finally, it looks at zar music bands and their styles of singing, along with the history of the song “Banat al-Handasa”.
Susan Starr Sered
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195104677
- eISBN:
- 9780199853267
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195104677.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
Women's religions are, from a cross-cultural perspective, anomalous. Most of the religions of the world are dominated by men. This chapter presents twelve examples of religions dominated by women. ...
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Women's religions are, from a cross-cultural perspective, anomalous. Most of the religions of the world are dominated by men. This chapter presents twelve examples of religions dominated by women. First, it points out ways in which these religions differ from one another. Some of the examples are self-consciously independent religions that exist in a society where the dominant religion is male dominated (Feminist Spirituality, Afro-Brazilian religions). Others are religious streams that co-exist alongside of, and sometimes intertwined with, male-dominated religions (zār, Spiritualism, Korean shamanism, Burmese nat cultus). Still others are the major religion of an entire society (the Ryūkyū Islands, the Black Caribs of Belize). And finally, others are sects of otherwise male-dominated religions (Christian Science, Shakerism).Less
Women's religions are, from a cross-cultural perspective, anomalous. Most of the religions of the world are dominated by men. This chapter presents twelve examples of religions dominated by women. First, it points out ways in which these religions differ from one another. Some of the examples are self-consciously independent religions that exist in a society where the dominant religion is male dominated (Feminist Spirituality, Afro-Brazilian religions). Others are religious streams that co-exist alongside of, and sometimes intertwined with, male-dominated religions (zār, Spiritualism, Korean shamanism, Burmese nat cultus). Still others are the major religion of an entire society (the Ryūkyū Islands, the Black Caribs of Belize). And finally, others are sects of otherwise male-dominated religions (Christian Science, Shakerism).
John G. Kennedy
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774249556
- eISBN:
- 9781617970955
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774249556.003.0010
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
This chapter describes the form and content of the Nubian zār ceremony and attempts to account for this therapeutic effectiveness. The Nubian zār ceremony is essentially a means of dealing with the ...
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This chapter describes the form and content of the Nubian zār ceremony and attempts to account for this therapeutic effectiveness. The Nubian zār ceremony is essentially a means of dealing with the demonic powers of evil, variously called gour (Mahas Nubian), shayṭan 'afrīt, iblīs, jinn (Arabic) or zār spirits, who may cause illness. The whole direction of the ceremony is towards propitiation and persuasion of spirit beings rather than coercion of them. Zār ceremonies vary considerably in detail according to the idiosyncrasies of the practitioner or “sheikh of the zār” and to the type of illness being treated. This chapter tries to single out those factors of the Nubian zār that could account at least partially for its curative effects on mental illness. Here, the essential emphases are on emotional rather than intellectual techniques.Less
This chapter describes the form and content of the Nubian zār ceremony and attempts to account for this therapeutic effectiveness. The Nubian zār ceremony is essentially a means of dealing with the demonic powers of evil, variously called gour (Mahas Nubian), shayṭan 'afrīt, iblīs, jinn (Arabic) or zār spirits, who may cause illness. The whole direction of the ceremony is towards propitiation and persuasion of spirit beings rather than coercion of them. Zār ceremonies vary considerably in detail according to the idiosyncrasies of the practitioner or “sheikh of the zār” and to the type of illness being treated. This chapter tries to single out those factors of the Nubian zār that could account at least partially for its curative effects on mental illness. Here, the essential emphases are on emotional rather than intellectual techniques.
Terence Walz and Kenneth M. Cuno
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789774163982
- eISBN:
- 9781617970221
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774163982.003.0007
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Turkish policies involved rapid expansion of commerce, slavery and slave trade, migration, urbanization, and social dislocation. This chapter elucidates on one aspect of this extraordinary ...
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Turkish policies involved rapid expansion of commerce, slavery and slave trade, migration, urbanization, and social dislocation. This chapter elucidates on one aspect of this extraordinary transformation, namely the development of urbanism as a way of life and leisure. Examining the life of marginal groups in nineteenth-century Khartoum offers a new perspective on Sudanese history in which Anglo-Egyptian colonial rule (1898–1956) tends to be seen as the main catalyst for social change. The few studies that dealt with the legacy of slavery in northeastern and North Africa have focused mainly on the role of ex-slaves in the dissemination of the zar cult (spirit possession) and other religious practices. Fair's work illustrates the numerous ways in which former slaves realized emancipation at both the ideological and practical levels as well as dramatic transformations in personal identities.Less
Turkish policies involved rapid expansion of commerce, slavery and slave trade, migration, urbanization, and social dislocation. This chapter elucidates on one aspect of this extraordinary transformation, namely the development of urbanism as a way of life and leisure. Examining the life of marginal groups in nineteenth-century Khartoum offers a new perspective on Sudanese history in which Anglo-Egyptian colonial rule (1898–1956) tends to be seen as the main catalyst for social change. The few studies that dealt with the legacy of slavery in northeastern and North Africa have focused mainly on the role of ex-slaves in the dissemination of the zar cult (spirit possession) and other religious practices. Fair's work illustrates the numerous ways in which former slaves realized emancipation at both the ideological and practical levels as well as dramatic transformations in personal identities.
Hager El Hadidi
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166976
- eISBN:
- 9781617978135
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166976.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This chapter examines the socialization and localization of space and time in the zar ritual complex through elaborate and deliberate practices of performance, representation, and actions. In ...
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This chapter examines the socialization and localization of space and time in the zar ritual complex through elaborate and deliberate practices of performance, representation, and actions. In particular, it shows how zar connectivity builds community within the old quarters of Cairo. The chapter begins with a brief introduction about the relevance of anthropologist Arjun Appadurai's work on the production of locality to zar practices. It then considers historiographical studies of women in Cairo and zar as a remnant of a guild corporation (tayfah). It also explores zar divination practices as passiones by presenting the stories of three diviners as case studies of professional zar activities.Less
This chapter examines the socialization and localization of space and time in the zar ritual complex through elaborate and deliberate practices of performance, representation, and actions. In particular, it shows how zar connectivity builds community within the old quarters of Cairo. The chapter begins with a brief introduction about the relevance of anthropologist Arjun Appadurai's work on the production of locality to zar practices. It then considers historiographical studies of women in Cairo and zar as a remnant of a guild corporation (tayfah). It also explores zar divination practices as passiones by presenting the stories of three diviners as case studies of professional zar activities.
John Laband
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780300180312
- eISBN:
- 9780300206197
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300180312.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Imperialism and Colonialism
In 1836 an organized migration of 14,000 farmers (or Boers), known as the “Great Trek,” was under way north across the Orange River. As many as 14,000 Emigrant Farmers or Voortrekkers left Cape Town ...
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In 1836 an organized migration of 14,000 farmers (or Boers), known as the “Great Trek,” was under way north across the Orange River. As many as 14,000 Emigrant Farmers or Voortrekkers left Cape Town in a series of parties that founded several republics that violently collided with their African neighbors and amongst themselves. The emigrant boers North of the Vaal River developed their republic and adopted the name Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). This chapter discusses the Boer relations with the Africans on the periphery of the ZAR. It also highlights the Bapedi people, who went to war in 1876 with the Boers of the ZAR.Less
In 1836 an organized migration of 14,000 farmers (or Boers), known as the “Great Trek,” was under way north across the Orange River. As many as 14,000 Emigrant Farmers or Voortrekkers left Cape Town in a series of parties that founded several republics that violently collided with their African neighbors and amongst themselves. The emigrant boers North of the Vaal River developed their republic and adopted the name Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). This chapter discusses the Boer relations with the Africans on the periphery of the ZAR. It also highlights the Bapedi people, who went to war in 1876 with the Boers of the ZAR.
