Overview

An examination of the history and waning culture of zar in Egypt, and the world in which Muslim women negotiate relations with spirits 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 firsthand knowledge as a participant, and her collection and analysis of more than three hundred zar songs, allowing her to 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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Hager El Hadidi
Publisher:   American University in Cairo Press
Imprint:   American University in Cairo Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
ISBN:  

9781649032423

ISBN 10:   1649032420
Pages:   200
Publication Date:   22 November 2022
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration and Translation 1. Introduction Anthropological Understanding of Zar and Spirit Possession Anthropological Theories of Spirit Possession From Collector to Ethnographer Doing the Ethnography of Zar in Cairo Methodological Strategies: Storytelling and Collage Description of Chapters 2. From Abyssinia to Cairo: The Zar Ritual Complex Introduction: Origin and Etymology Egyptian Zar as a Transnational Phenomenon Egyptian Conceptions of Zar Zar and Islam Spirit Afflictions and Their Symptoms Gender, Class, and Zar Participation Zar Professionals: Leaders and Musicians The Zar Ritual Placation Process Zar Music and Dance Zar Paraphernalia Conclusion 3. The Zar Trade: Belonging to Tayfat al-Zar Introduction Historiographical Studies of Women in Cairo Zar as a Guild Corporation Historical Roots of Zar and Guild Incorporation Rituals The Stories of Professional Zar Diviners The Moral of the Stories Conclusion 4. Localization of Bodies in Time: Life Cycle and Other Crises Introduction The Crises of the Teenage Years Pregnancy and Birthing Menopause: The Grand Lady The Disintegrated Plastic Flowers Conclusion 5. Localization of Bodies in Space: A Ritual Sampler The Offering of Incense The Offering of Blood: The Sacrificial Rite The Grand Lady’s Procession The Mayanga: The Cemetery of the Spirits Conclusion 6. Saints and Spirits: Transformation of Traditions Introduction About Zar Songs Zar Songs as ‘Acts of Transfer’ The Historical Context of the Abul Gheit Song Cultural Memories The Golden Pair The Military Spirit Pantheon Zar Music Bands and Their Styles of Singing The Hybridization and Transformation of Musical Styles The History of the Song “Banat al-Handasa” Conclusion Song Samples Notes Bibliography Index

Reviews

[A]n important contribution to the understanding of zar in Egypt. --Nova Religio

Author Information

Hager El Hadidi is associate professor of anthropology, California State University, Bakersfield. Her research interest in zar spirit possession spans over two decades, working with zar groups in Cairo, Alexandria, Fayoum, and Lower and Upper Egypt.

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